Warnings: Rape, voyeurism, nudity, subtlety and minor spoilers.
Disclaimer: The quote isn't mine, the characters aren't mine, but damn it, I will claim this story line.
Author's Notes: 'Subtlety' probably seems strange to be posted as a warning but in this chapter has a lot going on in it and most of the important information will be presented in an off hand manner.
If you have issues with Sasuke in this story, this chapter is going to be interesting for you.
Chapter 5
Have you ever been in love?
Horrible isn't it?
It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens your heart and it means someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses. You build up this whole armor, for years, so nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life… You give them a piece of you. They don't ask for it. They do something dumb one day like kiss you, or smile at you, and your life isn't your own anymore. Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so a simple phrase like "Maybe we should just be friends" or "How perceptive" turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart.
It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, body-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. Nothing should be able to do that. Especially not love.
I hate love.
Rose Walker from "The Kindly Ones," Part 9 of the Sandman Graphic Novels by Neil Gaiman, pgs 7-8, panels 4-9
By the time he was done it was sunset, the play of purple and red shades of light washing over the town and making it look somehow unreal. He watched the scene for a while, enjoying the sight as the colors swept over him, and relaxed as he stood in the open street unmolested. The fading light reminded him that it was dinner time but the idea was faint and unimportant to the blonde- he had stopped being concerned with regular meals a very long time ago- but he supposed that his captors, if awake, may be hungry. Ignoring the aching in his ankles and the soreness of his feet, he turned and headed toward the restaurant that he and Kisame had visited yesterday.
"Good to see you again, my Lady!" The proprietor practically shouted as Naruto came through the door. Startled, the blonde jumped then winced visibly as his ankles sent an urgent message of protest to his brain over the action.
"Where is your body guard, madam?" The man asked, voice mercifully softer with concern. The man wasn't fat exactly; he was fairly pudgy, though, and coming dangerously close to resembling a human ball. The bald patch atop his head, badly disguised despite the careful comb-over of the man's remaining black hair, only seemed to exacerbate the image and part of Naruto wondered how much longer the seams of the matching set of loose lavender tunic and pants the man wore were going to be able to hold- no matter how flowing the cut of the outfit, if the fabric kept being stretched beyond it's limit it would eventually give under the strain. The man actually reminded the blonde of Chojii Akimichi but, as memories of the roundish brunette from team eight tried to surface, Naruto stopped the train of thought dead in its tracks, mentally pushing it away into the back of his mind where it came from.
One memory would pave the way for others and Naruto couldn't afford for that to happen since breaking down- slipping back into himself- in public would destroy the new persona he had created. He had one chance to get this right; if he botched it, all his efforts would go to waste and he would put all of them- Kisame, Itachi, and himself- in unnecessary jeopardy. No one liked being deceived, no one, and the resulting public out cry could end up being something more violent than even they could handle.
A faint tingling sensation on his arm brought him back to the present with a jerk, which made him wince as his ankles were forced to twist. He could not fully block the resulting grimace, but hid it by frowning at the fact that he had been touched without permission.
"I am sorry, my Lady." The man murmured, taking his hand back and bowing low- or at least as low as he could get without toppling forward onto the floor or Naruto. "I did not mean to be forward but…" He hesitated, his unease briefly flashing over his face before his previous jovial attitude made it vanish as if it had never been. Movement caught the blonde's attention and, by reflex, his eyes sought it out, watching the man's pudgy hand flex its fingers beside the man's thigh.
The man saw where Naruto was looking and immediately the hand stilled, the man noisily clearing his throat and brining the blonde's attention back to his face "I am Akira, the host of Ianthe's. May I escort you to a seat?"
Not sure how he should feel about Akira's reaction to touching him, Naruto simply kept his mouth shut and nodded, following behind the man silently as he was guided through the restaurant toward a large violet silk screen patterned sparingly with silver fern prints that partitioned off a smaller area of the main dining room on the right hand side.
Behind the screen was a bar, the long wooden counter well polished and smooth, the multiple sets of condiment assortments and bar munchies set in tasteful little groupings before the counter divider separating the serving and sitting areas. The seats in front of the counter had padded seats and high backs and looked absolutely inviting to the tired blonde. Most of the seats were empty, unsurprising given that it was still early for the main drinking crowd, and Naruto was led to the one furthest from the entrance. He realized that the screen behind him was thicker than it looked, allowing for more privacy between the two sections and the seat Naruto was brought to was in a corner that was secluded from both. It also created the illusion of privacy without making a person feel trapped and the Kyuubi vessel was obscenely grateful for this fact as he carefully mounted the chair in what he hoped was a feminine manner.
Akira did not sit next to Naruto. Instead he opted to remain beside the teenager until Naruto was comfortably seated, then bowed politely and, with speed belying his bulky frame, scurried away through a door behind the bar, bellowing for someone as he disappeared. Shortly after, he came back through the doorway, smiling brightly about something but, before the Kyuubi vessel could become suspicious, a new person emerged from the doorway behind Akira.
'Whoa.' Naruto thought then pointedly directed his gaze back to the wooden counter of the bar. No one liked to be stared at- he should know that better than anyone- but damn...!
It was definitely a sight worth staring at though as the new person bent almost double to get through the narrow opening. The man was big. Not in the way of the restaurant's host but big in the way Kisame was big- the new male was about two inches taller than the ex-Mist nin and had broader shoulders- and the blonde absently wondered how the man put up with the building's narrow doorways on a constant basis. The tall man's hair was brown, his skin neither pale nor dark but some color that was the middle of the two. He had high cheek bones and a small mouth that gave his face an overall too thin look, as far as Naruto was concerned, but still was admittedly handsome. The clothing the person wore, the same outfit as Akira, hid most of him from view but the way the man moved screamed strength, said plainly that this was not a person to take lightly no matter how soft the packaging may appear.
Scowling, the man came to stand on the other side of the bar directly across from the blonde, placing small bowls of the various bar snacks Ianthe's offered on the wood between them in an almost mechanical manner. It was clear from the angry aura surrounding him that the man did not want to be anywhere near the blonde though Naruto had done nothing to offend him.
"This is Kana." Akira said, smiling happily at both of them. Naruto wondered if the other was intentionally ignoring Kana's dark aura or if Akira genuinely didn't feel it. "Anything you need while you are in Ianthe's, Kana will handle. He will be your personal liaison for the evening, my Lady...?"
The blonde blinked, realizing that Akira was asking for his name. Quickly he tried to think of a girl's name he could live with but the only one that readily came to mind was 'Sakura' and he'd be damned if he would call himself that! And with the thought of Sakura came Sasuke and with that came...
Naruto blinked and looked down at the bar again.
If nothing else, this would be his legacy. This was his chance to ensure that he would be remembered as something other than the demon's child, for something other than his ineptitude, and all just by picking the right name. He could make certain that he would be remembered for the thing that he had been willing to risk everything for, to die for if necessary, all so he could bring little Uchiha babies into the world and raise them with Sasuke, the man Naruto loved.
"Ai." Naruto whispered, feeling his eyes prickle warningly but somehow managing not to cry. He looked up and offered a watery smile. "My name is Ai."
"Ai-sama it is then." The Akira said, bowing deeply, his eyes never leaving the blonde's. "It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Ai-sama."
'Would you say that if you knew? If I told you I had a demon inside me, that I was a monster, would you wish me dead?' He had wondered the same thing during his previous visit while being fussed over. The attention had made him nervous, convinced him that at any moment someone would realize what he was and begin screaming. When nothing happened, he had nearly been overcome by the insane urge to yell out his identity, just so they could get it over with and not draw out the suspense any longer. If Kisame hadn't been there, Naruto may have given in to it just to alleviate the nearly crushing weight of his twisted curiosity.
Looking into Akira's cheerful dark eyes, Naruto decided not to have that question answered- he had already had his fill of hard truths for a life time.
Sakura had seen to that.
On the other side of the bar, Kana's scowl deepened, his eyes narrowing at the elder male briefly before landing on the blonde with an odd mix of hostility and confusion.
Then the full implication of what Akira had said earlier reached Naruto and he stared at the balding male, unable to hide his shock at the over-the-top generosity. "That's really not necessary…!" He protested, looking between the two. He hadn't done anything to earn such treatment, disguise or no disguise, and it set off an alarm deep inside him, a warning that he had better be wary.
"No! You are our special guest tonight! Please stay and enjoy our hospitality and Kana's company!" Akira said, beaming, either ignoring or simply not hearing the rest of Naruto's objections. The Kyuubi vessel noted that the hand that Akira had used to touch him with before was flexing again, and the blonde wondered sadly if merely touching him was really so awful. With a quick bob, the host escaped around the silk divider into the main dining room, moving quickly through the tables as he headed for the door.
The pair watched him leave, both mutually perplexed over his hasty retreat.
Then Kana turned the full force of that angry glare on the blonde.
Naruto sighed, unable to squash the dejected feeling seeping through him. "If you have something else you'd prefer to be doing…"
"Would you like a drink, madam?" Kana asked, ignoring the out the blonde had given him. Regardless of the obvious irritation his body language was broadcasting, he spoke slowly and precisely, his voice flowing more like liquid than sound. There was no inflection in Kana's tone, nothing that was anything except professional, but Naruto was fairly certain that the other was counting down the minutes until the blonde left.
"A glass of water would be wonderful." Naruto said quietly, trying hard not to stare at the bar top as the other man filled his order.
A clean glass was immediately placed in front of him on the counter and was filled by crystal clear water that Kana poured from the freshly opened bottle he held. He did it with a flourish but the gesture seemed mocking to the blonde, reinforcing the idea that he was unwanted all over again.
He should have found some other place to get food or should have simply made something out of the supplies that he had already bought.
'This is just like being back in Konoha.' Naruto forced down the urge to burst into tears and fished out some money to pay not only for his untouched water but for the place's hospitality. Feeling important had been nice while it lasted and he had had an absolutely excellent time while out shopping today. The blonde shouldn't have expected it to last any longer and yet some part of him had hoped that it would, at the very least until he returned to the hotel... that he would at least get one good day…
He should have known better.
"Never mind." Naruto said, a tremor in his voice. Inwardly, he cursed himself for his foolishness and weakness as he placed the money on the counter next to his glass. He slid out of his chair, ignoring his protesting ankles, and gathered up his shopping bags before bowing to Kana.
"Thank you very much." The blonde said quietly and turned, head down, his eyes firmly watching the floor as he left the restaurant quickly.
Night had fully descended outside and, though it reminded the blonde of his dream, this darkness seemed nothing like the warm blackness that Naruto had found comfort in. The empty market suddenly seemed ominous, the shadows in the stalls sinister, and the Kyuubi vessel did not linger as he walked through it all, staying under the sparse pools of light cast by the street lamps over head as much as possible.
Just as the inn came into view, Naruto heard footsteps behind him and, though he didn't break out into a run, he did hurry his pace a bit. He wasn't afraid of being attacked- he was actually quite used to that thanks to the villagers at home- but why risk the unnecessary attention that a battle would cause? Looking up at the building in front of him, Naruto absently wondered if one of the many lighted windows belonged to the room he and the Akatsuki pair were sharing.
'Are they awake? Are they out looking for me?' The thought brought a bizarre rush of affection for the pair and something inside him warmed pleasantly at the idea, but he stomped the feeling down in order to focus on a more pressing issue.
Ears trained on the person following behind him, the blonde automatically went around people that suddenly appeared in his path, dodging around the night life traffic easily as his ninja skills kicked in instinctively. Adrenaline sang through his frame, chasing away the aches and pains that plagued his mind and body, gearing him up in preparation of battle. He adjusted his hold on his shopping bags, ready to use them as a diversion or impromptu weapon.
"Hey!" Said a familiar voice from a ways behind him but Naruto didn't slow his pace, pretending not to have heard the other. The blonde didn't know what Kana wanted and, quite frankly, didn't want to know either. He'd had his fill of the tall bar tender's mocking attitude at Ianthe's and didn't need another helping.
He was so close to the inn, only five meters separating him from the safety of its walls.
"Wait!" That one word let Naruto know three things simultaneously: one, Kana was pissed about something, two, the other was faster than one would think because the brunette was much closer than he had been when he first called out, and finally three, that moving so quickly came with a price since the other was out of breath. The blonde filed those facts away for use later- they'd be handy if this really did turn violent. "Wait up a sec!"
Three meters to the inn, two.
"Hey, damn it!" This time it came from right behind him, above his right ear as the brunette caught up to him.
'Lady! Lady! Lady!' Naruto forced himself not to grab and break Kana's hand as it came down upon his shoulder.
The world fell away at that mere touch, fell away as his body was plunged into flame. Kana's hand on his shoulder was hot, so hot, as if someone had touched a piece of the sun to his skin and burned a hole through the joint to pour lava inside his body. That scalding heat filled him swiftly, moving down through his frame, burning his organs until everything was just ash. It flowed into him, paralyzing him, and he could do nothing to free himself as that all consuming fire engulfed his body, his mind. In his head he screamed, screamed for it to stop, screamed for help, trying to rail against the pain and breathe, damn it, but he couldn't draw breath as his lungs melted. He burned but impossibly still lived, his body dissolving as it was seared inside and out, the tortuous moment continuing.
The sensation of burning alive affected not just him but also his metaphysical roommate and, in his head, the fox voiced screams of pain right along side him. It shrieked with him, over and over, until finally the agony became so great that its chakra, already roiling vigorously inside it's cage, came spilling out of the hole Itachi had put in its containment seal, flowing out like an angry sea and overwhelming everything in its path.
The fox's energy raced through him, tried to heal the damage from Kana's fiery touch, to break whatever link there was between them and halt the advance of the energy pouring inside him, but there were limits to what even the powerful Kyuubi could do. Already weakened from its and Naruto's close brush with final death, the fox did not have the reserves to simultaneously fight against and heal the damage spreading through the blonde effectively. Acting on instincts ingrained long before humans ever walked the earth, the fox made an executive decision.
The demon was in pain.
Naruto was in pain.
These were unforgivable offenses and would not be tolerated by any stretch of the imagination.
Roaring in agony, Kyuubi lashed out, reacting like a trapped animal being poked cruelly with a sharp stick. Heedless of the damage it did to its host in the process, the fox's chakra speared through Naruto's body to attack the source of its pain. It smashed into Kana, leaping through the brunette's hand to arc up the arm attached to it before finally crashing into the other's chest hard enough break the physical contact and make the taller male stumble away.
Once free of Kana's touch, Naruto's knees gave out, forcing him to all fours as sensory echoes of him roasting reverberated through him. He sucked in air, screaming internally as he did, wondering if he would be sick from the resulting pain from the action or would simply pass out first. The chakra Kyuubi had used to chase Kana away was reabsorbed by his body, the blonde's spine bowing as it all that slid back inside his body, rubbing against his raw wounded insides and making him twitch helplessly in pain as it returned to the fox's prison.
But something was different, something was wrong. Its color was off and the chakra felt thicker somehow, warmer, more… just more than it should have been. The blonde tried to investigate the elusive feeling, tried to get past the pain wracking through him and examine it. He managed it for a brief second and got a single glimpse before other instincts kicked in, seeing that deep inside that red roiling tide was something alien, an energy that was neither his nor Kyuubi's.
It was as if Kyuubi's chakra had a mind of its own now and behaved like an independent creature; the fox initially had only wanted to retaliate but it was as if that hadn't been enough, that the chakra hadn't been content with something so simple. It was as if simply hurting Kana hadn't been enough for the released chakra and it had taken things a step further by also pulling a chunk out of the other man, dragging the animated piece back to the fox like some sort of trophy. Glowing like a golden jewel beneath its crimson sheath, it twisted and coiled, seemingly struggling against the fox's chakra until it was forced to submit. Fighting, protesting, attempting to escape, this foreign energy behaved more like a hostage than any chakra Naruto knew of and it made him wonder, puzzled about the whole affair.
But now that piece was inside Naruto as well, and, too big to pull through the gap in the bars of the Kyuubi's prison, it now was wriggling helplessly in the water filled corridor outside, dissolving and mixing with Naruto's system like some insidious poison, making his joints suddenly ache and his body burn all over again…That was as far as his analysis got, though, as the demon's instincts overwhelmed his mind.
They had to run, had to get away! Before he was even consciously aware of it, Naruto was standing, teetering dangerously on wobbly legs as he sought a place to hide. Pain was negated by adrenaline, making him shiver and shake badly but also allowing him to stumble blindly into the total darkness he could see beyond the rows of buildings. He heard a voice weakly trying to call him back and, for a split second, Naruto felt the near overwhelming urge to go back to Kana. He ignored it, urging his feet forward, scrambling up every time he tripped over the edges of his inexplicably loose kimono. His footsteps became more sure and gained speed until he was running, running as fast as possible away from the town, away from those who had hurt them, away from the pain and hopefully toward a refuge where even a demon could find peace.
A safe haven… A harbor…
A sanctuary…
'Sa…'
"Leave immediately."
Sasuke was absolutely livid at the intruder but didn't let any of the emotion show of his stoic visage. He tied the towel around his waist a little tighter and folded his arms over his chest, glaring at the half naked girl sprawled invitingly on his bed.
Damn the council! Damn them and their stupid match-making scheme to Hell!
"But Sasuke-chan..!"
"Get. Out. Sakura." The Uchiha felt his eyebrow twitch both from the suffix she had used and from the round creamy breast that had been revealed as his name was spoken. Nimble fingers with elegantly manicured nails began to play with the firm flesh, cupping it, squeezing it gently. Sasuke stared, too shocked to stop the impulse as his former teammate bared both her breasts and began to play with her nipples, teasing them until they were hard pink nubs.
Despite the fact that he didn't find Sakura attractive, the visual stimulation of the girl touching herself was having an unwanted effect on his body and Sasuke inwardly cursed as he became half hard. Forcing his gaze away, his eyes began boring a hole in the wall above his bed as he tightened his towel and shivered as the water droplets still covering his skin began to cool in the evening air.
Gods, he should have brought his damn pajamas in the bathroom with him. He should have known that his privacy was going to suffer.
The dobe would probably find it all very funny.
"Let me stay, Sasuke-chan." Sakura purred as, to the Uchiha's horror, she continued to strip off the remainder of her outfit. The ensemble had been a pink yukata richly embroidered with white sakura blossoms and belted shut with a crimson colored obi. For the interviews earlier that day, she had had her hair done up in a complicated design held in place with jade studded hair pins and combs, looking the personification of spring loveliness. Lee had burst into tears at the sight of her and, if he had been any one else, Sasuke may have followed suit.
He hadn't though and had, in fact, dismissed her after only an obligatory cursory glance. Still unable to explain it, a distinct feeling of unease and wariness had filled him at the sight of her, making him want to put as much distance between himself and her as possible. He had managed to avoid her all afternoon while meeting his other romantic prospects within the village but, as he had known, his luck seemed to have run out.
The hair pins and combs were no where in sight now, and the pink fall of hair cascaded around the girls shoulders and face, softening her features even more than the make up she wore. The red obi that had kept the yukata closed lay on the floor by the bed where it had been flung away as soon as Sasuke had entered the room. Sakura lay back upon his mounded pillows, her yukata framing her nude upper body as her hands trailed lower, opening the cloth to reveal that there really wasn't anything else under it except blushing bare skin.
"Come to bed, Sasuke-chan." She purred, her attempt at seduction having the opposite effect on the object of her affections, much to his relief. "It's so big and I'm lonely all by myself."
Sasuke suppressed a shudder. "Get out."
He glared at her, his dark eyes becoming crimson as the Sharingan appeared. His patience had officially run out with the pink haired kunoichi. He was tired, his sleepless nights catching up to him in a sudden rush, and angry over the whole 'find a wife' affair. Honestly, by the time he had come home he had felt more like a piece of meat than a human being and the feeling had encouraged him to jump in the shower as soon as he was home. Under the spray of hot water, he'd managed to relax enough to let the liquid ease the tension knots in his muscles.
Then he'd come out and found… this.
All the previous tension he'd lost flowed right back in, making the space between his shoulder blades itch as it tightened painfully, other knots cropping up all over his back in response.
The temperature of the room noticeably dropped several degrees when Sasuke spoke. "Get-"
"This is a very pretty ring, Sasuke." Sakura continued as if he hadn't said anything, her attention suddenly on a silver band held between her fingers.
Sasuke forced the emotions trying to surface into the back of his mind, his face blanking out as his body outwardly went absolutely still. The ability to freeze in place was a skill he had learned from Orochimaru's snakes while in Sound, something that was surprisingly useful when he didn't want anyone to know what he was thinking or feeling. Sakura had the ring, the ring he had thought hidden safe, the ring he needed in order to track Itachi down once and for all. He didn't want her to know that the simple piece of jewelry was important to him, not with her sudden forwardness- he was afraid of what she would do to the ring. Her behavior was actually very disturbing and he wondered if the display was due to insecurity.
She had a lot to feel threatened over. The council had shoved every unattached woman at him as a wife candidate. Everyone. Since he had never shown any interest in any particular female archetype, the council had pulled out all the stops and rounded up every breedable female regardless of age or if they had already been married. Most of the woman at the gathering had been widows and nearly twice his age.
Gods, some of them had been old enough to be his mother! He shuddered inwardly, hoping desperately that the other villages sending possible candidates tomorrow had limited theirs to women around his age because, quite frankly, the idea of bedding old ladies gave him the creeps.
"Is this a family ring, Sasuke-chan?" Sakura purred. "Will your wife get to wear it?" The Uchiha felt nauseous.
He crossed the room to the bed, one hand firmly gripping the knot of cloth at his hip, the other held out for the ring. When the kunoichi smiled up at him, Sasuke responded with his most terrifying glare, the look made even more scary since his sharingan had whirled into being.
"It is my ring. That is all you need to know." He said, eyes locked with hers as she obediently placed the silver and red circlet in his waiting palm.
"It says 'sky.'" She murmured, dropping his gaze and staring at the coverlet. To his relief, she pulled her yukata over her body. "What does it mean?"
He stepped away from the bed and bent over to retrieve the crimson sash, his eyes remaining on her less she fling herself on him. He straightened and threw the piece of clothing at her. "Get dressed and get out. Don't come back."
Five minutes later, Sasuke was escorting the blushing kunoichi down stairs to the first floor of his home and, more importantly, to the entrance. Keeping a firm hand on her elbow, Sasuke practically dragged her down the stairs and across the floor to the entryway, not slowing down even as she stumbled and slipped on the polished wood. With quick angry motions he unlocked the front door and slid it to the side, barely able to restrain himself from shoving her out the door and slamming it behind her.
"Please, Sasuke-chan..!" Sakura tried, her voice high as he waited for her to leave, his impatience obvious. "Please give me another chance! I'll be an excellent wife!"
"Get out, Sakura, and don't set foot on my property again." Sasuke said flatly, his tone a clear warning not to continue.
"Please Sasuke-chan!" Her voice rose higher, becoming hysterical, volume rising as he began to force her out of his home by simply moving forward. "Please! No one can love you like I can!"
His expression was as remote as the moon and the Uchiha's pale skin practically glowed as he stepped out onto the street, into the light and shadows cast by the pale celestial body high above. Staring down his nose at her, eyes narrowed, even clad only in his bath towel Sasuke looked like some ancient god about to pronounce sentence over her.
"I don't love you Sakura. I will not make you my wife even if it means that the Uchiha line dies with me. Go away Sakura and don't come near me again."
He turned around abruptly and stepped back inside his house, shutting the door behind him and locking it firmly as he listened to Sakura's fading footsteps. Once she was gone, he looked down at his still curled fingers with an annoyed glare.
Keeping the ring in his room, even hidden, was apparently not going to be feasible. He needed a better place, a place no one would bother with- a hiding place that was not the normal hiding place. Stepping out of the foyer, the brunette padded into the kitchen and began opening cabinets, searching for one particular container. Finally finding it, Sasuke dumped half the contents out into a clean bowl and dropped the ring inside the container before pouring the removed granular substance back in on top of the circlet. Satisfied with his handy work, for now at any rate, the Uchiha set the kitchen to rights and headed for his bedroom, intent on putting some damn clothes on.
As he climbed the stairs, a loud thump sounded from above him and, cursing loudly, the Uchiha raced up the rest of the stairway, already making the hand signs to fry the intruder. Sakura had officially used up the last of his already minimal patience but, infuriatingly, he couldn't take his frustrations out on her since hurting the candidates was definitely a no-no. The last thing he needed was to be forced to marry a girl in lieu of recompense.
Marrying Sakura may not be a fate worse than death but it would be perilously close to a living hell and the Uchiha kept this in the forefront of his mind to help him refrain from any actions that may cause such a fate to happen- like follow Sakura off the property and barbeque her no matter how good it sounded.
He reached the second floor, almost eager to find his target. The odds of it being another wife candidate were quite slim so whoever was trespassing now was surely someone he could legitimately wallop into oblivion. A good workout would help him sleep better and, not for the first time, Sasuke found himself wishing for Naruto's company since this whole wife selection business started; as annoying as the blonde would be, the comedic relief would help distract him and Naruto's reassuring presence would soothe his fraying nerves.
Gods the dobe better hurry up with his fucking mission and get back here before the brunette officially lost it.
Sasuke pressed his back against the wall and crept down the hallway silently, senses focused on the room from which the sound originated, happy that his bedroom had been spared a second visit. Whoever was in his home had found a way in through one of the spare bedrooms located on the second story several doors down from his own. Most of the remaining rooms had been put to use as storage though he had decided to keep one or two clear in the event he had company- or needed a place to retreat to from his would-be wife during their trial living period. If they got along well, i.e. didn't kill one another during that time, then the arrangements would be finalized and Sasuke would be a married man. It was something Tsunade had insisted on, he'd been told, and for once the brunette was grateful to the woman for this boon- after all, if they couldn't live together peacefully, then how the hell were they supposed to resurrect his clan?
He heard more movement and inched closer to the doorway, hands ready to inflict great bodily harm. Unfortunately, this particular room was one of those he was using as storage and the small space was packed with furniture, providing plenty of hiding places. Since incinerating the antiques would be unacceptable, Sasuke would have to use hand to hand combat and less destructive jutsus. Sliding the door open carefully, he slipped inside the shadow filled space, leaving the shoji doors open behind him.
Having already announced his presence, the first thing Sasuke did was turn on the light. Using a large wardrobe for cover, the Uchiha flipped the light switch on the wall near it and ducked low to the ground as his eyes tried to adjust to the flare of illumination. His sharingan fully active, the red orbs darted over the room, the tomes whirling as he hunted for the intruder, alert for any attacks.
There was a whimper from the other side of the room followed by something that sounded suspiciously like a low moan of pain. Opposite Sasuke's hiding spot, a stack of neatly folded futons quivered and the brunette watched as the shadowy form behind it became visible. The Uchiha held still, frowning as he observed his intruder, listening as another low moan broke the silence of the room. The form slipped out of sight again, the sound of hesitant movement halting as it banged into another article of furniture with a thump.
In the following silence, Sasuke stood up with an irritated sigh and glanced to his left, noting the open doors that led to the balcony beyond. They were only slightly ajar but the gap left plenty of room for an animal to slip through and get inside. Though he knew that a skilled ninja could pass through even that slight space, it was more likely that, rather than another potential wife, his visitor was a wayward raccoon or one of the many other furry inhabitants of Konoha's forests.
Sakura's visit had made him paranoid.
Deciding that if it could get in without help, the creature could just as easily get out, Sasuke turned to head out of the room, keeping his senses trained on the animal unless it decided to panic and strike out at him. As he was closing the door behind him, he heard more rustling, the sound the only warning he got before the animal stood up.
On two legs. Wearing a black kimono that hung off narrow shoulders.
Framed by longish blonde hair the color of the sun, a set of lovely indigo eyes blinked at him in obvious confusion, a pink tongue flicking out to wet full lips before a voice asked softly, "Sasuke… Uchiha?"
The brunette felt a blood vessel in his temple throb and wondered if this going to happen all night long and frowned, feeling his blood pressure skyrocket as thoughts of girls invading his home every five minutes plagued him. The prospect of sleeping with one eye open already had him feeling exhausted- and incredibly angry. With his energy reserves currently at their low point, he wouldn't be able to last long since even he couldn't go without sleep indefinitely. Eventually he would simply pass out and be at the mercy of whoever was around him.
Considering how many women wanted to be his wife and would go to any lengths to make that happen, this was not a pleasant thought.
Suppressing the shudder threatening to wrack his frame, he turned his attention to the blonde before him. One disaster at a time.
"Yes." He said in the coldest voice he could muster. "Get out of my house."
The blonde looked around, her confusion clearly mounting as she took in her surrounding. She turned and Sasuke caught a glimpse of a small breast barely hidden through the open front of the kimono, the fabric ragged and dirty, grass and mud stains decorating the bottom potion.
Frown deepening, the Uchiha studied the rest of her, noting the bits of leaf litter caught in her hair, the scratches decorating her exposed skin. She had dirt smudges on her cheeks, her fingers covered in grim. Sasuke took a step forward and moved until he could get a view of her feet- whatever footwear she had been wearing had clearly been shredded, leaving her feet bare and mud covered. She shifted her feet nervously and the Uchiha spotted specks of crimson in the footprints she left. Had she run through the forest to get here?
"I'm sorry." She said, voice soft and low, trembling as she began to shake. "I don't know how I got here." She glanced down and blushed at her exposed chest. One dirty hand reached up and gripped the upper half of her kimono, keeping it shut while attempting to hide within the excess fabric.
The movement drew Sasuke's eyes to her face and the Uchiha stared at her, scowling as beads of sweat rolled down her temples and disappeared into her dirty hair. He took in her flushed face, her shaking form, the way her glassy eyes kept nearly shutting only to suddenly fly open and stare back at him.
Sasuke swore, loudly, and watched her look down at the floor.
"You're sick!" He accused, feeling extremely put out and annoyed.
"I'm sorry." She said again, softly, sounding near tears. "I'm sorry, Uchiha-san."
Sasuke's mouth abruptly slammed shut on what he was about to say.
"Don't call me that." The emotionless voice, rang loudly in Sasuke's head even though, at the time, it had been nearly inaudible. "You can't call me that anymore, Uchiha-san."
The image of the girl in front of him was suddenly replaced by that of another blonde. In Sasuke's mind's eye, he was again watching Naruto's normally striking blue eyes become dull and lifeless just as the other stuck his hands in his pockets and turned in the opposite direction. The panic that had filled Sasuke as he watched the blonde walk away resurfaced, making his chest ache strangely and his breath hitch. At the time, he had been unable to pursue but he had yelled out to his friend, had tried to call the shrinking figure back. Naruto, head down, shoulders slumped, had ignored him though, and had kept walking until he disappeared from view.
That had been the last time Sasuke had seen the Kyuubi vessel and it haunted him still.
"I'm sorry, Uchiha-san." The girl said again, her whisper jerking Sasuke back to the present. She bowed to him, stiffly, clutching her dirty robe shut with both hands. Her cheeks flushed brightly as her eyes filled. "I'll go. You'll never see me again, I promise."
Something in the vicinity of Sasuke's chest twisted painfully at that but the brunette ignored it, mentally giving himself a shake. This wasn't Naruto- this was some deranged girl who had suffered injuries while sneaking into his house damn it! Her blonde hair and the faded tan of her skin were faint echoes of Naruto's but that was where the likenesses ended.
Naruto would never be this subservient. Naruto never radiated the hopelessness the way this girl did. Naruto wasn't this weak… Sasuke stopped himself, irritated, and decided that he was more tired than he thought if he was making such comparisons.
"Who are you?" He demanded suddenly, moving out of the doorway and motioning her through.
She raised her gaze from the floor briefly to look him in the eye, clearly unaware of how dangerous looking fully into the sharingan could be. Sasuke watched her strange indigo eyes fill with emotion, the only feature that seemed to retain any kind of life as the rest of her seemed to fade away. It enhanced their beauty, made them stand out like jewels, and forced Sasuke to admit- if only to himself- that they were very pretty, almost as pretty as Naruto's vibrant blue ones.
Shocked, he started, nearly jerking in place. 'Now where the hell did that come from?!'
When she only continued to stare at him, searching his face, the brunette realized with some annoyance that she expected him to know who she was. He scowled at her and took her elbow, guiding her to the stairway and down to the first floor much as he had Sakura previously, surprised at the amount of heat radiating through the kimono's fabric beneath his touch.
"You really… don't know who I am, do you?" She asked, her voice small, her eyes trained on her feet. Out the corner of his eye, he watched as the tears that had been threatening to spill finally fell and slid down her cheeks, cutting clear tracks through the grime to expose scarred skin. Absently, he hoped she didn't try to fling herself on him and cry.
"I don't know who you are." Sasuke said harshly, opening the front door and pushing her through roughly. "If you're a wife candidate, though, you've already lost your chance. If you thought trying to seduce me would work, you were wrong."
"Wife candidate? Seduce you?" She asked, turning to face him, her expression a mix of bewilderment and something he couldn't identify. She sniffled, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve and drawing his attention back to the lovely orbs. Part of him noted that, in this light at least, her eyes looked more blue than indigo. "I thought you were marrying Sakura…"
"No." Sasuke said shortly, watching as that unknown emotion suddenly took over her expression, and finally understanding what it was- hope. Irritated, the Uchiha decided that he needed to crush that hope before he gained himself another stalker. "And I'm not marrying you either so go back to wherever you came from."
"Back... where I… came from…" She repeated slowly, quietly, more tears sliding over her cheeks. Her lips twitched upward, once, twice, and, finally on the third try, she managed to crack a smile so wide it threatened to split her face in two. "Okay, Sasuke. Good luck with… the candidates. I hope that you'll… be very happy."
"Now everyone can be happy." Naruto's voice, soft and reassuring, drifted through Sasuke's mind, bringing with it the surge of emotions he had felt during the dream. Disturbed, he remained mute, watching the woman numbly as he tried to push the mental barrage away.
She continued to smile as she turned away toward the entrance of the Uchiha district, and something in Sasuke began screaming desperately, raging not to let her go anywhere, to keep her here at all costs. He watched her disappear around a shallow bend of the street, confused over the emotions suddenly rioting inside him, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. It was just a smile…
…a smile that always meant mischief for some poor soul, a smile that could mean everything and nothing, a smile that could answer a hundred questions and at the same time pose a hundred more right back. A smile used when its owner wanted to hide what he was feeling from everyone...
The same smile that had been in Sasuke's dreams night after night, directed up at the Uchiha as Naruto died in his arms.
'Oh my God.' But it couldn't be- it just wasn't possible…! Before he realized it, the brunette was running after 'her,' desperate to catch the blonde.
"Wait!" He called, rounding the bend, eyes searching for the familiar bright blonde hair. "Naruto, wait!"
The street was empty, completely and utterly empty with no sign that the blonde had ever been through it. He continued to run, though, going all the way to the district's entrance, convinced that, considering the shape the blonde was in, he couldn't have gotten far. He'd find the blonde; Sasuke just had to keep running.
'Please! Please not again!' His heart was in his throat, his body aching in ways that had nothing to do with the physical activity, and in his head that voice- the voice that had been trying to warn him against sending the blonde away- was cursing and yelling, urging him to go faster still.
"Naruto!" He didn't understand it but Sasuke knew that he had just been given a second chance, a chance to make right whatever had gone wrong, and he feared greatly that he had just blown it.
Again.
Sasuke's feet dragged as he reentered the house, depressed and defeated. It was midnight and, in a few hours, he would be meeting the potential candidates from other villages and their families, an affair that he was expected to arrive early for and show off the famed decorum and control the Uchiha family was known for.
They could all go fuck themselves as far as he was concerned.
Throwing all 'decorum' to the wind, he had looked all over the village but had found no trace of the blonde anywhere. Naruto had either hidden his chakra extremely well or had somehow managed to elude Sasuke long enough to leave the village completely. Either way, the brunette couldn't find the blonde and had decided to return home to at least put on proper clothing since searching the woods clad in only a towel was surely a recipe for disaster.
Going into his bathroom, he discarded the dirty towel around his waist and climbed into the shower once more, using the cold water to rinse his body, paying special attention to cleaning his dirty feet. Making a mental note to check the water heater once he was through, he grabbed a clean towel and dried off, heading into his bedroom. He was so tired his eyes kept sliding shut and he rubbed at them in an attempt to chase the feeling away. He still had to find Naruto- there was no time to sleep. Fighting down a yawn, Sasuke entered his bedroom and stared, noticing that his bed was once again occupied.
Naruto, freshly scrubbed, was sitting on the edge of his bed closest to the door, the blonde completely nude except for the towel draped around his shoulders. She, because right now the blonde's body was one hundred percent female, was clean, water still clinging to the almost pale skin. Sasuke couldn't stop himself- he let his eyes wander appreciatively over the two small but well formed breasts, over the rounded hips, then down to the nest of curling dark blonde hair between the two long shapely legs. He frowned, however, noting the overall thinness to his friend.
"I need to know something, Uchiha." The blonde said and this time the voice wasn't soft, wasn't submissive. It was demanding- authoritative- and, surprised, Sasuke looked back up into Naruto's face, watching the already reddish indigo color of his eyes become noticeably more crimson, the pupils more slitted.
"What is it… Kyuubi?" He asked and this time it was his voice that was soft as he addressed the demon.
"Do you like Naruto?" The question seemed simple but considering the way the Nine Tails was watching him he knew it was anything but. "As a mate, I mean."
He blinked. "Naruto's male." Sasuke said, frown deepening.
"That doesn't answer my question."
"He's my best friend but he can't be my mate. Even if I liked him romantically, which I don't, I have to restart my clan and I can't do that with him." He shifted, one hand falling to the towel knot at his waist and clutching the wad of cloth tightly.
"Even now?" The fox asked, lazily running a finger between Naruto's breasts before bringing its hands low, then lower still. In an almost idle gesture, the demon began trailing its fingers teasingly through wiry dark blonde hair. Sasuke wasn't fooled; the show was meant to provoke a response out of him and the fox watched his face intently for several seconds. He wasn't sure what the Nine Tails was looking for but obviously it didn't see it since the blonde suddenly put her hands together and began wiping them against one another, as if ridding them of dust. "It doesn't matter anymore."
Sasuke warily watched the other stand and approach him, one hand extended. He frowned, holding his ground. It was his turn for answers. "What happened to Naruto? Was this part of his mission? Did something go wrong? "
He realized that he was breathing hard and tried to calm down by taking even breaths. It was hard though because his heart was galloping in his chest but he didn't know if it was from anticipation or fear. Kyuubi came closer, doing nothing overtly intimidating, but Sasuke did not want the demon to touch him. Opting for a tactical retreat, the Uchiha took a step back in an attempt to remain out of reach only to run into a wall.
"Mission? He has been on no mission. Naruto's been here in the village the entire time." In two quick strides, the fox closed the gap between them, placing both hands on either side of Sasuke's head to prevent escape, distracting him from asking further questions.
"I never liked you." The blonde said abruptly in a flat voice. "I never understood what Naruto saw in you as a mate, I really didn't. What did he see in you that he would be willing to give up everything for? Why would he be willing to die for a dreary, spoiled little bastard like you? Do you have any idea the kind of torment he suffered after you left to join Orochimaru? While you became buddies with that disgusting pervert of a child molester, Naruto was abandoned by this village. He was tossed away like trash, left to hide in his apartment because the village blamed him. They blamed him for not being able to bring you back, saying that he was a failure and shouldn't make promises he couldn't keep even though no one else ran after you. Sakura took great pleasure in reminding him of that one constantly. Then a nasty little rumor started circulating that being stuck with Naruto as a teammate, the worst ninja in the academy, was why you left in the first place. I'm not sure who did it but I believe strongly it was your number one fan."
Her expression twisted into something ugly, as if too many emotions were all trying to be expressed at once. Her voice became deeper, more growl-like, as she continued, crimson eyes spearing into him like hot pokers.
"You left and he became convinced that he had to become stronger, obsessing about it until he finally found someone willing to teach him, a surprisingly hard task since Kakashi dumped him as a student. Don't look so surprised, Uchiha. In order to train you for the chunin exams, he had to foist Naruto off on Ebisu, the prick. Did you never bother to wonder why all of a sudden you were getting private lessons from your sensei? Did you think that, what, Naruto went off to train by himself? Or told Kakashi to go train you in a gesture of selflessness? You arrogant asshole-" She broke off, nearly biting through her lower lip as she tried to reign in her anger. Kyuubi pinned him with her burning eyes again, holding him prisoner with out even touching him, the pain she was clearly trying to keep in check banishing any thoughts on escape.
"Jiraiya finally took him on, saying that they had three years before Orochimaru would swap into you. Naruto wanted to get stronger, strong enough to drag you back to the village. Forget being Hokage- all he wanted was you home safe and out of Sound. He did everything Jiraiya asked of him but it wasn't enough and the old pervert sent Naruto home in shame. He wasn't worthy of being a Sannin's student. Abandoned again, Naruto spent the remaining two years studying and training by himself. Then you came home and wrecked it all. "
The brunette stared at the demon, unsure of what to make of everything it was telling him. Everybody loved the blonde and there was no way that the village would just toss aside a ninja with so much obvious potential. For heaven's sake, more than anyone, Naruto was practically the living embodiment of the will of Fire. No one loved the village more. Besides, the others couldn't possibly hold the blonde responsible for Sasuke's actions- that simply didn't make any sense! Orochimaru's curse seal nurturing the feeling, Sasuke had become jealous of how powerful Naruto was and had left to become powerful in his own right. Even if he couldn't say it aloud to anyone, he knew deep down that, in all reality, if Sasuke hadn't become jealous over Naruto's abilities, he would have inevitably become jealous over someone else's.
"You're lying." He said defiantly, voice full of conviction. Kyuubi was a demon and it was a well known fact that demons lied. Sasuke didn't know the purpose behind it all but obviously the fox wanted something, twisting the truth to manipulate the Uchiha for its own ends and justify its forced possession of Naruto.
"No, I'm not Uchiha." Kyuubi said softly, shaking its blonde head sadly while giving him a look that said, plainly, the brunette was as dumb as a rock. "You became his whole world while you were gone and the only thing that kept him going was the desire to bring you home. Then you showed up as if nothing had happened, strong and healthy and Orochimaru-free. He was so happy you were home… But he was afraid because now that you were back, now that there was no pressing reason to train, he was forced to face something else and it terrified him. Do you have any idea how long it took him to work up the courage to finally admit he loved you? How hard it was for me to convince him to trust his instincts and just tell you?"
"He loves me?" Sasuke whispered, a strange feeling of excitement overtaking him only to be eclipsed by an intense sense of dread.
Kyuubi's lips curled into an unpleasant smirk and the fox leaned forward in a push up motion until only inches separated them. "With every fiber of his being, Uchiha. It's a moot point now but he loved you, Sasuke, and it killed him. I had hoped that, given this… rather unique opportunity, you would have chosen him but you've tossed him away just like everyone else. You've had your chance, Sasuke. It's time to let someone else have a turn now."
Kyuubi began to close the distance between them and Sasuke was overwhelmed with the inexplicable desire not to let that happen. He didn't know what the result would be but every instinct he had called for a retreat by any means necessary. Sasuke turned his face away, not wanting the kiss that was coming, and began sinking downward to go under the fox's arm.
"You love only yourself." The blonde whispered, words striking a chord inside him, pinning him in place. "But then again, perhaps you don't. Maybe that's your problem, Sasuke. Maybe that's why you can't admit that you loved him back. Would gender still matter if I told you that he could have both conceived and carried your brood? It was the only thing Naruto wanted to do, to help you restart your clan, but now only the desire to die remains. I hate you, Sasuke. I hate you for the pain you've put Naruto through and I want nothing more than to carve my vengeance out of your skin. But, though you don't deserve it, Naruto still loves you and that limits what I can do to you. So, Uchiha, you and I are going to have a little fun. Because of you, Naruto believes that he has no reason to live. In order to fix this, I need him to forget you Sasuke."
She smiled down at him and the malicious glee in her expression sent chills down his spine. The blonde's lips hovered right above the Uchiha's and Sasuke watched them like a trapped rabbit. "Demons do two things very well. One of them is revenge. This way, I can have my vengeance and help Naruto move on all while helping you restart your clan…"
If a genie had appeared to grant his heart's desire and offered Sasuke Uchiha anything, anything at al, in the universe the brunette would have immediately said it would be not to have the blonde kiss him. He prayed to every deity he knew of that the fox demon would not use its barrowed body to touch him. Every instinct he had was screaming for him to run, to flee, but not to touch her. Not caring if he was thought a coward, he ducked under her arm, diving for the doorway not two feet away.
He was caught by the hair and slammed back into his previous position. Keeping his face in the appropriate position, the fox said nothing, merely closed the gap between them, and there was nothing he wanted more than to turn his head to the side. He tried but failed, and the other's lips remained, moving with surprising gentleness as they tried to coax a response out of him.
Sasuke didn't kiss the blonde back, even when the other began to use more force. He kept trying to turn his head away, to break free. Desperate, he began pushing at her, kicking at her, until finally the fox pulled back, its annoyance plain.
"Come now," the demon said mockingly, releasing her hold. "I doubt it was that bad. I mean, your brother never complained."
Sasuke's jaw dropped open, to speak, to rage, and that was all the demon needed to own him. Before the Uchiha could react, Kyuubi had Naruto's soft lips pressed firmly over the brunette's, thrusting the blonde's tongue inside aggressively. The Uchiha had a split second to think, 'Not like this!' before the trap sprung and a burst of chakra poured into him from the demon, wiping out all thought. For the first time in his life, Sasuke Uchiha surrendered completely to an enemy, mind, body, and soul.
It was as if the demon had spilled pure lust and need into him and Sasuke was suddenly drowning in an ocean of desire and want. His body was just suddenly aching with it, his flesh swollen and ready as he abruptly flung himself against the feminine body kissing him. He tried to take control of the kiss and sparked a battle for dominance, feeling the other rebel against his attempts even as he forced her backwards into the room, the pair tripping over each other's feet in their haste to get to the bed. His hands roamed the too thin body, cupped a firm buttock and squeezed, his hips already thrusting shallowly against her stomach, the action's potentially painful friction reduced by the lubrication leaking from the head of his penis. His entire life began and ended with the need to be within her, to mark her as his. If he didn't, he'd die- it was just that simple. Thoughts of the past and the future were all extinguished; there was only her and him and what they were about to do.
They hit the edge of the bed and fell in a tangle of limbs. With a final thrust of his tongue, Sasuke pulled away from the kiss and moved lower to wrap his lips around one sensitive nipple, sucking hard on the little nub and feeling the flesh tighten as she gave a surprised cry. He continued to work the flesh between his teeth carefully, his hands occupied as one slid beneath her, forcing her stomach upward and harder against his thrusting hips, while the other hand grasped her other breast firmly, enjoying the way the mound of soft flesh filled his palm as he kneaded it.
Hands were suddenly in his hair, tangling in the inky strands and using the handhold to jerk his head up. He blinked, trying to get his eyes to focus on the red ones staring down at him, and he realized he was panting heavily but didn't bother to try and control it. The grip in his hair didn't ease and for a horrible moment Sasuke thought that she was going to deny him and send him away, that she didn't want him. The thought terrified him beyond his abilities to express it and he began making noises, pitiful little noises that sounded very close to whimpers.
"Relax Sasuke," The blonde cooed, the smirk gracing her lips widening as she looked up at him. "I won't send you away." Hearing this, he let out a soft sob of relief that quickly turned into surprised gasp as Kyuubi abruptly used her handhold to wrench Sasuke's head to one side and back. "I'm in charge though. Get some lubrication then return to the bed and lay on your back."
"Anything." Sasuke whispered, the word harsher than normal due to the sharp angle she held him at but no less sincere. He'd do anything she wanted, anything at all, so long as she did not leave him alone and unsatisfied. If she denied him, if she refused him, he knew instinctively that his world would end. Life would be eternally dark from that point onward, empty and lonely. She was everything, anything and everything he needed to live, all things warm and good and wonderful rolled into one perfect being. Without her… his life would cease to have meaning. Pleasing her was all that mattered, and, as soon as she released him, he scrambled off the bed, eager to do her bidding.
Thinking coherently was hard, made harder still by his erection jutting proudly upward, twitching occasionally and making walking difficult. Several minutes of frantic searching later had him nearly in tears by the bed, looking at her imploringly as she sat on the edge of the bed, willing her to understand that he had done what she wanted, really he had!
"Please, please…" He begged brokenly, his hands tangling in his hair and pulling it in helpless frustration. "I tried but I…! I couldn't…!"
His erection throbbed painfully as the rest of his body began to ache from the need to touch her. It was like her body was a drug, a highly potent drug that he was thoroughly and happily addicted to. The ache became more pronounced, like heat building inside him, threatening to scorch him from the inside out unless he found water to douse the flames. The blonde held that water deep inside her body but no matter how bad the pain got… no matter how painful his erection was becoming…Sasuke could not- would not- touch her unless she gave him permission.
He gave a gasp that quickly turned into a sigh as her hand wrapped around him, pulling in gentle tugs. She touched him! She had forgiven him and the tight fearful tension that had gripped him left him, his head falling back to rest on his shoulders as he panted shallowly. He let his hands fall to his sides and hang, fingers twitching every time her palm rolled his foreskin around the sensitive head of his penis.
"Sasuke." She said, and he immediately gave himself a shake, rousing to pay attention. She smiled at him, amused, her red eyes watching him with avid attention. "Do you have any lubrication?"
He whimpered but before fear could grip him again, her hand- still wrapped carefully around his heated flesh, her thumb occasionally playing with the leaking tip- gave a firm squeeze, just this side of pain, to keep his thoughts on track. Though it probably shouldn't have, it did work and Sasuke thought about her question before answering.
"No." He shook his head. "I never bought any."
She sighed and shifted her legs a bit, widening them inch by inch until the most intimate part of her body lay exposed. "Never mind. On your knees, Sasuke."
Withdrawing her hand, she smiled up at him and Sasuke immediately dropped to the floor, landing none-to-gently on his knees. She cupped his jaw, using it to draw him closer and closer until she looked down at his face from between her breasts, her hands running idly through his hair.
The close proximity took the edge off, banked the fire smoldering inside him so that he could simply look back at her with content but eager eyes. Again she smiled down at him, a small movement of lips that made something in his heart ache oddly because it was so sad. It was there and gone in an instant but it made him pause, chased back the lust and need eating at him, replacing them with something else that gnawed just as fiercely. The sight of such a smile now- at this important moment- distressed him, made something in his head begin yelling for attention. He'd forgotten something… something important that was connected to her sadness. He wanted to ask her about it and opened his mouth to do so but then she was pushing his head down toward the apex of her thighs, giving him instructions and putting his mouth to uses other than asking unimportant questions.
A blonde? A blonde?! He had kicked her out to have sex with some blonde prostitute? After the lengths that had gone to in order to capture his affections, Sakura felt a burning betrayal grip her as she watched Sasuke continue to pleasure the blonde bitch. The kunoichi's inner self raged as the woman's back began to arch, as the bitch's hands tangled themselves in Sasuke's beautiful hair, encouraging him with her voice and the movement of her hips, until finally her body shuddered, her mouth opening in a howl fit for the whore that she must be.
All her efforts were going up in smoke and for what? A moment of selfish pleasure? A one night stand? He was the most sought after bachelor in the village- if he wanted to get laid, all he had to do was pick a wife and then he could get all the sex he wanted for free! Sakura had been there, had been willing to give herself to him- what did this blonde bimbo have that Sakura didn't?! Seething with rage and jealousy, Sakura saw the blonde drag her beautiful Sasuke-chan cruelly up by his hair, and forced his body inside her by wrapping her thighs around his waist and dragging him down to the bed.
He had to be under a genjutsu! That had to be the only reason why he was thrusting into the strumpet beneath him when he could have had a woman of breeding like Sakura. That was it! He had to think that it was the kunoichi he was thrusting into, that it was Sakura who rolled them over so that she was on top, setting the pace of their love making as she pinned his wrists above him, making his face slack… He was confused, surely, and obviously being taken advantage of, but Sakura was powerless to do anything about it.
"I don't love you Sakura. I will not make you my wife even if it means that the Uchiha line dies with me. Go away Sakura and don't come near me again."
He couldn't mean it, he'd just been embarrassed about her coming on so strong. Sasuke always had been shy when it came to girls, always resorting to that cold indifferent attitude he frequently displayed, but Sakura had seen beneath that icy exterior. Being his teammate had allowed her to see other facets of his personality, the softer sides that no one else ever got to see, and it had made her love him all the more, keeping the fires of passion alive when that idiot Naruto had chased him away.
Sasuke-chan had told her those things because he was just afraid of her passion. Still though, it would be better to stay away and let him calm down before attempting to sneak in again… Though she already had the council on her side for the candidate selection, it would be best to tread lightly around the Uchiha.
He'd probably be pretty pissed if he found out that he actually didn't have a say in who he was going to marry.
Even from her high perch outside the Uchiha complex (what would shortly become the Hurano-Uchiha complex), she faintly heard a deep distinctly male groan, the note of satisfaction unmistakable even at this distance, and shut her eyes tightly, shaking her head as if it would make what she was witnessing go away. Silence came from the Uchiha compound and the kunoichi, curious, put the binoculars back up to her eyes so that she could look back into Sasuke's bedroom, glaring hatefully at the blonde as the slut climbed into the bed. Sakura watched Sasuke slide under the covers after her, the lights switching off soon after.
Blondes! Always blondes! First Naruto as competition and now this new bitch! Sakura wanted to scream but contained the urge, stifled it along with her anger. She had gotten rid of Naruto as a rival and she would do the same to this woman, too. She just had to be patient and let Sasuke sow his 'wild oats' for now- a quick fling was something that Sakura should have expected, honestly. This did not change her plans at all- he'd of had to get it out of his system by their wedding day any way so it was better that this was happening now and not later. By tomorrow, the blonde would be just an unpleasant memory, just like Naruto.
Smiling confidently, Sakura toggled the lens setting on the binoculars, switching them to night vision conditions. It was only a one night stand…
Quick fling or no, something would have to be done about the blonde slut as she forced Sasuke against the headboard. To Sakura's teeth grinding exasperation, the whore climbed into his lap, mounting him again. She began to move, her hips making tight circles, Sasuke's face contorting as she rode him and Sakura filed the position away for further examination. By the time the brunette was cumming, her grip on the binoculars was so tight that the plastic casing was cracking.
They weren't using condoms, the kunoichi realized in horror as the couple disappeared underneath the sheets. The medical part of her tsked, and commented about unsafe sex, already devising a plan on how to test Sasuke for sexually transmitted diseases without letting him know that that she had been spying on him…
Then the gears of her mind ground to a noisy halt, sticking over one important fact.
They weren't using condoms. No condoms meant that when Sasuke came, his semen was shooting straight into the blonde.
Was he trying to get the bitch pregnant? Had he chosen this…woman as his wife and was now consummating the relationship? If he got the slut pregnant then he would have to marry her and Sakura's dreams of being an Uchiha bride would be nothing more than ashes.
Something was going to have to be done about the blonde.
Once again, thanks to all of you! I appreciate you taking the time out of your day to read this story since I know it's that time of year when everyone is on the go- me included. Please, please, please, though if you have a moment, leave a review. Feedback is incredibly helpful and makes me write more- without it I'm just shooting in the dark here.
Next chapter: Sakura does indeed do something about the blonde.