Revenge is Best Served Cold
Chapter Two
Oh… crap…
The people surrounded me, blocking me from the sight of strangers that could help. Shoot. They inched me into a dark alleyway that just so happened to be so conveniently close to where I was.
Why the hell does this cliché stuff always happen to us?!
One of them, the guy who seemed to be the leader, seemed awfully familiar. Then I realized. Light blue hair, lavender eyes, and a shark-like smile. Suigetsu, the bastard that bet Sasuke to hurt me. His grin was disturbing, showing all of his teeth.
"Look who we have here," he yelled to the rest of the Sound. I recognized scattered faces. Tayuya, Kidomaru, Sakon, and Jirobo, the elite guard of the Sound. I had seen them on newspapers and television before, as major criminals.
Oh, great timing, Sakura. Now you choose to remember that they hang around this area.
Tayuya, now the scariest female I had ever encountered, pulled on my hair and leered at me evilly. "Don't you know not to hang around here, girl?" she yelled in my face. "You've got really pretty clothes on. I wish I had pretty clothes like that." She ripped off a really nice bracelet of mine and placed it around her own wrist, holding it up high so everyone in the Sound could see.
"Hey… that's mine…" I could barely even hear my own voice. It sounded so pitiful and weak, like how I used to be. That made me angry. Tayuya was ignoring me for now, still laughing along her buddies about the bracelet that she stole from me.
Impulse connected my fist to her face.
Tayuya let out a startled scream before flying away and hitting some of the other members. I stood up. "I said, that's MINE!" I shouted at her.
Tayuya glared at me before spitting out blood. A satisfying bruise appeared on her cheek. However, my victory didn't last long.
Oh my god, what have I done?
You punched a member of the sound, stupid. It was like, two seconds ago. How can you forget?
It was a rhetorical question, Inner!
If you don't want a sarcastic answer, don't ask a stupid question.
Tayuya growled at me. "I'm going to make you regret ever doing that!" she yelled. I raised my hands in a flimsy attempt to block her attack when someone grabbed her arm. There were a collective amount of startled gasps.
"Sasori?" I asked, opening my eyes a little. "How did you…"
Dayum, boy!
The whole alleyway was surrounded with unconscious bodies. I saw a few distant figures running away, and recognized the red hair of Tayuya. That made me feel better.
"Are you okay?" Sasori asked. "Did they hurt you?"
"No, but how did you know I was here?" I asked. He smiled mysteriously but didn't give me an answer. Well, at least, I don't consider what he said an answer.
"It's a secret," he said.
I pouted. "Hey, where did Miss Deidara go?" I asked, looking around. Wasn't he just there? "I swear, I saw blonde hair." Sasori frowned and felt my forehead. "I'm not crazy!"
Damn right!
You just made me doubt my statement. Normal people don't have an evil persona that might actually be plotting to kill me.
You're making me blush, dear.
"I'm not saying you're crazy," he retorted. I rolled my eyes. He totally thought I was crazy. "Anyways, I think I owe you some time." He held out his hand and we linked arms, strolling into the coffee shop.
Sasori bought me a mocha cappuccino and a huge chocolate cupcake. My mouth was watering but just as I was about to sink my teeth in me slid it out of my reach. "Ah ah," he said, shaking his head. "First, tell me why you were involved with the Sound."
I stuck my tongue out at him. "Meanie."
He lifted the chocolate cake and brought it to his mouth slowly.
Sakura, save us! The sprinkles screamed frantically. You are the chosen one! You must eat us!
You aren't going to really let those poor little sprinkles die, are you? I thought I taught you better, Sakura!
"Okay, I'll spill!" I said hastily. I grabbed the poor chocolate cupcake from Sasori's greedy hands and caressed it gently. "It's okay, little sprinkle babies. Sakura will eat you." Then I raped that delicious cake straight out. It was so creamy and soft that I finished the cappuccino in no time, too.
Sasori watched in slight horror once I finished devouring the chocolate cake. After that I guzzled the cappuccino like I was dying of thirst, which I felt like after that spat with the Sound and that horrible girl, Tayuya.
"So…" Sasori said, judging me like the zookeeper judges the rabid animal that was just sent to the zoo by some random, pink haired five year-old…
ZuZu was a dear raccoon.
"Anyways, about the Sound," Sasori started again, "what happened?"
"So, I was, like, walking on the street innocently, and suddenly they are all like 'BAM! WHAM!' And they, like, take me and stuff! And then this totally mean girl Tayuya took my bracelet!" At the mention of my bracelet, I had to look down at my plain-looking right wrist now. That bracelet was pretty.
Let us a moment in silence for our terrible loss, Inner said solemnly in my head.
Sasori sipped his own drink as he stared off into space, thinking for a bit. I was watching his drink and I guess there was a little evil gleam in my eye because he finished the thing a whole lot faster.
Suddenly, this young-ish woman in her mid-twenties came over to us. "U-Um, excuse me?" she asked. "I know this is intruding on personal space, but did you say that you met the Sound… and got out alive?"
The coffee shop, which had been cheerful and light and happy, was dead silent.
Sasori stood up and took something out from under his collar. A chain necklace. A red cloud charm adorned the simple chain. "Akasuna Sasori of the Akatsuki, ma'am," he said dutifully.
The woman gasped and the barista, a young man probably still in high school, over-poured his coffee.
Many, many tears and thank yous later, we came out of the shop. "Wow," I said, impressed. Sasori was carrying a bouquet of flowers, another mocha cappuccino, a banana smoothie, and a delicious looking cupcake. "Do people always fawn over you when you're in the Akatsuki?" My redheaded hottie shrugged but I noticed him cautiously put away the necklace.
"I guess… The Sound has been the city's worst gang, and ever since the Akatsuki came along and started toning down the crime here, people started liking us more and more." He handed me the cupcake to munch on. "Of course, the mayor can't thank us publicly or do anything for us, since we basically are criminals ourselves by beating up the Sound, but the police are a hell of a lot easier on us."
Sasori started walking in an opposite direction from where I was going. "Hey, where are you going?" I asked, slightly hurt.
"I have something I need to do," Sasori said simply. He selected a sakura blossom from the bouquet and placed it in my hair. "See you at school tomorrow, Cherry."
I guess this is what guys do to seem mysterious, and to make girls like them more. They just leave right in the middle of a date, but compliment them first or something. Like those fortune cookies. I always think there's going to be an awesome prediction in it, and then I get something crappy, like, "Your imminent future looks very bright."
It didn't matter to me if this was supposed to seem cool. All I knew was that I had just been rejected, left alone, and duped by Akasuna Sasori.
Damn it.
The night is silent. Well, nearly silent. If you listen very closely, and if you have perfect hearing, you would be able to listen to a faint sobbing noise of a woman. A car drives up to a dark alleyway. It's shrouded in darkness, but one thing is visible. A dark red, yet bright, cloud outlined with silver is on the car's door to the driver's seat.
They're getting closer to the cries. The people masked in the black of the night are carefully hidden, watching a man's every move as he threatens a woman with a knife. The man gets frustrated with the woman's consistent sobs and raises the knife high in the air.
A hand stops the man's knife from descending down onto the woman. She sees her chances and seizes it, running away, too afraid to look back, but she knew. She knew who her mysterious saviors were.
The man screams a curse and is tackled by a red-haired man. His mouth is covered with a large cloak of black, patterned with dark clouds, but his brown eyes were the emotionless ones of a killer. In just a few seconds the red haired man has the other in a headlock.
"Tell me where your hideout is and maybe I'll decide to spare your life," the red haired man hissed. The other lets out a whimper and an unknown address escapes his lips. The one of the red cloud is satisfied with his answer and turns his back on him.
The other, weaker man stands up slowly, and the back of his shirt is a musical note. He cautiously grabs a sharp rock and runs at the red haired one, screaming.
The alleyway is filled with blood that night, and it isn't the blood of the red cloud.
A car drives up to a foreign place. There is nobody there, or so it may seem. He kicks open the door to a seemingly abandoned warehouse to face a sharp light. He does not flinch, but stares straight at the people in the room.
They are all people wearing the musical note somewhere on their body. Some have it tattooed, others have necklaces or headbands, and some are so dedicated, a wound shows the faint outline of the shape. All of them, however, wear a white shirt with a black musical note on the back.
"I'm looking for a red haired woman," the man stated. "She has brown eyes. Maybe you'd recognize her by a new piece of jewelry she gleaned today." There was some muttering and glares, but people spoke in hushed, yet familiar voices, of such a woman.
"Somebody looking for me?" a loud, haughty voice silences the warehouse. She steps out, eyes raised and arrogant. "Jirobo! Kidomaru! Sakon! We have visitors!" A fat, a tan, and a pale man instantly appear by her side.
The red haired man doesn't move an inch, but under his cloak he has a small dagger drawn.
"I believe you took something of my woman's." He holds up his wrist, and the red haired woman looks at her own. She remembers taking it from a girl, and then… Her eyes get big, but her reflexes are too slow.
The fat man lumbers over to help her, but the cloaked figure kicks him in the stomach with such force he slams into the crowd of people, watching earnestly. The tan one laughs and draws two long whips, both a silvery, misty color. He cracks the whip, only to feel a cold shiver much like the whip on his back when he feels a dagger stuck to his back. He falls from blood-loss.
The cloaked figure does not even need to look up. He throws his dagger and his target is met. The pale haired and faced man did not even have time to scream as the short sword pierces through his stomach.
The red haired man stands on the girl's stomach. He rips off the bracelet.
His work, that night, was done.
Buzzzzzzz! Buzzzzzzz!
"Ugh," I moaned. My hand struggled to reach for my alarm clock. Finally, my fist hit its target and the alarm shut off with a satisfying crack. I yawned loudly and stretched out my arms.
Huh? Why is everything so… sticky?
I lifted my arms to find them sunken in a tub of empty ice cream. I groggily read the label and paled. It was Chocolate Chip Vanilla Swirl Vortex, the ultimate comfort food! What had happened yesterday that got me so teared up and distraught that I would resort to this?
Oh yeah. Akasuna Sasori duped me right in the middle of our not-really-a-date-but-I-can-pretend-right date. I sighed and looked at my clock. Thank the gods I set my alarm for six every day. It'll take forever to wash up.
I dragged myself to my bathroom and notice a note taped to the mirror.
Good morning, Sakura
I noticed you were feeling unwell yesterday. You drowned yourself in ice cream and I'd thought this would be the first place you would go. To make you feel better, I bought you some of that new make-up… apparently it's called "Mascara". I hope you're well enough to go to school today. I'll be at work.
XOXO, Dad
I took a long shower and by the time I was done I blew-dried my pink hair and brushed it the best I could, before tying it up in a loose hair tie. I also realized I was eternally grateful that I had switched from my pink style. I just chose something clean to wear and I was out. I didn't have to worry about matching shoes or anything.
So, even though I had a super super super long shower, I was able to sit back and relax as I drowned myself in syrup, waffles, and whipped cream. I was amazed there was even some whipped cream left, considering whenever I have a food binge I target the cream first.
Trashcaaan~ Inner sang. I walked over and immediately paled.
"I cannot believe I ate three whole sprays of whipped cream!" I screamed. I looked down at my stomach and realized why I felt so sluggish. I had probably consumed thousands of calories last night. I jiggled my tummy. "I am never going to lose you, aren't I?" I muttered a little angrily.
Nope! Inner said cheerfully.
Who are you talking about? My fat or yourself?
Both.
I groaned and slung my backpack around my shoulder before trudging to school. This time I was careful to take the longer route, away from the alleyway.
"S-S-Sakura-san, are you o-okay?" Hinata asked nervously, twiddling her index fingers while she spoke.
"I'm fine," I said. Then my stomach rumbled and I groaned again. Did I mention eating ice cream gives me extreme stomach pains if I eat them late at night? "Then again, maybe not…" I sighed and hit my head against my desk. Hinata watched me nervously, but before she could open her mouth to speak again the bell rang. She reluctantly returned to her seat under the watchful eyes of her step-brother, Neji.
I barely noticed Sasuke sitting down in front of me, or how Sasori waded through a sea of fangirls to sit next to me.
"Sakura? Are you alright?" Sasori asked, a faint hint of worry in his voice. I groaned at him and made a half-yawn, half-meow. I was honestly feeling too sick to answer him. He patted my back comfortingly and covered me up with my striped jacket. Sasori was such a jerky gentleman.
Kakashi's boring, bland tone filled the room once again. More than anything, I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Or, at least, crawl into a hole a mouth-froth like those crazy raccoons that were on Animal Planet last night.
Art class was basically the same as yesterday, except my ocean actually looked like an ocean with waves and everything. Painting made me happy and calm, forgetting about my stomachache for that period. My calm was like a nice and straight twig, smooth… straight… glide… happy words…
"Wow, Sakura, it actually looks like something now!" somebody remarked scathingly.
The twig bent a little. Irritation… Slightly breaking… Twitch…
"You know, if you added something, I think it could be better…" the voice continued. "Oh, I know! How about… talent?"
I should really start thinking about stronger twigs.
"What the hell do you want, Karin?" I asked angrily, turning towards my arch rival, Karin. Ino and Ami were just when I was infatuated with Sasuke, but Karin always had to be better than me! And not just in school, too! Once, at my birthday, Karin crashed the party by bribing the people at the security door to let her in, and then told everyone there were free cupcakes and juice and video games and a huge bouncy house and a pool at her house! Of course, it doesn't help that Karin's parents are dead rich.
Karin gasped and held her hand over her chest, like she was hurt. "Sakura, is that any way to speak to a fellow classmate?"
"Karin, go away." I growled. "Why can't you just stop being a pompous little bitch all the time and ruin my life?" Hey, my stomach was hurting like hell, I was getting a migraine, and my calm stick was broken in half. You really can't stop this freight train once it's going.
Karin sneered, her pretty little innocent face twisting up into one I had seen from hell. "So, Sakura, I see you and stutter-freak Hinata are getting along. Well, guess what? Sasuke's MINE now. So, ha ha!"
I glared right back at her, patting Hinata's back, because she looked like she was about to cry. "I don't even care about Sasuke anymore, Karin. You're just like a trash compactor, anyways. Do you want some of my thrown-away clothes too?!"
Karin hissed at me angrily. She smirked and lifted up a bracelet. I paled, because it was the exact same bracelet that girl, Tayuya, took from me last night. "Do you like my new bracelet, Sakura? A friend gave it to me yesterday."
"That… that's mine," I said weakly.
"No, it's not," Karin replied. "It's on my hand. It's on my wrist. I even signed it with a black sharpie, see?" She twisted her arm so that Hinata and I could see that Karin had sloppily crossed out the name Sakura and wrote Karin in cursive.
"Karin, you…" I was so angry I could hardly speak. How dare she!? That bracelet cost ten whole dollars! Ten whole dollars! Plus tax! Tax! "That is MINE!"
Of course, Karin ignored me.
"So, I heard that you and Akasuna Sasori are… hanging out." Karin examined her nails, but a faint hint of anger laced her words. "How?"
"What?" I asked in disbelief.
"I mean, how?" she repeated. "Akasuna Sasori is the cutest guy in school, and he hangs out with you? How is that possible?"
"Um, maybe he doesn't go for ugly hags who cake their faces with make-up?" I retorted. "Or, maybe, he just wanted to hang and nothing happened, and you're just a jealous bitch!"
Karin narrowed her crimson eyes through her crimson rimmed glasses, which, by the way, were slightly tinted in crimson. "You listen here, Haruno," she whispered, "You lay one hand on anybody out of your league, and you're going to regret it. Stay out of our way!"
"I'm sorry?" someone asked. Karin whipped her head around to face Sasori, who, although was wearing a smile, did not look like a smiley person at all. "I was not aware there was an us. In fact, who are you?"
"I'm Karin Uzumaki," she said, batting her long eyelashes. "Maybe you've heard of me from my father, who is also the brother of Minato Uzumaki, the famous ex-head of the Uzumaki Corporations?"
Sasori, in his eternal thanks, didn't fall under her spell like a lot of guys did. He simply looked bored. "Please don't ever associate someone like me with the likes of you." Karin's jaw dropped in horror and amazement when he simply cold-turkey turned her down. Then Sasori turned to me. Hinata quickly went back to her painting.
"Sakura, I'm sorry for leaving you yesterday all out of the blue," he said, like a gentleman. "I know that Karin has your bracelet, so I went to get you something else from the exact person who stole it." He pulled out a silver chain bracelet from his pocket. It had three charms on it already, which weren't chain, they were wood. I realized with a shock he must have made them himself, because I really don't think Tayuya of the Sound would have the Chinese character for love, a Sakura blossom, and a cloud as charms on a charm bracelet.
"Sasori…" I was so touched. This was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me. The best part wasn't the bracelet though. The apology would've been enough. The best part was that Karin had seen someone she had tried to flirt with apologize and give a gift to her rival, right in front of her face.
"Can you forgive me?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer. I could tell, because those chocolate brown eyes were smirking at me again.
"On one condition." I leaned forward and whispered to him. Hinata was such a good friend of mine; she knew what I was going to say. Also, once at a carnival, the fortuneteller told me I was like an open book and easily read.
"Every time you do something lovey-dovey or nice like that to me, do it in front of Karin!"
I could tell he agreed. His eyes were smirking again.
Thank you everyone for reviewing! I'll be working on chapter three pronto!
-APR