The ides of March are come
"Okay, so thanks to Omaru-san's report we now have a more concrete completion date for the village repairs," Sakura commented as she began reviewing her notes from their conversation. It was difficult to focus on facts and figures with his hand smoothing up and down her shin leisurely. In return, she rubbed her bare foot along his thigh, enjoying the feel of hard muscle beneath the worn fabric of his pants.
Now that she knew how he felt about her, she didn't have any qualms about invading his personal space just a little – or his closet, for that matter. All she had here was a change of underwear and her spare jumper, which wasn't nearly as comfortable as donning one of his oversized shirts and her shorts. She'd had to roll the sleeves back almost to the middle of her biceps just to keep them from dragging while she'd cooked.
But dinner was done now and they were both sitting on the couch with their legs stretched out and facing each other. A giant mess of blueprints was spread across the entire coffee table with a few bound reports on top. They each had a document in one hand and a pen in the other to jot down ideas as they came.
Kakashi hummed thoughtfully, a crease forming between his eyebrows as he tapped the end of his pen against his cloth covered lips. His eye moved quickly over the report he was reading, the other one remaining firmly closed in absence of the hitae-ate that normally covered it. While she'd changed, he'd made himself more comfortable as well. It wasn't often she got to see him in his undershirt, but every time she did it was a real treat. He had wonderfully defined arms, with just the right amount of muscle to make her drool but not enough that he looked bulky. She like the way his ANBU tattoo moved with the tiniest shift of lean muscle beneath his skin.
"Nine months is a lot longer than he'd initially projected," he finally commented as he flipped to a new page, effectively breaking her bicep-induced trance. "It'll take longer once the Daimyo's workers clear out."
"Do we know how many on the construction team do work for the Daimyo?" she asked, leaning over to grab a new report off the table. In the process, she just had to curl an arm around his raised knee to keep from falling off the narrow couch. It was just a coincidence that her braless breasts pressed into his leg. She couldn't quite keep from smirking when she heard him suck in a sharp breath.
Kakashi scowled at her and muttered, "Tease." There was a darker glint to his eye, however, that said he'd enjoyed the brief moment of contact.
She stuck her tongue out in reply. It was only fair, in her opinion. He distracted her, she returned the favor. "So, do we?" she persisted.
Making an annoyed sound, he reached down and rifled through a small stack of documents on the floor. He found the one he wanted and flipped through until he had the desired information. "A little over half the work force has been donated by the Daimyo," he replied.
Sakura's eyes widened at the figure. "That's … a lot."
He shrugged and tossed the report back onto the pile. "Well, Omaru-san's job was to oversee fairly minor repairs and construction projects. We've never had to rebuild a village before, so it's understandable he would be ill-equipped for the task."
She nodded, frowning as she began scanning the new report. "So I guess the best option would be … to decide what part of the rebuilding Suna can do without causing a security risk. You know that's all Danzou has to say to convince the Elders that your idea won't work."
Kakashi grunted at that and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I know," he sighed heavily. "That's the sticking point to it all: how to satisfy Danzou."
Sakura huffed in exasperation and tossed her report onto the table. She'd spent the last several hours reading and her eyes were aching horribly. She also had the beginnings of a decent headache starting in her temples. Letting out another breath, she rubbed a hand across her eyes and said, "Do you have any idea how to do that?"
"No, not really. And I probably won't have an answer to that, at least not tonight. It's pointless to keep strategizing until we get a finalized headcount from Suna anyway. Hopefully, we'll get that information early tomorrow. You lightened the schedule already, right?"
"I did," she confirmed, stretching her arms over her head as her back curved into an arch. "You only have two things to do tomorrow: sign off on a supply shipment to the outskirts of the village and meet with the Business Association to discuss possible recompense for the loss of profit and repairs to their shops."
"Seeing as the entire village was, you know, blown up, I really don't see what sort of compensation for lost profit they're expecting to get out of me," he grumbled
Sakura nudged his hip with her foot and frowned at him. "Don't worry about that now, okay? Save it for tomorrow."
Kakashi slid a hand back through his hair roughly before letting his head fall back against the arm of the sofa. "You're right, I shouldn't be thinking about that now. No more politics for tonight."
Her heart skipped an excited beat at his words, but she was hesitant to say anything. It was nearly midnight and he looked exhausted – probably not the most opportune moment to bring up the change in their relationship, but she'd been dying to talk about it all day. She chewed her lower lip as she deliberated between broaching the topic, her fingers stroking slowly along the foot he'd wedged between her arm and side. Finally, she gave in and asked slowly, "So … can we talk about us instead?"
She could just barely make out the glint of his eye as he peered at her from his lounging position. "What about us?" he returned, his voice giving absolutely no clue as to his thoughts.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura sat up a little straighter from the tangle of their legs on the couch and said, "Well, I think it's fair to say that things are … different now. I guess what I need to know is how different. Are we dating, is this just a casual thing… What is it?"
He let out a low, quiet sigh. His hand continued stroking slow lines up and down her leg, pausing every so often to trace a circle around her knee. It did things to her that all the imagined kisses with Sasuke had never been able to. "Honestly, I don't know what this is," he admitted softly, avoiding her gaze. "I just know that I'm … better."
Her brows rose. "Better?" She had no idea how to take that.
Kakashi shrugged away the wryness in her voice. "That's the only way I can describe it. You make everything around you better. You make me feel better." He looked away from her again and she could just make out a deep rosy hue peeking out over his mask.
A pleased smile tugged at her cheeks, one she barely managed to keep under control. She didn't want him to think she was laughing at him or his words. It wasn't the sweeping confession of love she'd always imagined, but then she'd never in a million years have thought that Kakashi would be the one doing it. It was awkwardly delivered, oddly phrased … and it was perfect.
She finally gave in to the urge and smiled at him, unable to contain how happy his words made her. "Whatever this is, it's going to be great," she replied confidently.
His eye met hers and the warmth she saw was enough to make send a bolt of anticipation through her blood. "It's going to be difficult," he cautioned, even as he held his hand out to her. "People will talk, say things like how I've abused my position or that you're obviously sleeping your way through the ranks.
Sakura placed her hand in his, noting as he pulled her to him that his fingers were trembling as much as hers. It eased some of her own trepidation to realize he was just as nervous. She never would have guessed that the legendary Copy Ninja was anything but calm and collected, and it thrilled her to know that she was probably one of the few who knew otherwise.
"Let them talk," she whispered back. "We'll know the truth and our friends will set the rumors straight."
He continued guiding her forward until she was straddling his stomach, her knees on either side of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders while his settled on her hips. His breathing was shallow and at this angle she could just pick out the paler grey flecks in his eye. Kakashi didn't move as her hands slid upward, caressing his neck briefly before cupping his cheeks. Very slowly, she hooked her fingers beneath the fabric of his mask and began pulling it downward.
"This could be dangerous politically, too," he continued, his voice breaking slightly as the mask inched its way down his face.
"Then I'll resign as your assistant. I can teach Ino how to do my job. Or maybe you can ask Shizune to step in again," she added, noting the flash of horror on his face at the idea of her best friend becoming his assistant.
"There's also the fact that I was your teacher." Kakashi's breath hitched as the mask started pulling away from his lips.
Sakura paused, her fingers still pinned between the fabric and his stubble covered cheek, to look at him. "Is this what you want?" she demanded softly.
His brow furrowed in confusion. "You know it is."
"Then stop worrying about other people. You aren't with them. You're with me."
"Sakura—"
She cut him off with a kiss – the last one he would ever get from her through that damn mask. When she pulled back, she was pleased to see a slightly hazy expression on his face. "If I don't care, why should you?" she whispered, speaking with her mouth nearly touching his. "I want this. I want you … Kakashi."
A small, choked sound came from him at the sound of his name without its customary title before his hands slid up her arms to cover her fingers. Their eyes remained locked as together they pulled his mask down the rest of the way.
For a long time, all Sakura could do was stare. She'd caught glimpses over the last three months, enough that she knew he was handsome … but now that she was getting the full impact of his features, 'handsome' didn't begin to cover it. He was beautiful – in a completely masculine way. Everything about him, from the straight line of his nose to the narrow angle of his jaw to lips that were utterly kissable, was beautiful. No wonder he wore a mask all the time. If he didn't, every woman in Konoha (as well as a few men) would be on him in a lust-induced frenzy.
And he was all hers.
She watched in fascination as his lips twisted uncertainly under her scrutiny. "So," he drawled, squirming a little as she continued to stare at his mouth. "Is this going to happen every time I take my mask off?"
Sakura smiled and she knew it probably looked at loopy as it felt. "No, not every time. Just the first three hundred or so," she murmured back, letting her fingers fan across his mouth curiously. His lips were soft beneath her callused fingertips, a strong contrast to the rougher texture of a jaw line in need of shaving. She shivered when his lips parted slightly under her touch, giving her a glimpse of straight, even teeth and the wet flick of his tongue. It sent a pang of heat twisting between her legs, made her nipples tighten eagerly.
Slowly, keeping her eyes on his, she leaned forward so that her breasts met his chest and kissed him for the first time without the interference of cotton.
His groan reverberated through her chest and brought out an answering sound from her. What was supposed to have been a simple kiss very quickly turned into something more. His hands returned to her hips, urging her lower so that their pelvises fit together snugly. She gasped at the feel of his hard length pressing against her intimately, and he took advantage of the moment to slip his tongue between her lips and stroke hers. Sakura groaned at the hot, wet slide of his tongue in her mouth and brought her palms to his bare cheeks again, holding him still as she slanted her mouth against his.
She was lost in the way his lips moved against hers, the continuous motion broken only by the gentle nipping of his teeth and the occasional panted breath. Her fingers wound through his disheveled locks, pulling him closer to her as the kiss became more frantic – more demanding. His hands were firm as they touched her, running over her thighs and hips encouragingly before slipping around to grip her bottom. He pushed her hips into his in a slow, hard grind that sent them both reeling back from the kiss with startled, pleasured gasps.
Panting, shocked by how amazing such a small movement felt, Sakura gazed down at Kakashi briefly before sitting up. His eyes were both open, the sharingan swirling slightly, as she reached for the lower hem of her shirt and pulled it off of her. Her torso was completely bare to his gaze, and were it not for the heated, reverent look he was giving her she probably would have been more embarrassed about it.
He trembled beneath her, his fingers digging harder into her hips as his eyes roved over meager chest. She'd always felt her breasts were … inadequate when compared to her peers; yet another part of her physicality that was less than desirable. But with the way he was staring at her, all her insecurities seemed to vanish.
It gave her the courage to take hold of his wrists and guide his hands up over her body. She watched as his lips parted, his eyes following the path of his palms as they smoothed up the flat expanse of her stomach … her ribs… The first brush of his fingers along the slight curves of her breasts made her breath expel in a shuddering rush. When his palms glided higher to cup her completely, rubbing deliciously across her nipples, it was entirely of his own doing.
A breathy moan issued from between her lips as her head tipped back, her hips rolling into his with every gentle knead of his hands to her breasts. The feel of him pressing against her sex set her blood to boiling, made her body ache for something more. She cried out when something warm and wet closed over one nipple, and it took her a moment before she realized it was his mouth. Her fingers quickly wound their way through his hair, urging him to keep going. Kakashi moaned as he continued sucking at her breast, nipping at the hardened peak before his tongue laved soothingly over her skin.
Sakura moaned in protest when he released her nipple and again as his mouth began pressing scorching kisses along her collarbone, working further up to her neck. "We should stop," he rasped, even as his hands returned to force her hips down faster into his.
"Why?" she gasped, tugging impatiently at his shirt. She wanted to feel more of his warm skin, run her hands along the smooth, corded muscles of his back.
Kakashi didn't answer her right away; he couldn't, not when he was busy placing hot, hard kisses to her mouth and jaw. He only paused just long enough for her to pull his shirt off completely and then he was back to kissing her. Her next gasp was brought on by the shocking feel of his skin meeting hers, the sound smothered against his lips and tongue. She circled her arms around him until her hands were groping across his wide shoulders. It was amazing to feel his muscles shifting beneath the softness of his skin, to feel the tension in his body as he continued kissing her senseless.
He pulled away again, shaking his head quickly. "No," he muttered, his words brushing warmly across her mouth. "It's too fast. There's too much at risk…" His words trailed off as she gave a slow, purposeful grind against his erection.
"Stop thinking," she ordered, placing little kisses to his lips. "Just go with it."
"We really shouldn't."
"Kakashi, please … let go. Just this once. I … I want this."
Whether it was her plea or the way she was rubbing her breasts against his chest, she didn't know, but suddenly his arms were wrapping around her tightly as he surged to his feet. Her legs quickly locked around his waist, her arms around his neck as he took her from the living room and down the hall toward his bedroom. The entire way, their mouths were fused together, their tongues tangling in a heated kiss that left little room for breathing.
He fumbled a little to open the door without having to set her down and there was some tripping as he carried her toward the bed. Sakura's back hit the mattress hard and he followed her down, covering her body with his. His hands were everywhere, groping almost blindly at her thighs, her rear, moving higher so that he could pinch her nipples between his fingers. Her moans were coming more steadily through her ragged breaths, one leg hooking around his hips as she bucked to meet each roll of his body against hers.
And then he was rolling them over so that she was on top, his hands dipping impatiently beneath her shorts to knead her bare behind. She helped in peeling the irritating garment down her legs before reaching between them for the fly of his pants.
"Wait," Kakashi cut in quickly, grabbing her hands just as she was about to shove them down the open from of his pants. He was breathing hard and she could just make out the thin sheen of sweat over his pale skin in the light coming from the open door.
"What?" she demanded, impatience creeping into her voice. If he was about to spout off yet another reason why they shouldn't do this, she was going to bludgeon him with her fists before continuing her exploration of his comatose form.
Fortunately, putting an end to their activities wasn't what he had in mind. "Condoms," he panted. "I don't have any."
Sakura blinked in confusion before smiling as she leaned down to kiss his lips sweetly. "It's fine," she whispered, flicking her tongue along his lower lip teasingly. With her hands resting against his groin, she could feel his erection twitch in response. "I'm taking birth control – have been for a while. We're fine."
"No … that's not why we need them."
She sat upright and the movement caused her to sink down more firmly against his hips. Her eyes closed and she shuddered when her fingers brushed against her exposed sex, feeling the wet heat of her body. It took a lot of willpower not to just slip her fingers lower and touch that throbbing, needy part of her, the one that was just aching for fulfillment. Slowly, she took a steadying breath and asked, "Why else would we need condoms?"
It was fairly dark in his room, but there was just enough light for her to see his cheeks darken in embarrassment. In answer to her question, Kakashi took one of her hands and steered it down the front of his pants. Her eyes widened as her palm slid over his penis, taking in the surprising length and width of him. He was hot in her hand, almost scorchingly so, and when she boldly dipped her hand beneath the band of his underwear she was amazed to encounter moisture pearling thickly at the blunted tip.
Sakura understood then why he wanted a condom; he was afraid that without something to desensitize the sensation of them having sex that he wouldn't last long. She was barely touching him as it is, yet his entire body was quaking as if it was already too much.
She pulled her hand free, caressing along the muscled expanse of his abdomen until her fingers grazed over his flat nipples. His body jerked beneath her, his jaw tightening as he choked back a harsh, pleasured sound. Sakura leaned down over him again, skimming her lips across his sternum slowly. Her tongue flicked out every so often, wetting his skin and drawing steady, ragged moans from him. By the time she reached his neck, his hips were lifting in shallow thrusts against hers and his hands were sliding up her thighs eagerly.
Her lips found his earlobe and gave it a brief suck before repeating, "It's fine."
His hands and mouth were suddenly everywhere, kissing and touching any part of her he came into contact with. Sakura was too overwhelmed to do more than respond, to simply let her body move the way it wanted. She felt his fingers pressing into her hips and drew back from sucking the pulse point on his throat when he tried to lift her higher up his body. There was no fighting the pressure of his hands, so she had no choice but to follow his lead.
It became clear what he intended when her pelvis was poised over his chest and he was still shifting her higher. Sakura's eyes widened and she immediately grabbed hold of his wrists to stop him. "Wait," she gasped, feeling incredibly uncomfortable with what he meant to do. "Wait, Kakashi … ah!"
Any thoughts of protest or morality died the minute he sealed his mouth to her core, his tongue delving hotly between her folds. Part of her was horrified at what he was doing – at what she was letting him do to her. She wasn't so naïve that she didn't know what oral sex was, but she'd never considered it for herself … and certainly not like this. But the other part of her couldn't deny the pleasure his lips and tongue produced. She couldn't keep her hips from grinding against his mouth or her hands from burying in his hair to pull him closer.
His tongue continued its assault, alternating between quick, hard flicks over her clitoris and long, sweeping strokes down the length of her slit. When his tongue plunged inside her, she cried out sharply, her fingers pulling roughly at his hair. He kept going, his hands encouraging her hips to grind faster against his mouth. Sakura's eyes were closed, her head thrown back as gasps and broken cries fell unchecked from her lips. Inside, it felt like she was being consumed by need. She felt it burning through her veins, pooling hotly between her legs, stoking higher with each pass of his tongue and teeth against her sex.
And then it burst inside her, slamming through her so fast and hard that everything else fell away. For a few blissful seconds, her entire world consisted of nothing more than his mouth between her legs and passion unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. It seemed to permeate her entire being: her skin, her muscles, the ends of her hair. Even as the high began to fade, leaving her dizzy and satisfied in a way she couldn't begin to explain, her body continued to twitch in response to such overwhelming desire.
She was still reeling from her first orgasm ever as Kakashi maneuvered her back to her former position. Her cheek rested against his shoulder as she relearned how to breathe, his fingers combing gently through her sweat dampened hair. She could feel his length through the open front of his pants, causing her to shiver as it rubbed against her overly sensitized flesh. His lips brushed light kisses across her bare shoulder as he waited for her to regain a portion of her composure.
When she finally had the breath to speak, the only thing she could say was, "Wow."
She felt more than heard him chuckle as he nuzzled the side of her throat. "I'll take that to mean you liked it?" he teased, trailing his fingers up and down her spine soothingly.
Sakura pushed herself upright just enough to give him a lazy, contented kiss, one that tasted musky with a touch of sweetness. It took her a moment to realize she tasted herself on his tongue, and it didn't bother her as much as she would have imagined. If anything, it sent desire pulsing warmly between her legs again. That pulse escalated into full on need when she felt his fingers slip between their bodies to slide easily through her slick folds.
"You're so wet," he murmured, dipping his fingers lower to press against her entrance. She moaned and tried to angle her hips to take more than just his fingertips, but he withdrew completely. The protesting cry had barely left her when she felt something much hotter and wider than his fingers pushing between her folds.
She gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders as buried her face against the curve of his neck and shoulder. Kakashi gave another careful, shallow thrust, pushing deeper inside her. Another lift of his hips and he slid in just a bit further. Her lower lip was caught firmly between her teeth as an uncomfortable stinging sensation began to cut through the pleasure. It didn't hurt, not like she'd heard it could, but it didn't feel great either. She held on tight to him as he panted and groaned against her shoulder, his skin growing slick beneath her fingers, and hoped the pleasure from before would return.
When he was finally as deep inside her as he could go, Kakashi fell back against the mattress with a harsh gasp, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to keep from moving just yet. It felt strange having him inside her, feeling every twitch and throb of his penis. She still wasn't sure if it was a good sort of strange yet, but the longer they remained still the less uncomfortable it became. Soon enough, the hot, heavy press of him against her muscles made her squirm, which in turn drew out a surprised gasp as the pleasure started unfurling through her again.
Kakashi's breath escaped as a hissing sound as his fingers dug almost painfully into her hips. "Don't … don't move. Not unless you're ready," he advised, his features clearly showing the strain of trying to keep himself in check.
Experimentally, Sakura rolled her hips in the barest of movements, shivering as the base of his erection rubbed against her clitoris. Her eyes fell closed as she repeated the movement again, her lips parting in a silent gasp when he rose to meet her. "I-It's good," she panted, speaking with her lips pressed to his wildly pounding pulse. "Keep going, just … don't rush."
He groaned and wrapped his arms around her, pinning her firmly to his chest. "I'll try not to."
Their hips continued moving in slow, shallow circles that gradually became a little faster and harder as the need began to take hold again. At the direction of his hands, Sakura sat upright and moaned lowly as the slight change in position made him slip deeper inside her, hitting a spot that made white lights dance across her vision. She could hear the sound of their bodies meeting over his quiet groans and her breathier gasps, and it only grew louder the harder she bore down on him. His hands skimmed up her ribs again to cover her bouncing breasts, his fingers plucking at her nipples in such a way that she could actually feel a corresponding tug between her legs.
Her hands were braced on his slick chest, her nails scratching lightly across the dusting of course hair and soft skin. The hot, coiling sensation was starting up again in her stomach, only it was a little different this time. It was more intense, driving her to move faster, create more friction between them. He was penetrating her easily now, aided by her loosened muscles and the natural lubrication of her sex. His hips were bucking up hard into hers, such that she almost didn't need to move at all.
This time, there was very little warning. One minute, their eyes locked as their hands met, and the next her back was snapping ridged as she cried his name. The pleasure exploded within her, eclipsing the previous orgasm completely. She couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe as her muscles contracted sharply, milking along the hot length of him in a violent, wordless demand. It lasted far longer than the first one, left her body feeling sore but in a very good way.
Kakashi gave one final thrust before his back arched off the mattress, his eyes squeezing tightly closed as a strangled cry managed to work its way passed his clenched teeth. She cried out again as he filled her, his seed spurting hotly into her body as he ground her hips roughly into his. Somewhere in the grunts and moans, she thought she heard her name repeated a couple times as his fingers tightened painfully around hers.
She fell against him, exhausted and aching between her legs. He slipped free of her, his limp member resting on her thigh as his hands ran in lazy caresses over her body. Sakura hummed blissfully, nuzzling his throat and shivering as the stubble of his cheeks scraped along her skin. Her lips sought his again for another kiss, though it wasn't a kiss as much as it was grazing lips and mingled, panting breaths.
Slowly, he rolled her onto her side so that he could tug the blankets over their naked bodies. Sakura smiled hazily at him, tracing her fingers along his features tenderly. This was normally the part in romance novels where the couple shared a deep, meaningful discussion and shared their feelings. Maybe it was weird of her, but she didn't feel like doing any of that. There was no need to, not when she could tell by the way he was touching her how he felt. He continued watching her, his eyes sweeping over her slowly. The sharingan was still open, taking in every nuance of movement. He was memorizing her in this moment, and the realization of that made her chest tight with affection.
"Thank you," he murmured, his thumb running over the curve of her lower lip.
Her brow pinched as she shook her head. "For what?"
"For not letting me talk myself out of this."
Sakura smiled and snuggled closer to him, hooking one leg over his thigh. "Anytime."
The last thing she heard before sleep overcame her was his quiet laughter as he placed a kiss to her cheek.
Sai was sitting in the small room of his new home with a marker in hand and a blank canvas before him. It'd remained untouched for the last three hours. He'd capped and uncapped the colors several times, but the art simply wouldn't come. He couldn't bring his hand to mar the smooth, pale surface of the canvas tonight.
Perhaps he was wrong and this wasn't a night for markers? His gaze fell to the sealed ink pots arranged on his desk.
He wasn't confused. He knew what he needed to do.
His hand reached for a calligraphy brush anyway.
The smell of the dark, raw ink was strong in his nose, acrid in a way that was completely unique to it. Certain smells had no comparison: freshly cut grass, leaves in the autumn, smoke. They were all singular scents, just like ink.
And death.
Sai's hand fumbled, sloshing thick, black ink out of the jar and onto his hand. He frowned at it and reached for the rag draped over the back of his chair. He stopped when his gaze fell on the droplets that had splattered onto the wooden floor of his home, staining deeply into the wood. They resembled blood drops when seen under a dark sky.
He stared at his blackened fingers again, watched as the substance rolled down his bare arm, dripped from his fingertips. His grip on the brush changed. It was subtle, but he was no longer holding it like an artist; he was holding it like a shinobi, as if the tool were a kunai.
The sound of the brush clattering to the ground was uncommonly loud in his ears. As was the thud of his stool toppling over as he stood quickly.
Sai backed away from the canvas slowly, his chest rising and falling swiftly. His heart was thudding and his hands quaked with a sudden rush of adrenaline. Very slowly, he approached the mess again, his bare feet soundless on the floorboards. The ink on his hand was congealing, though a stray droplet still managed to plummet from his fingertips, marking his movement across the floor.
He stared down at the upturned bottle, its contents oozing and pooling on the wood, seeping into the cracks and sticking in the grooves. It was surprisingly warm as it met his tools, though not nearly as warm as blood.
Gingerly, he bent down and lifted the glass bottle from the spill and was dismayed to find that it was empty. There was barely enough ink inside to paint one stroke with. All of it was on the floor and undoubtedly dripping into the apartment beneath his. Without the ink, it was just an unremarkable glass container, resembling those that stored baby food. It didn't serve a purpose any longer. He should throw it away.
He placed it back in its original spot, empty though it was.
Sai was just about to clean up the mess when a soft knock came to his window. He looked up, saw a masked face, and went over to open it a crack.
"It's time," the messenger said before pushing off the window ledge and disappearing into the night.
He closed the window and stared out into the shadows at the village he was sworn to protect. Half formed buildings stood amidst completed ones and lingering rubble and only a handful of people dared to have lights on after dusk. There used to be a time where hundreds of windows used to glow like lightning bugs at night. It was his duty, as a ninja of Konoha, to make that happen again.
Sai stepped away from the window, retrieved his shirt from the futon mattress on the floor and headed for the door. On the way, he took a kunai from his weapons pouch and tucked it into the bindings on his leg.
It was still rather early in the morning when Kakashi woke to the feeling of warm, lush skin beneath his hands. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of sex that lingered in the air, and buried his face into the bend of her shoulder. His arm tightened around her waist as she murmured sleepily, her rear wiggling more comfortably into his lap. He felt his cock twitch with interest and let his hand move lower.
She shifted again when his fingers slid through the soft, pink curls of her mound, but she didn't wake. He smiled as he placed a chaste kiss to her shoulder and let his fingers wander further downward. Her slit was still slick from their previous activity, a combination of her fluids and his. When he paused to rub a fingertip along her clit, she gasped breathlessly, her eyes cracking open the barest amount.
"Pervert," she mumbled, even as she lifted her leg to give him better access. "Can't even wait until I'm a … awake."
Kakashi laughed softly as he continued stroking over the tight nub of her sex. "You were taking too long," he replied, nipping at her earlobe playfully.
Sakura hummed sleepily, one hand reaching back to curl through his hair as her hips began to rock with the slow, steady rhythm of his fingers. He closed his eyes, savoring the way she responded to him, the way her breaths became more like sighs with each circular motion of his fingers. His lips brushed across her shoulder again as he pressed his growing erection more fervently to her bare rear.
She twisted about just enough to see him, putting her lips temptingly close to his and exposing one pert breast to the cool air. "Are we going to do it like this?" she asked softly, her words fanning across his mouth.
"We can if you want to," he said, slipping one finger inside her tight, wet sheath. She gasped and arched her back away from his chest.
He kept the slow, lazy rhythm going, pumping first one and then two fingers into the welcoming heat of her body. She moved in time to his thrusting digits, sweet little moans mingling with each breath. Watching her respond to him, how hot and wet she was, feeling her muscles clench around his fingers … it was mesmerizing. He couldn't recall ever having a partner react so openly to his touches. It wasn't in her nature to hold back, a trait he was glad to see extended into the bedroom as well.
Her eyes opened languidly and when she rolled over onto her back, Kakashi followed her, settling himself between her spread legs. Sakura smiled up at him, brushed a hand down his cheek in a gentle caress before leaning upward to kiss him. "It's my turn to watch you," she whispered against his mouth, all while reaching between them to guide his cock toward her entrance.
Kakashi groaned and, slipping an arm around the small of her back to angle her hips better, he pushed forward into her.
A knock sounded on the door separating his office from his living room.
He froze, looking back over his shoulder. Who would be here this early in the morning?
Sakura's cool, slim hand curved around his chin, drawing his attention back to her. "Ignore it," she said, one leg lifting around his waist to pull him tighter to her.
"Good idea," he agreed before claiming her lips in a deep, penetrating kiss, the thrusting of his tongue matching that of his cock between her legs.
The knock came again, this time much louder. Sakura locked both legs around his waist and gasped at the shift in angle. He choked on his next breath as her body fluttered around him. Whoever it was could just come back later.
He was just starting to pick up speed when the worst possible thing happened: the door in the other room opened and someone called out, "Hokage-sama?"
"Shit!" he hissed. He was off of Sakura in the next second, ignoring her horrified gasp as he quickly shut the bedroom door.
The footsteps in the living room paused and the voice inquired again, "Hokage-sama? Are you awake?"
Kakashi made a mental note to fire whoever was out there and called back gruffly, "I am now. What do you want?"
"A message just arrived from Danzou-sama. He wants to meet you at the Council chamber as soon as possible to discuss a potential compromise."
He met Sakura's gaze across the room and saw the surprise he felt mirrored on her face. As unprecedented as the message was, it was still too early for business in his opinion. Of course, that opinion was greatly helped by the sight of Sakura hugging a sheet to her breasts … but he would dare any man not to be swayed by such an argument. His body wanted nothing more than to climb back in that bed and finish what they'd started.
There was one small problem, however: his sense of duty. If Danzou wanted to discuss a compromise of positions, he was obligated to listen.
Kakashi groaned and spread his hands helplessly. "I have to go," he said.
Sakura nodded and fought not to look too crestfallen. "No, that's okay. Go take care of that and then come back. I'll have breakfast ready for you."
He offered a wry smile and asked hopefully, "I don't suppose it can be breakfast in bed, can it?"
She snorted and rolled her eyes, but there was a smile playing on her lips that said she was amused. "That depends on how quickly you settle this thing. If there's time before our first appointment … sure."
"Trust me, there'll be time," he promised as he made his way to the bathroom for a quick, cold splash in the shower. It wasn't at all how he'd wanted to start his morning, but it'd have to do. He couldn't very well walk into a meeting with a tent in his pants, now could he?
By the time he was out and toweling himself off, Sakura had stolen yet another of his shirts to parade around in as she remade the bed. He didn't know why she bothered when they were just going to mess it up again, but he let her do it. Kakashi finished getting ready and was about to leave when he realized he was forgetting something. He turned back toward Sakura, who was already on her way over to him.
"I was going to say," she muttered as she met him halfway, her arms circling his neck to pull him down into a deep, lingering kiss.
Kakashi pulled away reluctantly, unwilling to leave just yet. Maybe it was just the fact that he wanted to savor her to himself for just a little longer, but the urge to send a message back asking to reschedule was strong. He knew he couldn't do it though. If he blew Danzou off now, there was the very real chance he'd never get this chance for diplomacy again.
Pressing another kiss to her lips, Kakashi turned and left the room without looking back.
An ANBU guard was waiting in the living room, one whose mask he didn't recognize. He frowned as he pulled on his leather gloves and said, "Where's Miko? I thought she was on duty today."
"Miko-san is unfortunately sick this morning, Hokage-sama," the man replied. "My name is Esu and I'll be serving in her place."
Strange, she'd seemed alright yesterday morning. Maybe she just ate something that didn't agree with her. He seemed to recall she had a rather sensitive stomach. Motioning toward the door, he said, "After you, Esu."
The guard led the way, and three others he didn't know fell in around him. Kakashi arched a curious brow as he looked the new arrivals over curiously. "Your squad, I take it?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama. As I'm not familiar with Miko-san's squad, I thought it'd be best to enlist my own," Esu confirmed.
For some reason, his very logical response triggered an alarm bell in Kakashi's head. It was completely unfounded and he couldn't begin to explain why … but his gut told him something wasn't quite right. He debated about going back to grab a few weapons, but decided against it seeing as the meeting was being held in the Council chamber. It would be in extremely poor taste to bring weapons into a place where they were prohibited. Besides, he doubted Danzou would be foolish enough to attempt anything right now.
They walked quickly through the chillness of the early morning air. Only a few people were up at this hour, those mostly being construction workers getting ready for yet another long day of repairs. They bowed to him as he passed, murmuring polite greetings as they stepped to one side. He always made certain to respond cheerfully, sometimes stopping to talk to the ones he knew by name. It was good for morale to have the Hokage on friendly terms with the people, not to mention it gave him the chance to know the ones responsible for rebuilding Konoha. This was a tremendous thing they were undertaking, after all.
Kakashi followed his escort into the administration building and looked about curiously when he saw that it was completely empty. If this were a full Council meeting, then there should have been at least a few assistants walking about. Once again, a warning went off in his head. He continued on anyway, though he kept his hands ready should he need them. Weapons weren't the only way of defending one' self if necessary.
Esu and his guard stopped outside the meeting hall, taking up posts on the opposite wall to the four masked ROOT guards that were already standing at attention. "Danzou-sama is inside," one of the guards informed him gruffly. "He's waiting for you."
He nodded slowly, eying the closed doors thoughtfully. They were large, heavy, and pushed inward. Across from them were the only windows in the room: four of them, all facing away from the village. While the room was fairly spacious for meeting purposes, the table took up a lot of space for maneuvering.
But it was absurd to be thinking in terms of escape routes, he chided himself. This was just a meeting, nothing more. If Danzou was plotting to make some kind of power bid, he would do so when the Elders and Council were present to bear witness. He wouldn't bother staging a fake meeting.
As Kakashi pushed open the doors and was confronted with row upon row of porcelain masks, he realized he was mistaken. The doors slammed closed behind him and he only had a split second to tear the hitae-ate from over his sharingan before the fight began.
Sakura wandered into the small kitchen of Kakashi's house, wearing nothing except his oversized shirt and a smile. While she was disappointed that he'd had to leave, she knew it was something she had to get used to with him. He was the Hokage; things would undoubtedly come up at inopportune times. She had to accept that sometimes his duty would have to come before her.
Although, she had a feeling that Kakashi would definitely try not to let that happen.
Ignoring the pull of sore muscles in her lower stomach, she began getting things around to make a nice breakfast for his return. There would be coffee, of course. And maybe a simple egg omelet to eat. She wished he liked sweet stuff; she made really delicious pancakes, if she said so herself. Maybe she'd make it anyway, just to see if he—
She jumped when something dark and heavy slammed into the window just over the sink. Sakura frowned and, with her heart in her throat, grabbed one of the kitchen knives before cautiously stepping out the back door. The ANBU that normally watched the door was now squatting to one side, peering at something on the ground. Peering over the man's shoulder, she gasped in surprise at what she saw.
A dead crow. Its ink black feathers ruffled in the light morning breeze, but its beady black eye was dull and its head was bent at an unnaturally angle.
"Poor thing," the guard murmured. "Its neck snapped when it hit the window."
Sakura turned and looked in the direction of the village. A wave of anxiety washed over her from out of nowhere. Taking a deep breath, she brushed it off and went back inside. She wanted to get as much prep done now so that when Kakashi returned she could have breakfast ready quickly.
There were too many of them. If they'd been typical jounin or below, he wouldn't have a problem taking them down. But twenty plus elite operatives, all armed to the teeth? Not even on a good day.
They'd done their homework too, he was dismayed to note as he barely dodged a kunai meant for his midsection. Rather than come at him one by one, they rushed him in groups, coming at him from different sides and without any predictable pattern. As soon as he thought he had a moment to whip out a ninjutsu, another team would move in and he'd be forced to protect himself from their attack. They were quick, well organized … and if he didn't get out of there somehow, he was a dead man.
A few had managed to inflict some damage on him. One had sliced his chest pretty good. Another got a well placed kick in on his hip, which had sent him falling to the ground just in time to catch a shuriken to the shoulder. Blood and sweat slipped down his skin as he continued fighting, grabbing weapons from this he was fortunate enough to incapacitate and using them in hopes of buying himself just a few seconds. All he needed was five seconds to activate a transportation jutsu and he'd out of there. His chakra levels were low, what with being forced to use the Mangekyo technique twice in quick succession, and he'd be lucky if he had enough for it … but he didn't have a choice.
Kakashi hissed in pain at the familiar thunk of a throwing kunai hitting right between his shoulder blades. He stumbled, tripping over a fallen body, and it was only by the grace of his speed that he was able to jerk the blade from his back before hitting the ground. He flung it back at its owner and watched in satisfaction as blood erupted from the bastard's throat. But his momentary victory was short lived when the room began to spin sickeningly.
The kunai had been poisoned.
He struggled to his feet, swaying unsteadily as his vision became nothing but a blur of white and red, the masks all running together so that he couldn't pick out the different animals. Wetness slipped from between his lips, too thin to be blood, and he realized dimly that it was drool; the poison was cutting off body function. If he didn't get out now, he would be a sitting duck.
His hands came together clumsily for the first seal. Blood erupted from his hand as a shuriken seemed to appear from out of nowhere. He made the second seal, catching himself when his knees nearly gave out. One of the hazy masked faces approached and drove a kunai into his gut. The blade withdrew and was replaced by another one to his back.
Dimly, he was aware of metal flashing in the light coming from the windows: more kunai. The idea that he wasn't going to make it out of there became very real all of a sudden.
It wasn't his life that flashed before his eyes; it was Sakura. Her smile, the way she looked at him, their night together … every single memory he had of her came to sharp focus as his enemies rushed toward him en masse.
He couldn't die. Not now. Not when he hadn't even told her that he…
A surge of adrenaline burst over him, and Kakashi snarled in defiance as he tore the weapons piercing him from his body. The shuriken caught someone in the windpipe, a kunai sliced through someone's midsection, spilling intestines and blood across the slick floor. One by one, they fell around him as he fought the poison working through his system and his own exhaustion. The pain meant nothing, not when compared to never seeing Sakura again.
The ROOT forces were falling back, taken off guard by the sudden burst of aggression from him. Some still came forward to fight, throwing their lives away just to keep him from escaping. In the back of his mind, Kakashi knew there was a reason why they didn't want him escaping. Any number of the injuries he'd suffered so far could be fatal, and there was a very good chance he wouldn't survive the utter depletion of his chakra were he to use a transport jutsu. But he was so focused on driving off his attackers that it hardly crossed his mind.
And then he came face to face with Danzou … whose unbandaged face showed a gaping hole where his eye had been.
That was when Kakashi realized that all this time, not a single person had even attempted to take out his sharingan. It was while this revelation was crashing down on him that Fu removed his mask and drove a kunai directly into his lungs.
Kakashi's eyes widened and his next breath was choked due to the blood filling his throat.
Torune appeared out of nowhere. The kunai in his hand was buried in his kidney.
All around him, masks were removed as his attackers allowed him to see their faces, the sharingan cataloguing every last one. They were making certain they were the last things he saw. He fell to one knee, struggling to breathe through the blood pouring freely from his mouth. The pain was so constant now that he barely registered each new slide of metal into his body.
Finally, there was one masked face left. Kakashi could barely keep his eyes open, could barely bring himself to look at his last murderer. Warmth slipped down his cheeks, cutting through the blood coating his cheeks, as he realized this was it. He wasn't going to die in some foreign land, killed by a ninja he knew by reputation only.
He was going to die in his own village at the hands of people he knew, had worked with – had socialized with on occasion.
The last mask fell away, shattering as it impacted with the ground. Kakashi looked up … and defeat crushed him completely when he beheld yet another familiar face. "You too, huh?" he mumbled thickly.
Sai's features were devoid of emotion, but there was no disguising the thread of fear lurking in his dark eyes. His hand was trembling as he gripped the kunai, and for a long moment he simply stood there. And then his hand went back and the kunai was flashing forward.
The very last thing to cross Kakashi's mind as he fell to the meeting room floor was that he hadn't looked back.