Seducing Sasuke

Disclaimer: Naruto is © by Masashi Kishimoto.

A/N: Sorry guys for that cliffhanger. There was a huge storm yesterday and I had to stop writing. I intentionally left it there because I didn't want to rush anything. I am trying to keep pace and carefully write each chapter. I do promise or at least will try to make this chapter longer than the rest.

Previously

"I'll think about it. But before I can decide tell me something. What will I get in exchange for my services."?

"I already told you. Lady Tsunade promised.." She said.

"Yes, you told me that. But I want to know what you'll give?

"Anything. Anything you want."

"Anything I want, you say."

"Yes, Sasuke anything."

Chapter Five

Sasuke smiled and walked over towards Sakura, and pulls her towards him, their lips inches apart. Sakura feels her heart beating loudly in her chest. She wasn't afraid. She had prepared herself for this, yet she felt unprepared, if that even made sense. His lips barely brush hers when they hear voices coming from the forest, forcing them to separate.

"Damn it, they're back." Sasuke thought to himself. "What lousy timing. Just when I was getting somewhere."

Karin was the first to arrive followed by Jugo and Suigetsu. As always, Karin was arguing with Suigetsu about some nonsense. Jugo tried to calm them but was failing miserably. When Karin saw them, she glared in suspicion.

"Sasuke, are we going to head off or are we just going to stand here all day?" Karin asked impatiently. "We have to at least get to the next town. We are running low on supplies.

"Of course. We'll just replenish our water supply and be off." Sasuke says. "You're right, Karin, we are running low. The closest town is at least a distance away. If we leave now we should arrive by late afternoon. We will spend the night there and acquire the necessary items."

Karin smiles in triumph, thinking that Sakura wouldn't be accompanying them. The smile fades when Sasuke announces that Sakura would indeed be joining them. Rapidly, they refilled there canteens and set off, all the time Karin was thinking of ways to keep Sakura away from Sasuke. Coming up with a solution, she decided to wait until she and Sakura were alone.

Her opportunity arrived when they got to the town. It was a small one that didn't have shinobi. It was perfect. And apparently they arrived in time for a festival, which to Karin's dislike, was the annual Sakura Festival. Everywhere she saw there was some sort of cherry blossom item.

"Well, Sakura, it looks like they're celebrating you." Jugo pointed out. "I mean, you are named after cherry blossoms, aren't you."

"Yes, I am. That and because of my pink hair. It's ironic." She replied, smiling.

"Well, I don't think this is good news. After all we are trying to keep a low profile, not drawing attention to ourselves, isn't that right, Sasuke?"

"It really doesn't make a difference, Karin. Wherever we go, it'll be the same thing. Jugo. Suigetsu. Come with me. We should look around. This might not be a ninja village but there might be one or two around. I don't want us to find anyone that might recognize us."

"Great idea, Sasuke. I'll just go with Sakura to find an inn where we can spend the night." Karin said, smiling at the opportunity to drive a wedge between Sasuke and little miss cherry blossom. She wouldn't allow her to steal her man, as she thought. Waiting until the three were out of sight, Karin turns to Sakura, staring angrily at her.

"Listen, Sakura. I want you to back off. Sasuke is mine and will always be mine. Got that." Karin reproached icily. "So I think it is best if you go back. Stay the hell away from him or else."

"First of all, Karin, I am not afraid of you. Secondly, I am not going anywhere. Thirdly, you can't tell me what to do. Fourthly, Sasuke isn't yours. He isn't a possession; He is a person. You don't own him. Sakura replied curtly, never once taking her eyes away from the redhead. They were facing off without words, neither one willing to falter in her resolve. "Fifthly, I am not leaving. Not unless Sasuke sends me away. Got that."

"But he is mine, Sakura and I am his. He loves me, but he won't acknowledge me right now because of you. He just wants to sleep with you. Then he'll push you aside. That's just how he treats women like you. Whereas, he treats me with respect and love, when we're together. If you know what I mean." Karin says, pouring as much venom into her words; her lies. She sneers as she sees something flicker in Sakura's eyes. The seed of doubt has been planted. All she needs is to sit back and watch until Sakura disappears, hopefully forever.

"I don't believe you. I've known Sasuke for a long time and I know he isn't like that. He respects everyone. He'd never do what you say. You're lying." Sakura said. "You're such a hateful bitch because Sasuke doesn't see you as anything other than a teammate."

"I don't care what you believe. But it's true. Sasuke always seeks me out. He just can't help it." Karin said, shrugging and then put on her sweetest smile as the others returned. She knew that Sakura wouldn't speak about what she had said. Sasuke would deny it which would confirm her suspicions. It was all to perfect. Soon, Sakura would have no choice but to leave.

As Sasuke, Jugo and Suigetsu arrived, Sakura excused herself on the notion that she wanted to go for a walk and explore the festival. She walks off without even looking at Sasuke, which he strikes at odd. Karin smirks internally. Her plan was working. She had send Sakura off for the time being. Soon, she'd have no choice but leave and she'd have Sasuke for herself.

Sasuke was honestly confused by Sakura's change in attitude. He didn't understand what could have caused this. He looked over at Karin, who had a smile plastered over her face. Judging by the looks of things, he wouldn't put it past Karin to have said something to Sakura in the few minutes they had been alone. That had to be it. Karin was a deceitful person that much he knew. He didn't say anything. Not just yet. He would wait till he and Sakura were alone so they could talk.

"Karin did you and Sakura find an inn?" Sasuke asked.

"No, Sasuke. We didn't go because Sakura didn't want to. She said I should since I am nothing more than your underling. She was rude to me. She even had the nerve to insult me. She said I was a hateful bitch. I didn't even do anything to her." Karin said, pretending to be hurt.

"Well it is true, Kari. You are a hateful bitch." Suigetsu said, laughing at Karin. He wasn't fooled by her. He knew that Karin was jealousy by the arrival of the other girl. She had to be. She probably noticed that Sasuke was interested in his childhood teammate.

"You're despicable, Suigetsu. You're siding with her, when you should be defending me. I am your teammate. You just trust her because you like her. Because you think she's good-looking." Karin cried.

"No, I don't. Like her I mean. But, I have to admit she is hot." Suigetsu said. He didn't have a death wish. He that the pink haired girl was Sasuke's. And if he so much as touched her, Sasuke would break his arm out of its socket. Or kill him.

Sasuke didn't have the patience to listen to them anymore and took off to find an inn. When he found one, he rented three rooms since each had two beds. Suigetsu and Jugo would share one and Karin and Sakura would stay in the other. That left him to one for himself. When he found his comrades at one of the booths, eating, he tossed them their room keys. Sakura was still nowhere to be found. Before they could ask where he was going, he walked off, in search of the absent girl. He found her at a small playground, talking to a young girl, crying. He heard Sakura comforting the girl and promising to help her. The girl was lost and couldn't find her parents. Taking her by the hand, Sakura led her away in search of the girl's parents. Once they'd found them, the girl's mother thanked her. Sasuke distinctly heard the girl tell he mom that Sakura was an angel that had made the pain in her leg go away. Apparently the girl had fallen as she searched for them. Sakura explained that she was a medic. They thanked her and invited her to dinner, but she kindly declined telling them that she was here with some friends. They nodded but said that they at least hoped to see her at the festivities later. She nodded and watched the little girl walk away with her parents.

Turning around, she finds Sasuke standing there, behind her. "Sasuke, you startled me. I didn't know you were there."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I just saw you with that girl and her parents that I didn't want to interrupt." He told her.

"Oh, well, I was just doing my job. Helping others, without second intentions. I do it because I am an honorable shinobi, unlike some who expect something in return" she said. "Now, if you'll excuse me I want to be alone." She said walking away before Sasuke could stop her. She was different than she had been that morning. Cold and indifferent towards him and that unnerved him.

"Sakura, wait." He said, but a little too late as Sakura had already disappeared, leaving him alone. He had been about to ask her what Karin told her to make her act that way but he was too late. She was gone.

Walking as far as she could, in the alleyway of a deserted street, Sakura fought to keep the tears from her eyes. Karin's words were still running through her mind. She hadn't wanted to believe her but Sasuke's innuendo that morning confirmed things. Sasuke just wanted to have sex with her in exchange for his aide. She knew that she had been willing to do that when she'd first set out on this mission, but now she wasn't so sure. She thought she didn't love him anymore, but she was wrong. She still loved him, even after all these years. It was something beyond her control. And Karin's insinuations had only added salt to her wounds. She didn't want to think of Sasuke and Karin together because that hurt.

Unable to hold back the tears, Sakura fell to her knees and cried. She cried because now she wished that she hadn't come. She wished that they could have found another way to protect Konoha without Sasuke's help. She cried for a good while, until she came to a resolve. She would ask Sasuke one more time to help. If he still refused, she would leave, even if that meant failing her mission. She couldn't bear to have her heart broken again. It was late and she remembered that she'd promised that little girl that she'd be at the festival. She would go for a while then look for Sasuke to talk to him.

At the festival with his companions, Sasuke tried his best to keep Sakura off his thought. What she had told him earlier had disturbed him. Did she really think he had double intentions with her? He was sure that something was bothering her and he wouldn't stop until he knew what it was. She owed him an explanation. He didn't know why but he but he couldn't stand knowing that she distrusted him. Her accusations hurt, even if he tried to brush them off. Tonight, he'd get to the bottom of things, if it was the last thing he did.

Sakura tried to enjoy herself but found it impossible. Her thoughts were a jumble. She met up with the girl and her parents and joined them. She had told them that she left her friends for a while. This time, she didn't decline their invitation and joined them for dinner. There she told them of her life in Konoha medic and kunoichi. She told them that even though being a ninja had its downside, she enjoyed helping other and protecting her home. She talked about all her other friends back home, especially about Naruto. She left out that he was the jinchuriki with the nine tails. She just told them that he aspired to one day be Hokage. When it was getting late, she excused herself and left. As she left the restaurant, she found Sasuke waiting for her.

"We need to talk." He said, without hesitation and looked at her.

"Yes, I suppose we do." Was all she said.

"Come with me."

"Of course. Lead the way."

Sasuke turned and she followed. She didn't know where he was leading her to but that didn't matter, as long as they could talk. They walked until they were outside the town, back in the forest.

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" she demanded.

"I want to talk about us." He replied.