Disclaimer: 'Sasuke; my kingdom for a Sasuke!'
Note: Yeeeaahhhhh, I'm a terrible person, I know. *Prepares to be pelted by squishy rotten vegetables* I know that I haven't written in, oh half a year or so, and I cannot even begin to tell you how sorry I am for all the delays. The lazy bug bit me during the holidays and as the wound was left to fester and pus mountains of pasty yellow and green bile (Mmmmm tasty….) I was unable to foresee my dire mistake until it exploded into full out procrastination. (Mmmm…..not so tasty…..)
I also apologize for not getting back to you individual reviewers and hope that my poor hostess skills didn't scare you away permanently. I've been listening to a lot of music lately and found inspiration once more. Hopefully I'll ride this wave of muse for a while yet, and not find myself in another low tide of floundering creativity.
With that aside I would like to move onto Thankyou's for all those that were so kind to review my first chapter.
So Big Humongous Thanks to; Funky Bracelet Chick, Chitel-ZC, HinaHyuugaSan, Kenya, NanamiYatsumaki, Thieves Like Us, Rimas, Angel-of-Hell, Karla-hime, Lilmaimas, SaRAsavesWORLD, Misamisa3, Killakilla, EvilChikara, Lems, Missmilly, Frogflower, CocoaAngel95, Kurumi-chan, Math music reading, FeatherBerry (your name makes me giggle, I just like saying it: Featherberry *giggle*), Anmah, Tw33ty JR., and last but certainly not in the least bit…..um….least (a tad repetitive… sorry), Cheh.
Again thanks so much and a big double chocolate chip cookie thank you for those who added me to their favorite/alert lists!! *Cue Super Happy Dance of Happy now*
More Important Note: Okay just some fyi I made the ages of the characters a little whooky.
Warning: Slight Cussing and suggestive language and themes....You've been warned.....
Chapter One:
Welcome Home:
Not exactly the homecoming I was expecting.
Sasuke felt his jaw tick in aggravation as he undid the silver buckle to his belt. All he had wanted from the moment he'd watched Orochimaru finally don the hangman's noose was a bath, a bed, and a woman. Mentally going over the list, Sasuke failed to see where 'Being accosted by a snot-nosed brat' fit into the equation.
He should've known better than to return to Konoha. Even after it came out in the local papers that he, Sasuke Uchiha, youngest son of ex-Sheriff Fugaku Uchiha, only brother to the mass-murderer-at-large Itachi Uchiha, and largest collector of young girls hearts throughout the West, had single-handedly infiltrated and brought down the infamous Sound Gang; people were still apparently wary of where his allegiance lay. Not that he could really blame them.
The ruse he and the old man (Hokage Sarutobi) had come up with to convince Orochimaru that he was a 'true outlaw' and 'Sound Gang Material' had left the bustling city enough fuel to gossip with for years after it occurred, but that was a story for another time. What mattered now was the 4' nothing troll blocking Sasuke's way to the Hokage Tower demanding that he, 'Hand 'em over or there'll be trouble.'
"Guard these with your life," The Uchiha ground out between his teeth pushing the bundle, complete with his twin, polished pearl-handled Peace Maker's, into the Jr. Deputy's hands. "Because that will be the cost if you so much a look at them wrong."
Sasuke hated going about unarmed. Seven years of constantly looking over his shoulder made him feel naked without the comfortable pressure of a ready weapon on his hip. It was a sad day in a hardened cowboys' life when he's forced to hand over his only means of protection to a kid who was about as green as the line of mucus running down his chubby face. Sasuke reinforced his glare.
The boy of twelve gulped, sweat beading his pale brow as he clutched the guns to his chest, eyes rounding behind the thick spectacles slipping down the bridge of his nose. The rusty badge pinned crookedly to his chest, though warped from its previous function as table-leg-equalizer, caught the last fingers of light curling over Konoha Mountain.
"Um. A-ha, yes Sir. Guard them w-with m-my. W-w-w-with mmmm-mmmy….." Udon trailed off wheezing; watching in increased alarm as the notorious outlaw in front of him pulled a 12 inch knife from somewhere beneath the folds of his leather trench coat.
"Life." Sasuke finished, running his thumb along the blade teasingly, ebony eyes never leaving the boy, a dark smirk twisting up the corners of his mouth.
"Give the kid a break, will ya?" A voice chastised from somewhere inside the door of the jail-house. Sasuke squinted disbelievingly at the new arrival, not noticing the Jr. Deputy snatch the knife out of his own hand and scamper off with his weapons.
"Naruto." He nodded.
"Sasuke." The man repeated just as gravely beneath the shade of his worn hat, despite the amusing gleam in his blue eyes.
A silence followed as the childhood friends sized each other up, taking their time going over the changes the passing years had caused in the other.
"You're still short." Sasuke sneered after long moment.
"You're still a bastard." Naruto grinned launching himself off the doorstep and nearly tackling the Uchiha in a hug. The outlaw immediately began to struggle, his feet shuffling backwards farther into the dusty street as he strained to keep his balance.
"Get off me, Idiot." He growled, more and more aware of the curious eyes they were drawing from passing citizens.
"But you're so soft." Naruto sighed, snuggling deeper into-
"That better be your gun." Sasuke hissed freezing in movement.
"Don't carry guns." The blonde replied looking up and wiggling his eyebrows. The outlaw narrowed his eyes and gave a great push, releasing himself from Naruto's hold.
"What kind of Sheriff doesn't carry a gun?" Sasuke raised a jaunty brow nodding at the gleaming star fastened upon the blonde's shirt, just above his heart.
"The good kind."
"Hn."
"Eloquent as ever I see." Naruto shook his head, his whisker-scarred cheeks puffing in a smile. "Come on, the Hokage's ready to see you now." He motioned Sasuke to follow, but was pulled up short by the callused hand on his sleeve.
"You may not carry, but I do." The Uchiha leveled Naruto with small glare. "I want my hol-"
"No one carries after sundown here. My rules."
Sasuke stiffened getting the distinct impression that he wasn't talking too his boyhood friend any longer, but the lawman who looked like an aged version of him. He withdrew his hand, ebony eyes growing cold.
"Ah, come on teme." Naruto nudged his shoulder humoredly, ignoring Sasuke's wince at the familiar 'endearment' from the past. "Let's get this business over with, with the Hokage, then I'll by you a round at the Kat House." Naruto's eyes took on a dreamy glaze as he and the outlaw walked down the sidewalk toward the looming red tower. "Madam Kurenai has a girl there with the prettiest green eyes this side of the ocean."
It was then Sasuke realized his hands were empty. "Where's my knife?"
Hinata ignored the rather loud revelry leaking in the kitchen beneath the swinging door. It was well passed sunset and the saloon was in full working mode. The chandeliers were lit, the stage lights flaming, smoking, games of poker, drinking, breaking glass, bursts of laughter, Shikamaru behind the piano as Ino belted out a crude song. Yup, just another night at the Kat House.
She rubbed her face with the back of her hand, unconscious of the smear of flour it left behind on her cheek.
"Good God! That man's an asshole!" Temari slammed her way into the scullery making Hinata jump, launching the pan of hot rolls in her hands three feet in the air before landing on the floor with a crash. The bluette groaned, falling to hers knees and scrambling to pick up the cruller's from where they fell with soft 'plunk's.' Hinata silently cursed her jitters. She always felt a tad more nervous than normal, if that was at all possible, when she worked so close to the crowds.
A crown of tightly bound dirty blonde curls peeked over the counter top.
"Whoops." Temari shrugged her bare shoulders looking down on Hinata with a wary grin. "I forgot you scare easily." She stated, one hand going to the string of fake pearls around her neck.
"I-it's f-fine." Hinata huffed, blowing a stray strand out of her face. She stood on wobbly legs. Temari reached over the assortment of bowls and measuring utensils and plucked a floor-kissed roll out of the cradle of Hinata's baggy apron.
"Mmm," The older girl moaned in delight, savoring the taste of Hinata's cooking. "Not bad, Short Stuff." Temari smiled, scarfing down the rest of the warm bread, giving the blushing maid an appreciative wink. "If I could sing half as well as you cooked, I'd be up on stage instead of waiting tables." She sighed dreamily. "Oh well. I guess I make better tips working the floor."
Hinata caught the wistful, faraway look in those blue eyes and felt a twinge of sorrow for the older girl. Temari was a recent arrival from the Sand Village. According to Ino, who like to gossip with Hinata (Well, not so much gossip with, but too, Hinata), over late night cups of milk; Temari had run away from a troubled home life only to end up working at Kurenai's.
Temari's eyes blinked back into focus. She cleared her throat. "I got a couple orders for the House special. Well," Temari paused with a knowing look, "The other House Special anyways."
Hinata flushed prettily, tipping her apron out onto the small table behind her, letting the rest of the rolls settle in a pile while Temari let out a surprisingly husky laugh for a woman.
"Ino was right about you," She shook her head of blonde ponytails. "You're way to innocent, Short Stuff." Temari again reached over the counter top, this time to ruffle Hinata's kerchief covered head affectionately. Her teasing was cut short by a burly shout of,
"Waitress!"
From beyond the door. Temari rolled her eyes and pushed up her cleavage.
"That would be my cue."
"Waitress! Today Would be Nice!"
"Coming!" Temari shouted back with a huff, adjusting her ruffled skirts. "Impatient perverts." She grumbled under her breath before flashing Hinata a stiff smile.
"Gotta go!" The older girl waved with a bounce, turning to leave. "If you could drop those specials off at table two when they're done, Short Stuff, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!"
She was gone in a whirl of skirts and smoke before Hinata could squeak a protest.
A week of town arrest. Sasuke seethed from his seat in the far northeast corner of the saloon. A god-damned week of Naruto.
"You could've been a little nicer to that waitress you know." Said blonde chastised over the lip of his tankered as he plopped down across from the outlaw.
"Hn."
"Oh stop pouting!" The Sheriff slammed down his mug watching Sasuke eye his whiskey in broody silence.
I'm not pouting. The Uchiha hissed mentally before downing his glass in one go, throat burning at the potency. He leaned back, chair against the wall, eyes instinctively taking in his surroundings and committing the more useful sights to memory. 37 male patrons including himself and the Sheriff, none armed thanks to Naruto's stupid rule, 5 girls on the stage directly ahead of him, one long haired blonde in front singing a melody the piano player lazily drawled on the keys.
She was pretty, Sasuke shrugged, in a skinny sort of way. The Uchiha men were known to lean towards the more curvy of the fairer sex and Sasuke was no exception.
Back to his room assessment; there were four exits to the place, the front he had walked through only moments ago, another threshold covered by a curtain of beads which he assumed led back to 'Kitties' private rooms; where they could make a little extra coin. The third door he spotted just to the right of the stage appeared to lead to the kitchens and the last door was behind the bar, which took up the entire west wall, shut and more than likely where they kept the booze. The bartender, a broad shouldered male with triangle tattoo's on both cheeks kept shooting their table weary looks.
Sasuke snorted.
"What?" Naruto asked over hearing his friends scoff.
"Hn."
"Dammit, Sasuke. This isn't my fault, so don't take it out on me." The Sheriff snapped. "It's only a week and as soon as the Hokage thinks you safe enough to go about your business without worry, life can go back to normal."
Sasuke growled. He couldn't believe the old man Sarutobi didn't trust him after everything he'd done.
It's because of everything you've done that he can't trust you.
A nasty voice in the back of his mind replied.
"Hn."
"That's it." Naruto pushed his chair back away from the table. "I'm gonna go get us another round while you sit here and cry over your spilt milk."
"Hn."
"Aggh!" Naruto threw up his hands. "You are this close," He held up his pinched thumb and forefinger, "This close to making me rethink the my rule just so I can shoot you myself." And with that he stalked off, leaving Sasuke to his thoughts. If there was one thing that always seemed to make him feel better, it was teasing the dobe. It was too easy and ridiculously entertaining.
And that's when it happened.
One moment, Sasuke was drowning himself in ideas on how to use the dobe's short temper to entertain himself for the upcoming week, the next he was on the floor, the chair having tipped backwards with the added weight of a body tossed across his lap.
A warm, soft body.
A really warm, soft body...with breasts...
Sasuke blinked up at the ceiling and thought of how ago it was that he last had a woman.
Too damned long.
Came the answer as he was smothered in the scent of cinnamon and something all together feminine. It filled his lungs and shot instantly to his groin, making him harden like some randy school boy. All the noise of the surrounding saloon faded into the background.
The body-
Really really warm, soft body-
groaned on top of him and began to struggle. Her small hands pushing against his chest, making him close his eyes and bite back a moan. Without thinking, Sasuke's hands clutched at her waist, unconsciously noting the erotic flare of supple hips, holding her against him with a fierce possessiveness. The pounding of blood in his ears syncing with that of the pulse between his thighs.
"Don't. Move." He growled.
Author's Note: Oh dear, oh dear, a cliff hanger.... If you would like to read what happens next, please;
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And as always
Happy Reading : )
~Ambrosia
Ages of Characters thus far:
Hinata: 18
Ino, Sakura:20
Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru, Temari: 23
Kurenai: 36