Everything in my life

by Porcelain.Memories

An ORPHAN child with a dark past,HARUNO SAKURA is acclaimed to be the BEST cold-blooded CIA AGENT and ASASSIN, training under OROCHIMARU. But the price she paid was loneliness and inability to love. That, until she is being entrusted with a crucial MISSION:protect SASUKE and his reputed company from a secret exclusive CRIMINAL organization,while posing as his personal MAID.

12. A maid like no other - his mystery

CHAPTER 11

6 p.m Tokyo, Mangekyou HQ, Sasuke`s office

"Ahm…Mr. Uchiha, you know I really appreciate your undying generosity…you wish you jackass, but I think I should go."

"Hn…I told you I will take you home, so stop protesting already, you are giving me a headache."

"I am not complaining, I am just being reasonable." After giving her boss his much craved pasta, Sakura wanted to promptly sprint out of his damn office and head straight home, to meditate about how much of a loser she was…that and talk to Orochimaru about what happened that day. He was probably waiting her call.

But noooooo, her self proclaimed genius of a boss decided to be the caring man he was not and give her a ride home. "Why Sakura, if I didn't know better, I would say you are trying to avoid me." Smirk. She really wanted to escape him at all cost. And the young heir knew exactly why was that. Too hilarious.

Sakura didn't think she could become more uncomfortable than she already was. Leave it to the human ice cube to mock her every two fuckin seconds, like he didn't have a social life or something. He should join a therapy group for people suffering from extreme antisocialism combined with communication skills retard and an overdose of self esteem, to the point you want to murder him with bare hands.

And he was smirking at her, that oh so gorgeous too much practiced devious smirk of his. The motherfucker. "Why would I try to avoid you Sir, I am your maid after all, isn't it my job to be at your service?"

Now he wasn't looking at her…again. The Sound agent was doing the exact thing for an hour: sitting (more like leaking) in the big chair in front of him, while he was writing god only knows what on his laptop, telling her he was going to be ready soon. His view about time was really interesting.

She took her time, roamed through his office, looked at everything possible and gaped at everything possible, but then she grew disinterested and took a sit on one of the chairs at his desk. She didn't stay on the comfy sofa because the Sound girl was more than certain she was going to fall asleep. Hell was she tired.

Sasuke told her he was going to be ready in no time and take her home, but he was probably delaying it on purpose, just to laugh at her. She was really bored and all she wanted was to jump on her bed and sleep. Only, her brain was a spoiled child and wasn't listening to her, because all the time she did her best not to stare at her boss` face, but ended up failing miserably.

And there she was glued to that damn chair (her back was killing her), elbow prompted on the desk, supporting her head, ogling the man in front of her. She would have liked to blame it on the boredom, but after her revelation she knew that was not the case.

And of course the arrogant Uchiha knew exactly what she was doing, because sometimes, he was throwing knowing glances in her direction, catching her dumb staring at him, smirking, then proceeding to work like nothing happened.

She was like a teenager hit by puberty, watching a documentary about age transformation scenes. She hastily slapped her forehead, hitting the big glasses instead (she really forgot she was wearing them), scratching her nose. Someone please kill her right there and then.

Meantime, Sasuke was barely containing his laugh. Just watching his maid's reactions was giving him the time of his life. Not only the young lady was acting like she was mentally killing herself for being a woman attracted to him, but her antics were so natural and childish that it was impossible to not keep an eye on her all the times. Like a good quality comedy show you don't want to even blink while watching, afraid to lose a scene. "Silly silly girl…"

The Uchiha was long finished with his stupid report about how the meeting with that dumb pathetic excuse of a heir went, but he was re-reading it just to annoy Sakura. And it was working just fine, she looked thorn between jumping him or curse him to hell and back.

Sakura decided she needed a new hobby….and fast. The situation was humiliating and ridiculous. So she quickly diverted her attention from her good looking boss to…anywhere else was fine. But something on his desk has caught her attention. It was a photo in a golden frame.

Now this took the Sound agent by surprise. She hasn't seen any photo in Sasuke`s home or office. Not even one. He had expensive paintings and abstract decorations, but not a single photo of his family or friends or any close people for the matter. Like he couldn't stand the idea of them surrounding him.

She tried to be a fly on the wall and respect his privacy, but she couldn't stop her hand when she took a hold of the said photo and studied it. It was a family photo all right and when Sakura took a better look, she was able to understand just how was it possible for a man like Sasuke to be that handsome.

It was obvious the regal strong features were thanks to his father's genes, but his angelic features were definitely from his mother's. Not even on catwalk has Sakura seen such a stunning woman. The silky long raven hair, the equally dark eyes, full red heart shaped lips and perfect pale skin made that lady the embodiment of a goddess. And that smile was brightening her aura even more.

"Oh my God, she is gorgeous, no wonder the smirking bastard is a walking Greek statue!" She then caught the sight of a little Sasuke staying in between his parents smiling. "Awww he was a cutie!" It was obvious he was his mother's son, because he was staying closer to the said woman and her delicate hands were resting lovingly on his shoulders.

His father looked bored, solemn and uninterested. And he was brooding as well. "Guess I know where Sasuke got it from…" But what caught her attention was definitely his older brother Itachi. Oh the pink haired girl knew this one Uchiha all too well.

His posture and attitude in the picture showed that he was not that close to his family, like he didn't want to be there in the first place. His cold demeanor, somehow similar to his father's, told Sakura that there was much more history behind that, and the events were not necessary pleasant.

She knew the older Uchiha has blatantly refused to take over his family business, gave up his position as the next in line heir and run away. Everyone knew what happened, it was world wide news, but no one exactly knew why he did such a dramatic worth for gossip thing.

As much as the Sound agent loathed Akatsuki, she couldn't deny the fact that Uchiha Itachi was not a man to run away from problems. He was a workaholic and a dedicated man, always there when his team needed his help. Never did she saw Itachi back away or give the ones in need the cold shoulder.

And of course she didn't know the relationship between the two brothers, but her instinct told her the younger Uchiha was not that content with his brother's behavior. Now she was going to take a wild guess, but Sakura would say that being the future CEO of the Mangekyou was not exactly Sasuke`s dream job.

She could picture him like a businessman all right, he was more than capable to run his company, but it didn't quite suit him. Like he was born for something more important…but she didn't have a name for it. She wouldn't start questioning him now, would she? Besides, Itachi was working in the CIA just like her, so any information leak would be disastrous.

"Found anything that interests you Haruno?"

The said woman was so lost in thoughts that she almost dropped the picture when she heard her boss` low baritone voice addressing her. "Wha…no I…I am sorry Sir, I didn't want to be rude…I.." She quickly put the picture back on the table. Now she had another thing to add to the already bad impression she made.

Of course Sasuke was expecting her to watch the photo, that was the reason he put it there in the first place. He was mentally challenging her to do it, study his family and try to enter his world.

The young Uchiha had the feeling that the ugly maid wanted to figure him out just like he wanted to do to her. And she took the bait. Good, part two of the operation "prove Haruno and Itachi they share the same IQ as the round worms" was already in progress.

"Hn…I don't mind you looking at my family, but Sakura it has to be the other way around as well."

"Huh? I don't understand Sir…?"

"Now don't play dumb, you know what I mean. You want to find out about me, but you don't tell me anything about yourself. Is it fair?"

"Fairness is just a matter of perception Sir, since no human holds the universal truth. So as long as we don't have a standard to compare the facts, is just a matter of opinions."

He gave a smirk on that one, slowly rising from his seat and shoving his hands in his pockets. "I would have built you a temple to teach philosophy, but you forgot to write sophist in your CV, when you listed your skills."

Sakura was sure he was going to start questioning her past and the sneaky bastard didn't miss the opportunity to force the words out of her mouth. She really hated his attitude it was even more tiring that jump in the fray and save the Akatsuki. And more troublesome (working with Shikamaru did have an effect on the CIA members).

"Mr. Uchiha, you are too quick to jump into conclusions, here I was studying a beautiful picture, no other ulterior motive intended."

He turned his eyes from her emerald ones to watch the family photo." A beautiful picture…and? Did you find something worth of your humble interest?"

Now the young Sound agent was bothered. Of course his question was not that innocent as he made it sound. Nothing this man did was coincidental and Sakura learned it the hard way. What did he mean by something interesting? His parents? That was a possibility, he did accuse her of wanting to know more about his past, so that would be the most reasonable thing.

But she was having an Uchiha Sasuke in the equation, so nothing was reasonable when it came to him. Was he ashamed she saw his younger self? Nah…this man was the notorious Don Juan reloaded, the word shame was seen as spam in his brain's inbox. Then…oh no…he couldn't be talking about his older brother, no way!

"Actually I did." Oh God Sakura thought she was going to die soon. Her boss was not only standing, but coming her way as well. Smirking. That was not good. Sasuke smirking=one neuron dead in Sakura`s brain. He was obviously planning something, but this time she was prepared. Let the bastard come and spit pink unicorns towards her.

Now Sasuke knew exactly what was crossing his pink maid's mind. Just how much amusing this woman could get, she looked like she was mentally prepared to take part in the final fight in Narnia. So she was bracing herself now, was she? Oh she was so asking for a good one, and who was Sasuke to deny her?

"Really? And what would be that interesting to keep you so captivated?" Sasuke was not sure if Sakura realized it, but she was mumbling and smiling like an idiot while she was watching the photo.

He was now right in front of her, hands in his pockets, shadowing her small frame. She looked like she wanted to become microscopic and hid behind the chair.

"T-That you have your mother's beautiful black eyes." If the window was opened Sakura was almost certain she was going to jump and make sure she wasn't going to say anymore idiotic things. From all the stuff she could have said, it had to be that particular one.

Not only was she giving him an ego burst, as if the imperious bastard really needed one to begin with, but she has just admitted aloud that she found him beautiful. Well, she was only complimenting his eyes…but that was beside the point. He knew what she meant with that one.

Small smirk. "You know…there is only one person beside you that ever told me I resemble my mother in any way."

"And who that person might be…if I may ask?"

"My grandpa. He used to tell everyone that that particular trait in my mother's family was the reason he fell in love with grandma, at first glance." Oh Heavens, Sasuke was laughing inside like a madman. It looked like not only her face was tomato read, but even her pale skin was starting to rival his favorite food.

"Ahm…that is very romantic Sir but…" No, the Sound agent swore to herself (more like trying desperately to convince herself) she was not going to fall for any of his traps. Her boss wanted to play his best cards?

No problem, she had some tricks in her sleeve as well. Although…deep inside, she knew she shouldn't be doing that…didn't matter, he was always invading her privacy. Even then he was a bit too close. "…that is not the only thing that stands out for me, regarding the photo."

Now that made Sasuke curious. So she had a serious thought about the said picture as well. Good, he heard her heart talking. Now let the logical part impress him further. He raised a perfect shaped eyebrow at her, daring her to continue with the statement.

"Your brother stays a little too far, for a family picture. He is the only one that doesn't have any sort of contact with the other members."

Silence.

For a moment, Sakura could have sworn she saw a mini explosion in her boss` dark orbs. He said absolutely nothing, but nonetheless his body language was more than enough to tell her she probably should have just carry one with her confession about how handsome she found him to be, than saying what she said. Apparently, now the young agent could promptly admit she was painfully stupid as hell.

How many years in prison one would be charged to for murder? Ten up to twenty five if he was not mistaken, maybe less if one has alibis. That was the exact thought that crossed the young Uchiha`s mind when hearing what came from this woman's mouth. And no, it was not the statement itself.

Of course what she said was logical and reasonable for any living with a decent brain and a pair of working eyes. But the problem was the hidden meaning behind it. Sasuke knew that every single damn person on that planet knew about the huge scandal in the Uchiha family, it was the hottest topic for weeks. Itachi`s refusal to become the CEO of the Mangekyou made him more famous than 1D.

And the hypocrisy to have stated the most obvious thing in the world was what almost made Sasuke want to strangle her. He planted his hands firmly on the chair's arm rests and leaned towards Sakura, his head a bit higher than hers, successfully trapping her between his hard body and the chair, his fierce gaze never leaving hers. He was no more in playful mode.

Too bad the now frightened maid had that damn hair to cover her face and mostly eyes and the young heir was not able to see her full reaction, but that was not a problem at that time.

"How perceptive you are…for a supposed country girl…Haruno. Seems like you know quite a bit about my brother, don't you now?"

Sakura was frightened and she wasn't ashamed to admit it. His boss had a mood change suddenly and it was nothing pleasant. It was the same attitude he had when they first met. That dark aura surrounding him was now piercing her every pore, she could feel it on her skin, it was murderous and dangerous and so cold, like he wanted to slash every part of her up to her core and freeze her soul. Ok, she went so much far than necessary and she knew it.

"I…only know what everyone knows...about Mr. Uchiha…Sir…" Her voice was cracking and she didn't even bother to hide it or mask it. No need to play the courageous woman now, he looked like he could pulverize her in an instant and damn he had the power to do it if he wanted to.

"And…what do the others know about him?"

"What it was circulating through the media at…that time…" Sakura was too scared of that man to even breathe. And she couldn't look into his eyes, they were burning her skull. She could have sworn they became red at one point, they were that heated.

"…at that time…" Even the way he talked was scary in the maid's opinion. Like those horror movies that take place in an old sinister castle, and the spirit of its past owner is haunting some gang of teenagers, talking in a robotic low tone that echoes through the night and turns the walls into living monsters.

"…ahm…a..I….just…." She could as well kiss goodbye her job as a maid, she was sure. Damn her big mouth. She got it from her friend Karin. That woman was just as bad.

"He…run away…like the bastard he is…like the media said. But do you know the real reason why he did it?"

HUH?! Was he going to give her an explanation? The pink dyed Sound agent was certain his next words were going to be somewhere along the lines of "you are fired" or" you are so dead", of course, not that nice.

"I don't…"

"You do not know?" He leaned even closer to his said maid, barely leaving ten centimeters between them, practically hissing the words in her concealed face. "You are lying…like always."

Sakura didn't know how her heartbeat has escalated so fast from barely normal to omg someone connect me to an automated external defibrillator pronto! Was it because she was too scared to think about her boss` next move or his proximity was playing tricks on her again, because the way he was leaning towards her was not only like a tour on the house of horrors, but sensual as hell. God that man was hot even if he was angry.

"What would I lie about Sir?"

"You are lying because you know him...and not from the media."

Now the young lady was panicking and really bad. Ok, she knew he was forcing the truth out of her, by taking guesses and using his emotional intelligence to read the answers from her reactions, but to what extent was he able to do so? She knew she had to recover what was left from her sanity and pull herself together.

"You are wrong Mr. Uchiha, I do not know your brother at all." Of course she didn't, she only had like 30 joined missions with his platoons, knew him since she was fifteen, cursed him and his guts to the hell and back along with Karin and Anko…more than once…but that isn't enough to get two people close so that didn't count as lie…right?

Somehow, in his raged mind, Sasuke had still found her amusing…and that started to worry him. Was he spending too much time with his imbecile friends, or was idiocy contagious all of sudden?

"You do not know Itachi…interesting…and you know why?" He leaned even further, coming closer to the said young girl's ear, almost touching her skin and whispered in a dark low tone the very sentence that almost had Sakura jump from the chair she was gripping for dear life.

"W…Why?" For some unknown reason, Sakura found it appropriate to the thick atmosphere to whisper her question as well, like she didn't want to perturb the disturbance…yeah nothing made sense in her brain anymore…and she was able to feel his warm breath on her ear and neck and fuck it if it didn't send electric jolts from her head to toes.

And of course she was able to smell him and feel his toned body and the young lady didn't know how much self restrain did she have left. He was drugging her and make her lose her mind, in order to spit the answers he needed.

"Because I talked to my older brother today…and he told me he knows you and you know him as well."

In Sasuke`s twisted mind (no one said he was a sane one to begin with), he was sitting on a big stage, clad in an expensive suit, in front of a huge audience, receiving ovations and red roses and a round of heated applauses. He was a genius and he was too damn arrogant to state any less. He didn't even need to watch for any reaction, and he didn't because as soon as he threw her the bait, he closed his eyes.

Sakura didn't know if Sasuke had a ghost farm in his office, but she was sure something has pricked her butt with a needle, because when she heard his statement, she jumped from the chair like it was burning her, straight in her boss` frame. And of course he didn't even move an inch, forcing her body back on the chair. God she felt like she collided with a wall, she had no idea he was that strong…and warm.

"…and not only you know each other…you are close acquaintances as well."

"WHAT?! Say that again because I am sure you said something I have only heard of in SF books."

Neji really thought he was going to faint. That was a huge problem.

"I said, one of the assassins that you guys managed to incapacitate and was taken in the police's custody has been found dead in his cell. It appears that his body had spontaneous human combustion. C'mon Hyuga, do not make me repeat myself like I am talking to Naruto, I expect more from you."

"I am sorry leader, but I do not think my mental state and tiredness is ready to take in this kind of information."

"I assure you is the truth. It happened while you guys were heading to the hospital. The prosecutor is working on the case but they are just as shocked. There is chaos between the police officers and they are having difficulties in keeping it from the media."

Neji put one of his hands on his temple and massaged slowly. What the hell were they talking about?

"Look, I am not an expert, but I am sure there is no such thing as SHC, everyone knows that is caused by the wick effect. Maybe a dumb careless police officer forgot a burning cigarette or something around the assassin and he burst into flames."

"There is no video evidence from the CCTVs, because for unknown reasons no electronic device worked during that time, but there is a corpse in ashes in the cell and there was no fire source around him. Not only had that, but the two company workers from Shiseido that were also killed had the same fate."

"…you are kidding me right?…so you say we have three fucking people, one alive, the other two dead, having SNC, in the same time, on different locations?"

"To make long story short, yes."

"Fucking unbelievable…did you at least manage to reestablish the GPS connection with the suspect we were following?" Not only they were dealing with a dangerous secret society, the Freemasonry, but now they had paranormal activity as well. Neji was expecting Itachi to tell him he lost the trance of the last killer, because his van turned into an UFO, covered in glitter, in the form of Justin Bieber`s face and vanished.

"No, unfortunately I couldn't. He basically vanished from the Earth's surface."

"…please tell me there is no UFO involved in this."

There was absolutely nothing that could have shocked the Akatsuki member at that time anymore. It was a circus out there.

"Let's not jump to such drastic conclusions Neji. We do not have any solid proof of anything right now. I am going to send a CIA affiliated forensic specialist from Bangkok to study the case and send us a complete report."

Ten Ten who was also listening to the conversation was too having difficulties in understanding what the hell was their team leader talking about. Human combustion? "What the hell Itachi, did that man drink oil or he had small gnomes inside his body that are having a BBQ?"

"Ten Ten I can assure you of nothing right now, but we have to talk and fast. There are many things to be discussed but I cannot do it while you guys are in a freaking hospital."

The Hyuga heir didn't waste any moment when hearing his leader's serious tone. He took his fiancé by her hand, careful not to injure her further and proceeded outside to the SUV. Itachi was right, they needed to talk about the most recent events and that was definitely not the suitable place. There were some old people passing the hospital hall they were in, eyeing them suspiciously and Neji was sure they would only attract more attention.

"We are already heading to our car. I will talk to you as soon as we got home."

"Got it. I am hanging up."

The two Akatsuki members were already in the hospital's underground parking lot, where Neji left the SUV after Naruto was taken in the ER. The Hyuga helped his injured fiancé to climb in the passenger seat, then he went on the other side, climbing on the driver's seat, that time putting his belt on. Better safe then sorry or what the hell people said. He put the key in the ignition but his right hand froze on the emergency brake.

"Neji?" Ten Ten was watching her loved one intently. She knew he was worried and confused. The amount of bad happenings in such a short amount of time was taking a toll on him. The said man took a deep loud sight, closed his lavender eyes tightly and slammed his head on the headrest.

"This is fucked up."

She put his hand on his one that was resting on the parking brake, intertwining their fingers in a tight hold. "I know…but we are going to solve this somehow. I am here to help you." She gave him a small tired smile. Ten Ten knew her fiancé was a strong man and seeing him down was making her heart clench. The said man opened his eyes and turned his head on his right facing her.

He studied her face intently, aware of every scratch she had from her fight as well as her swollen cheek. Neji felt bad he wasn't there to protect his colleague and fiancé when they were in danger. The Hyuga retracted his hand slowly from hers, took a hold of her check gently, caressing the soft skin with thumb and leaned in, capturing her lips with his own in a quick kiss, the woman responding his movements instantly, her then free hand making its way to the back of his head, pulling him closer to her.

They broke apart, both panting, eyes closed.

"Thank you dear, you are the best."

"Heh…we both know who is the boss in here."

The said man gave a knowing smirk. "I wouldn't stand getting orders from anyone that is not you, Senju and Uchiha be damned."

"Careful not to damage their egos further, otherwise we are going have another two cases of sudden combustion." Neji, pushed the emergency brake down and pressed the gas pedal, the said big car making its way to the exit. Once they passed the building's big gates, Neji turned the GPS on and headed west, on the left, with one purpose in mind: going home and talk to Itachi. Man they had a lot of shit waiting for them.

"Honey…do not even mention it. I need at least one sane person around me."

Was there a possibility for a thick fog, electric charged to come and make her disappear like USS Cyclops in the Bermuda Triangle, and make her appear in another universe? Cos Sakura would really appreciate the unfortunate occurrence. Her cerebral activity turned into a straight line, any thought left flying on the wind.

"WHASHDKSHDKHF WHAT THE FREAKING HELL?! Is Uchiha Itachi that much of a dumb idiot or is imbecility a family trait?! That is impossible, no way would he have given away my cover, no matter how much the Akatsuki hates us, mission comes first!"

God, the Sound agent couldn't believe the man in front of her, or dare she say…the one hovering over her (his lips were still dangerously close to her ear and the raven cunning haired man didn't even budge a freaking millimeter). It was crystal clear the older Uchiha didn't give away any information regarding their link, she knew that he himself was concealing his CIA identity from everyone, so his younger version was probably trying his luck with her.

She could have predicted he was going to call his brother for information about her, but she really hoped Itachi wasn't that much of a dimwit to tell him his true location. And Akatsuki called the Sound dumb. They were even worse than baboons.

And the way he was speaking….he was beating around the bush, he was only taking guesses. But even so…Sakura couldn't believe the kind of person Sasuke was…She met him two days ago and he was able to find out that much about her already. He was no ordinary person that was for certain.

"How can I be close to your brother if I have never met him personally?"

"Are you suggesting that I lied or…he lied?" Sasuke already found out what he wanted: his maid and brother had a hidden connection. It was just obvious from the way they reacted to his question. What he was doing further was just payback for her guts.

He was still really angry, but he couldn't lower himself to vent on the ugly looking fragile creature in front of him, his all ancestors would have turned in graves of shame. The young Uchiha would give Suigetsu and Naruto (where was the blond dobe anyways?) a call later for a round of shots at the bar…among other things. It has been quite a lot since he had any.

"I am not suggesting anything, I am talking just for myself. If Mr. Uchiha doesn't grow vegetables somewhere in Italy to state we are neighbors, then he might have been talking about another person that shares the same name as mine."

She truly started to sweat, the heaviness of the situation suffocating her. Sasuke tilted his head a bit, gently rubbing the tip of his nose on her earlobe, making sure the young woman felt his every exhale fanning on her. He could feel her small frame going even more rigid and the hair on her arms rising with every move he made.

The Uchiha heir could feel her own body heat radiating, mixing with his own and could see she had troubles keeping her cool and breathe normal. Her lips were partly opened, trying her very best to take in every gulp of air available. Like she was underwater inside a sinking submarine. If the situation was different and the girl in front of him was a completely other person, Sasuke would have found the atmosphere quite arousing.

Like a romantic scene in a movie where the leading actors were waiting for the producer's signal to connect in a heated final kiss. But he would be damned if he touched that maid of his in any way possible. If she being a commoner was not a shame to a man with his social status, the way she looked like was definitely a hot gossip topic.

"And how would you know…he doesn't have a farm somewhere in Italy, hm?" He didn't move in the slightest from his previous position, maybe he leaned his body even more, almost touching her own. Sakura was resting somewhere underwater, on Titanic, drinking cocktails with Edward Smith's spirit on the main deck, a choir of violins playing in the background.

Holly hell she couldn't even focus on anything right then and her body was acting in a funny way. Her mind was slowly getting dark, senses more accurate. She could feel things she normally wasn't aware of, like the pins and needles on her lips when his hot mint breath was enveloping her or the sound of his heartbeat.

Sakura didn't know why, but it became impossible to stay put, her body growing heavier with each passing moment and she felt her muscles constrict like she was running the marathon. And also she felt an unknown burning sensation on her most sacred regions, like there was something missing from her, expecting to come and fill her every body cell and the young woman realized it was all caused by the one and only Uchiha Sasuke`s too close proximity.

Of course, she was a woman and he was a man, she reasoned it was a normal reaction, but what was not normal in her opinion was the fact that she was not bothered by the small distance between them, she was certain she wouldn't mind him being even closer to her. And that was scary, because she was not aware of the level of attraction she felt towards him.

"I don't know. You are making guesses forcing me to tell things that are not the truth." In her moment of dizziness, Sakura forgot where she was or the position they were in and, acting on pure instinct, turned her head in the direction of the sound, slamming her forehead on Sasuke`s, her small nose touching his own, successfully bringing her rosy lips impossibly close to his own mouth, taking both of them by surprise, because she and the Uchiha froze in that position.

Sakura swore she was flickering like the Olympic torch and her body was definitely screaming for water. For the lack of better term, she was on fire. Her all senses were screaming at her to put her hands around his neck and close that barely there distance between them. There was nothing she was aware of, except the man in front of her, time long forgotten in a distant universe.

Little did she know, the young heir was having similar thoughts as her. Sasuke couldn't understand how things took such a turn, but he wasn't expecting him to be this worried by the situation. He lost the count of women he had long time ago, his experience speaking volumes, meaning never losing control no matter the situation. But to feel like wanting to lean in and slam his lips on this maid's ones was another story.

Someone should explain his apparently dumb brain how in the world was he feeling any sort of attraction to someone that looked like the Little Match Girl from Hans Christian Andersen's story. She was a blob of uncombed hair, her clothes looked like they were taken straight from the garbage and her general appearance was absolutely revolting. She was just like the poor children he was raising funds for.

Then why… Unconsciously, he fixed his gaze on her parted lips and what was visible from her chin and cheeks and couldn't help but notice that despite the fact that she looked like a beggar, the pink haired woman had the most beautiful lips he ever saw, in the color of a pink rose, full and luscious, like the softest velvet, almost inviting him to have a taste.

And her fair pale complexion, like a precious pearl, glowing in the depths of the ocean, looked just as inviting as her lips. For a second, the thought of her concealing her appearance as she was doing with her past crossed his mind. Sasuke truly cursed that messy hair and big glasses for hiding the view of her all face. The raven haired man really wanted to discover all of her. He could feel Sakura`s own hot ragged breath mixing with his own, like she wanted to breath her life into him, and the fact that her small nose was touching his own didn't help his train of thoughts either.

It was a miracle how in the world did they have any control not to go for it. Probably the fact that they were frozen in shock because of the unexpected situation. Sakura didn't know how much time did they stay in that position but she was sure as hell didn't find it in her to care.

She was too engulfed in a fusion of new sensations washing through her system to be aware of how awful the situation really was. Just what in the world was her boss thinking about? She wasn't sure he was angry at her anymore.

But she would be damned if she raised her emerald eyes and look into his dark ones, cos she knew if she did that, she was going to be a lost cause. But just as she was having her own fantasies started to root inside her brain (damn Karin and her pleasure in corrupting her poor innocent soul with her seduction advices and tips-always too detailed for her poor heart, that woman had no boundaries whatsoever when it came to being intimate with someone-), her boss stood up and turned his back on her, combing his raven locks with his hand.

"I finished my business here. Let's go."

It was his enchanting low voice that has made Sakura snap from her reverie and get a hold of herself. "Oh shit THIS IS BAD THIS IS BAD THIS IS BAD THIS IS BAD THIS IS…"

"Are you coming or not?" Her bastard of a boss was already at the door, laptop bag in his right hand, car keys in the other, a black leather jacket over his white shirt. Wow wasn't he a fast one! Sakura jumped from her seat almost losing balance, stumbling till she came right in front of her expecting boss.

He threw one more glance at her, like he wanted to confirm something, shook his head once, opened the door and exited his office without further notice, with Sakura tailing after him, taking the same elevator she used when she came with his secretary, neither of them talking or even sparing a glance towards each other.

Sasuke was resting his shoulder on the left side of the elevator, Sakura glued to the other side. They looked like a troubled young couple coming from a marital counseling. Luckily no one used the elevator while they were in it. The situation was more than awkward. When the elevator doors opened, Sasuke was the first to bolt out after he spared her a quick glance.

The Sound agent followed his boss suit, slightly curious of where were they going, because Sasuke wasn't heading towards the first entrance. While they were crossing the large main hall of the company, she couldn't help but feel annoyed of the hateful stares thrown at her from the apparently jealous woman around.

She couldn't care less for she was sending dark vibes in their general direction as well. She looked at her boss who seemed oblivious to all the attention he was getting. He walked like a prince in his castle, not bothered by the fact that woman were trying to undress him with their lustful stares, his posture straight and unfaltering, his hard stare fixed right in front of him, a hand in his pocket.

The way he was dressed and his attitude made him look like the head of a feared gang leader or like the hot bad guys that terrorize the high schools in teenagers movies. He was basically radiating sexiness and the effect he had on his workers was so obvious that it was almost laughable.

Sakura was certain those drooling women would have been willing to work for free there just to see him everyday. They took some more turns, then went down the stairs to what looked like the basement. Correction, it was not a basement, it was a huge underground parking lot.

Of course, the annoying fellow was doing only big things. And he was driving a freaking black Maybach Exelero! "HOLLY HELL THIS SHIT IS WORTH $8 MILLION!" Sakura was rich herself, she could afford anything she wanted no problem, but that man lived on another whole level of luxury. The only people so rich she knew were his brother Itachi, the Hyuga kid and Orochimaru.

Not even Senju Tobirama was that excessive. God, she quickly opened the door and slided in the passenger seat. The interior was even more spectacular. That moment threw Sakura 7 years back in time, because she felt so small all of sudden. That man's life was so different from hers in all the aspects. He didn't spare her a single glance while starting the ignition and slamming the gas.

He maneuvered the expensive vehicle swiftly through the parking lot. And when he pulled out a pair of brown Ray Ban aviator sunglasses Sakura really felt like an actress on a movie. Her boss was sporting the Hollywood look like a pro. And he truly drove like a pro. It was funny as hell watching people, especially youngsters stopping in their tracks and watching in awe at his car.

The young agent used to do that when she was poor. She was used to Karin's the manic of the roads driving, when Sakura truly felt like she was at a rock concert, because she was headbanging in the passenger seat whenever they came to a stop or a zebra crossing.

Not with her boss, because Sasuke was a smooth driver. She secretly asked herself if he was that gentle and careful when doing other stuff as well…god she wanted to slam her head on the door…but better not risk a scratch…on the door.

To her utter surprise, Sasuke was a role model in traffic. And having a car, worth more than most people gained in a lifetime, passing on the streets at the speed limit was definitely a sight to behold.

But just as they arrived to the last intersection before the neighborhood Sasuke lived in, entering the roundabout in an attempt to take an U-turn, a car that didn't have priority came from their left at a high speed, almost colliding with the car Sakura and her boss where in. God only knows how the Uchiha managed to avoid a collision by swerving to the right and slamming the brake, the car coming to a halt, almost throwing both of them from the chairs, if not for the seatbelts.

"Fuckin imbeciles."

Sakura turned her head to her boss, but he wasn't looking at her, rather then on the window, following the said car that didn't even stop to check what happened. She did the same and almost wanted to get off and throw a senbon in their tires. Of course she recognized the killer car that almost hit them if not for Sasuke`s incredible reaction time. A black SUV, looking like a house on wheels.

It was Akatsuki`s car, they probably left the hospital Naruto was in and were heading home. Now Sakura could understand why Neji (she took a guess it was not that Ten Ten woman driving, Sakura knew she had an injured leg) didn't stop the car to check on them. He probably saw who was driving and wanted to avoid any question or conflict.

The Sound agent knew her boss` suspicion on everything surrounding him, so it was pretty obvious the Hyuga heir wanted to avoid any unnecessary conversation. She knew they were probably in a hurry to talk to their leader, just like Sakura wanted to go home and have a chat with her Papa Orochimaru about the latest events, that was why she decided she wouldn't give them a surprise call and curse them to the hell and back for almost winning her a ticket to the hospital.

"I knew they were trouble…"

Sakura looked at Sasuke one more time to see his reaction, but she was surprised to find none. "What the hell…" He didn't look scared in the slightest, like things like that happened to him on daily basis and he didn't even flinch. Instead, his hard stare was intently following the speeding car.

Sakura knew he couldn't see the driver or anyone in the car because the windows were dark tinted and he was too busy avoiding a collision to even take a front look so what was he focusing on, the Sound agent had no idea. Well…he was a strange one to begin with.

"…hn…" The raven haired Uchiha gave a small smirk (Sakura really looked at him like he has grown up green horns), turned the wheel and started the car, exiting the roundabout, not in the slightest worried or bothered or whatever reaction normal people would have. He didn't even look angry. Overwhelmed by the occurrences the young Sound agent didn't even realize what the Uchiha was really looking at.

Of course, Sakura has seen that there were many people starting to gather, because seeing a luxury car almost being involved in a collision was not an everyday occurrence and probably her brooding boss wanted to avoid people realizing who was driving it. That and there was already a traffic jam forming.

But what really threw her off was his following question. "Are you ok, Haruno?"

"Huh?!" Why the hell was he asking her that?! Of course they took a violent turn, but it was not such a big deal anyways, it is not like they were hit or something…"Y-Yes it was nothing Sir, t-thank you."

Oh, that was it. Sakura then realized, she was slightly trembling and stuttering. She watched in the mirror and saw she was slightly pale and sweaty as well. She wasn't even aware of the fact and here the Uchiha heir saw it from the beginning, when she was certain he didn't even spare her a glance.

Sakura knew exactly why was she reacting that way. It was because she was involved in a terrible car accident three years ago and she barely escaped alive. She collided with a drunk man on the highway that came from the opposite direction, her car being thrown on a pillar, smashing violently.

The said woman spent four months in the hospital, three weeks in the ICU. Orochimaru was dead worried and Anko didn't left her hospital bed until the doctors said she was going to be fine. It was a miracle she escaped that one, so her body was reacting that way whenever she was reminded of that incident.

"Hn…I am not driving a wagon, nor I am the dobe. You are safe."

Sakura was speechless. Did he just try to make her feel better? Because as stupid as that sounded, it worked. Hearing his husky voice, speaking soothing words really had a calming effect on her and she didn't know why, but the young lady believed him when he said she was going to be ok.

He had an aura that screamed strength and comfort, which was twisted because she was the one that had to protect him, not the other way around. At least, he was talking to her, pretending like the almost kiss they had in his office never happened, so the atmosphere wasn't an uncomfortable one any longer.

"Y-es Mr. Uchiha, thank you." She took a look at his profile. He was really relaxed, having his left hand on the wheel, the other on the armrest. And those glasses and the jet black jacket, the same hue as his hair…God Sakura knew that the AC was not the only thing turned on in that car…

"Neji are you nuts?!" Ten Ten was really scared. What the hell, they almost collided with a car (it was not just a car, that thing looked more expensive than their villa in Italy)

"Shut up woman, I am driving."

"Driving? More like trying to get ourselves killed! What the hell was that?"

"I was in a hurry ok? We have to get home fast, I don't even know where his car came from. Damn bastard, he was always incognito."

"His? You mean you know whose car was that? And we didn't even check if they were all right NEJI!"

"Don't you know? That was Sasuke`s new Maybach Exelero." Neji really couldn't understand the Uchiha`s hobby to spend money on stupid shit like that. He was more for investment than throwing his income on the window.

"OMFNGNSDFMDS WHATTTTTT! So you almost hit Sasuke`s car?! Oh my God you idiot you know how bad that would have been?! What if you hit him for real?! How funny would have been to explain to him what the hell are we doing driving a bulletproof SUV like maniacs on the roads, dressed like this and hurt?!"

"Yea yea I know stop screaming into my ear, besides I managed to avoid him on time."

"Avoid?! Uchiha probably slammed that brake with all his might to stop his car…and what was with the move he did on his right to avoid collision?! That was freaking amazing, I only saw that during car racings on TV!" Ten Ten was the one closer to Sasuke`s car and she saw the whole scene, but she couldn't even explain how the said man managed to avoid them with what looked like minimum effort.

"How should I know, it was probably the car's advanced braking system technology doing for all I know. One problem after another, fucking hell…" Neji was really tired and angry, he didn't even see Sasuke and his car taking the U-turn in the roundabout, but the idea of almost hitting him was…he didn't want to go there. Just explaining it to his older relative was giving Neji the headache of the century. That man was a beast when it came to his younger brother.

"Technology my ass…we are lucky he avoided us God only knows how." Ten Ten crossed her arms on her chest, pouting comically. Damn was she pissed.

"Yeah…whatever…you are not hurt, aren't you?" In all honesty, Neji didn't quite like the young Uchiha too much. Sure, they were all family friends, but he was closer to Naruto and Itachi then this one Uchiha.

He didn't care that much if he hit his car, his new ultra-expensive toy would have probably taken the impact, without any serious material damage (the ego was something else). But his fiancé was another story…

"No…I am not…good thing I wear the seatbelt." She put her small hands on her face. "Damn I am fucking tired…just how far is that damn villa anyways, I wanna go home and sleep for a month?"

"We are almost there, hang on."

"Neji…are you going to guard Naruto tonight?" She asked him on a more serious note.

"Yes, I intend to. Now taking into account everything that happened, we cannot be sure of Lorane`s next move. "

"You are tired."

"We do not have a choice."

"…let me help you, I can guard him the other half of the night and you can rest."

"Stay put Ten Ten, I need you to go home and sleep. You are injured."

"But Neji you…"

"Just listen to me honey, we don't have time to play around, this is serious. No more screw ups."

Ten Ten really hated the Hyuga`s stubbornness. She knew he was more than tired, he looked like he would collapse any moment from then and the fact that he almost collided with Sasuke from all the people was a sign he wasn't in top shape.

But there is no point in arguing with that man when he spoke in that throaty commanding tone. "…seriously Neji you are even more stubborn than the Uchiha."

"Yes, but you love me nonetheless."

"…fuck you Neji!"

"Maybe later dear."

8 p.m Sasuke`s home

After Sasuke parked the car in his garage, he went straight to his room, mumbling something about taking a shower and he expected something to eat (he sure eat a lot for a man with that toned body and honestly Sakura hasn't seen him training or something…yet), so Sakura went in her own room, changing clothes, washing her face and hands (she wanted to drown her head in cold water to calm herself), then headed in the kitchen thinking on what would the human ice cube like to have as dinner (besides tomatoes of course).

"Bah…this man is impossible, how should I know what the hell does he want to eat, he ate two hours ago for Heaven's sake!" She stomped a foot on the ground, crossing her hands in front of her chest, brooding. "Stupid freak driving me nuts…I bet he does it on purpose just to piss me off."

"ARGH forget it! I am going to ask him!" So the Sound agent headed back to the stairs, up to his room. She knocked twice, no reply.

"Mr. Uchiha, what would you like for dinner?" She knocked again, harder, no reply as well. She was tempted to kick that damn door. But she refrained from doing so and slowly pushed it open.

"..Ah…I am sorry Sir, but I wanted to know what would you like to…" She didn't finish her sentence because when she proceeded to open the door more, a firm hand grabbed the knob and cracked it roughly, forcing her to stumble forward, almost colliding with the owner of the room.

Sakura gained her balance quickly, avoiding a collision. "I am sorry for barging in Mr. Uchiha, I tried to knock but you…" Her breath hitched in her throat the moment she raised her eyes from the ground.

Her dear bastard of a boss was basically naked, except for a dark blue towel around his waist, hanging dangerously low and a smaller one on his damp hair. Apparently she was disturbing his showering.

"OMG" Sakura was mentally jumping for joy, screaming like a damn fangirl at the sight in front of her. She knew Sasuke was a fit man, but god damn it him without a shirt was completely another story.

"Look at those muscles just how many hours does this imbecile spend in the gym? Or can a living be this toned having so much sex? I need to ask Karin about that…" No matter how much she tried Sakura`s eyes were glued to his abs, her mouth hanging open like a loser. "He has an eight pack are you shitting me?!"

Sasuke was eying the creature in front of him…amused to the max. The way she was ogling him like he wasn't even present in the room was too damn funny…and adding it to how she looked like…god she had problems in containing his laughter.

"…I heard you the first time Sakura, no need to be so…persistent." Of course he dropped his voice on purpose, sounding even more sensual than usual. He wanted to avoid teasing her after what happened in his office, but screw that shit, he couldn't help himself to mock her.

Sakura snapped from her staring and shook her head like the rotor head of an helicopter. She felt the urge to bang her head on the door.

"Ah,…I…wanted…you…I mean…dinner…" She slapped a hand on her forehead, her head hung in shame. Why was she becoming an idiot in front of him all the times was a mystery to Sakura.

"Just go make a sandwich or something, do I need to baby sit every step you take? God Haruno, here I thought you were smarter than this."

"I….y-yes, I am…ah…going to make a sandwich…" And she run to the stairs, vanishing from the sight, leaving a smirking Uchiha behind, leaning his frame on the door, towel drying his raven hair. "Such a naïve and silly girl."

The young heir called Suigetsu inviting him (more like telling him to move his lazy ass to the usual place) to a session of drinking until their livers screamed SOS.

He needed to drain his thoughts in something, and what better way to forget an awful tiring day than going to the club, with an imbecile to mutter the most idiotic things ever heard, drinking everything he could think of and find a beautiful woman to keep him company…and give him a good fuck. His hormones might have been in depression if he has fallen that low, to flirt with his ugly maid.

Sasuke called Naruto as well, but for some unknown reason the blonde dobe of his best friend was having his voice mail on. He left a message, but didn't get a reply which was weird.

Usually if the idiot was with a chick he would have been finished by then (the Uchiha basically made a hobby from teasing his small dick, well the Akatsuki agent was not exactly small, but compared to Sasuke or their sailor friend Suigetsu he was not that impressive) and call him back, but that time, he didn't.

"Where is that damn dobe anyways…"

The younger Uchiha grabbed some clothes from his drawer (contrary to popular belief, he didn't quite care about image, he looked like a male model in everything he wore), dressed up and went to his office, locking the door. He pulled out a tablet from his drawer and turned it on, opening a searching program. He then typed in the search bar a number he memorized.

Search: -G34 1079D US Government -

Type Enter

What the raven haired Uchiha really looked for when he almost collided with the SUV was obviously his plate number. And the fact that it belonged to the US Government didn't escape his sharp eye.

He also recognized the code belonging to Virginia, which he knew all too well because he has studied there. "What a damn coincidence…" He pressed Enter and waited the information to load.

"Hn…now lets see who are Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, his friend."

A list of results appeared on the screen, followed by wide wicked smirk playing on Sasuke`s lips. He turned the tablet off, shoving it back on his desk.

"So that's the way it is huh? Refuse them once and they will come back to bite your ass when you last expect it. The fucking retards…"

Well, the young heir was really good at ignoring them, like he did in the past. He had more important things to focus on like tasting his maid's delicious sandwiches. He hoped they were just like the ones she made that morning.

Sakura watched his boss eating his toast with what looked like self satisfaction. It was weird cooking for someone else and be appreciated. She secretly liked the fact that Sasuke enjoyed her food, but she won't admit it loud.

"I am going out and I will come home late. You don't have to wait for me, I will probably be here in the dawn…if the woman I am going to fuck senseless will be worth the trouble…"

"Unfortunately, I will not be able to do so even if I wanted to you motherfucker, because I have to baby sit your pretty ass…of course, Sir."

"Hn…by the way, you didn't give me your number, is bothersome to call you on the home phone."

"Oh shit I thought he wasn't going to ask me about that…I am afraid I do not posses such a device."

He raised an eyebrow at her, looking skeptical." You don't have a cell phone?"

"I am a poor woman remember? Those damn telecommunications companies are robbing people and I refuse to spend the money I do not have on their stupid services. Technology is overrated."

"Yeah, and living in the caverns would be a good alternative. I didn't know you entertain the life of a hermit Sakura." He stood up from the table, put the plate on the sink and exited the kitchen.

"I am leaving, please try not to burn down my house, the architect that designed it has passed away and his son doesn't show brilliant skills for the matter." He called for a taxi and exited the house.

Sakura wanted to take off her shoe and throw it at his back but refrained from doing so, choosing to spit some colorful chosen curses, picked up from Karin when she was at salon, doing wax. " I would only burn this damn house down only if you were in it you brainless Godzilla."

The Sound agent checked her GPS, making sure the nanoscopic device was still working and headed upstairs, calling Orochimaru. Her paternal figure's face appeared on the laptop's screen.

"I thought you weren't going to call me anymore Cherry, I grew worried."

"I am sorry Papa Oro, I got caught with…problems." She was pouting like a little child, making Orochimaru laugh softly. She was his spoiled little girl and she didn't have to hide from him.

"Problems? You mean the Akatsuki or the young Uchiha?"

"BOTH! Gosh I don't know where to start from. Are you updated with what happened today?"

"Of course, I have been following you guys since I got the SOS signal. It got really bad."

"Tell me about it…those Akatsuki members are fucking retarded."

"I am sure they were caught out of guard. I have been studying the prosecutor's report and the pictures you have taken."

"What do you think Oro, does it look like Lorane to you?"

"The cuts on the two Shiseido employers` chests and the weird swords could make one think to Lorane, but there is something else that caught my attention."

"What exactly?"

"Do you remember the man you fought, as well as the other three suspects that fought the Akatsuki members?"

Sakura knitted her brows at this. She tried hard to remember. "Yes. There were two swords fighters, but I am not sure the others were as well. According to what the Hyuga and his girlfriend said, the others used firearms and hand to hand combat. Also, the man I was fighting was not skilled in swords fighting."

"Exactly. We know Lorane are swords masters and the fact that there were only two using swords is even more suspicious."

"I am afraid I don't get what you want to say Papa…"

"What I want to say Sakura, is the fact that the two suspects might be part of the Lorane, but their colleagues belong to another organization that apparently has joined forces."

"…really? But I thought Lorane only used their henchmen. They are also really skilled in fighting arts. What would they need back up for?"

"This is what I am trying to figure out as well. Also, the assassins that were attacking the Uzumaki were quite young and inexperienced, so I assume Lorane found it to either be an easy mission or they didn't want to use their best men as baits."

"So you say that the real deal was the one that killed the Walmarkt heir, right?"

"Yes."

"God…this is fucked up, if Lorane has joined forces with mafia or some other organization, then is twice as bad news for us."

"I am afraid that is not our only concern Cherry. Have you found out what occurred an hour ago?"

Now Sakura started to panic. Another event? Just what in the world was with that particular day? "No, I was stuck with my bastard of a boss in his office and couldn't follow the news."

"I see. I am not aware of the details myself, but it looks like the suspect that was detained in the police custody, as well as the other two deceased civilians that worked for Shiseido, were found carbonized. It looks like they had a SHC."

Sakura, who took a sip from the orange juice she prepared, almost spit the beverage all over the screen. "What?! This is impossible, there is no such thing as spontaneous human combustion, that is only a theory for God's sake!"

"I assure you Cherry I am not a stranger to the subject, but I have seen the photos sent by Akatsuki with the said corpses. I know it sounds surreal, but it looks like a possibility,"

The Sound agent was having problems processing the news. "WHOOOO hold on Oro. So…you say that the only killer we managed to catch alive and use for interrogation is now in ashes, as well as the other two dead people that would have been really useful for investigating the cut in the shape of the pair of compasses and the blade of the sword used?"

"…Yes."

"Holly mother freaking shit, so we are basically left with no trance to investigate. And those imbeciles of Akatsuki members lost the last member's track. Just freaking great!" Sakura was fuming. Basically Lorane and its now questionable ally has successfully trolled them really hard.

"That is not true. Akatsuki is going to send a CIA expert to investigate and send us the report."

"So…back to the paranormal activity happening here, because I see we have to call the ghost hunters now…correct me if I am wrong: for someone to have SHC, two things are required and that being intensely high heat and a flammable substance."

"Right. Two things the human body does not have, under normal circumstances, of course."

"So, if we look at what the scientists say, all the cases have some things in common: they were either alcoholics or had a small contact with a flammable substance, as well as greasy residues and fetid ashes left after the combustion."

"Do not forget that further investigation showed they were close to fire sources such as lamps, fireplaces, candles or cigarettes, as well as materials that have the ability to retain melted fats, like laminated flooring or carpets."

"So it was basically a case of wick effect! Those bodies were melted in human fats, acting like candles. They burned up like Christmas Trees when they came in contact with a fire source!"

"That might have been an explanation, only there were not such objects involved in this case. You might have been tempted to believe there was a candle or even a forgotten cigarette near the suspect, in his cell, but there was no such thing at the morgue near the two dead workers."

Sakura was not the woman to believe in SF explanations, she was never a fan of unconventional theories. "What about the recent theory with the digestive enzymes present in the human intestines, ignited by the methane gas?"

"I am not a fan of that theory, because the damage caused by the ignition is greater on the outside than inside and if that theory was right, it should have been the other way around."

"Then it is all bullshit! I bet it was a trick played by that last killer that managed to escape us. He probably infiltrated into the cell and morgue and set the bodies on fire himself."

"Yes, that is a good explanation, only it is a little bit incomplete."

"Incomplete? Papa Oro do you have something in mind?"

"I do have in fact. Remember the strange electromagnetic interference that jammed our GPS systems?"

"You mean the one from the Mangekyou HQ?"

"Exactly that one. I have found out there were two different things happening in the area, between the Mangekyou and Shinjuku hotel, meaning a powerful electromagnetic field surrounding the young Uchiha`s company and a powerful electrical charge in the atmosphere near the said hotel."

Sakura was even more confused. Nothing from what Orochimaru was saying made any sense or had any relevance to the case.

"Ok, that is quite weird to know, but I don't understand where you are trying to get with that one. What is the link between spontaneous human combustion and electromagnetism or electric charge?"

Orochimaru gave a small smile at that, leaving the young lady in front of him even more thrown off.

"Actually my dear cherry blossom, there is a very good connection between this events. Have you heard of Dr. John Abrahamson?"

The young agent shook her head no. "Never heard of."

The pale looking man crossed his arms, leaning further in his big chair.

"He was a good friend of mine and colleague and a specialist in nanoparticle, mostly electrostatic dipoles on solid particles and aggregation of natural gas hydrate particles, all leading to the conclusion that SHC is caused by a ball lightening as a result of a buildup of static electricity inside the human body."

Sakura`s jaw hit the floor upon hearing that one. Leave it to a freaking genius to come up with such a conclusion, Orochimaru was one of a kind, no wonder he was the Otokage.

"No way!"

"Exactly."

"So you suggest that the suspect was there all right, but he didn't enter the morgue or the cell, rather than stayed confined somewhere around, using the same electric charge or electromagnetic field to cause those people to combust, as well as jam all the security systems and alarms, because I assume the fire sprinkler system didn't work either, alerting the other officers."

"I couldn't have said it any better myself Cherry. Yes, this is my theory."

"Papa you are freaking awesome I swear! It would have taken me ages to put the things together!"

"Heh…it was nothing that impressive. Do not forget we still have problems and the suspect is still out there, probably long gone from Japan. They won this round all right and that heir and those innocent people remain dead. Be twice as careful from now on Cherry."

"I know Papa, I know." Sakura let her back fall and hit the soft mattress of the bad in a tired manner.

"So tell me my dear, how do you find your mission so far?"

"IHHH Fucking amazing really, Sasuke is such a lovely and adorable man!" She took a pillow and covered her face with it, letting out a small agonizing scream. Orochimaru left out a short laugh seeing her antics.

"I am sure he is an interesting man to keep you so fired up Cherry."

"This is not funny at all Papa, he is basically driving me nuts!"

"Well I am sure he knows how to treat a lady, giving his reputation."

"Oh you have no idea! He is a manwhore in all the slutty meaning of the word. And he figured me out."

Orochimaru suddenly become serious at that statement. "What do you mean he figured you out?"

"He knows I lied to him and I am not a farm owner from Italy, as well as I came from Ravenna. He forced the confession out of me, as well as he spoke to Itachi on the phone and managed to god only knows how figure out we are connected in some way."

"…this is not a good thing to hear Cherry. You cannot allow him to discover you are an agent."

"I know Papa I know! But I don't know what to do, he is basically cornering me every time he gets the chance to make me sing like a canary. And he is way more cunning than Ibiki Morino, using both his charms and intellect.

Why didn't you tell me the stupid arrogant freak is just as much of a genius as you Papa Oro?"

"I am sorry to hear this Sakura, but please hold your ground. We already have enough problems. I am going to talk to Uchiha Itachi about this as well, see if I can figure something out."

"Thank you. Oh and one more thing: I need a means of transport."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow in a questioning matter. "A means of transport? Are you sure you absolutely need it? It would be quite difficult to send one to you and get you a driving license for Japan as well."

"Yes! It is not like I can give him the nano GPS device to eat every freaking day, you know the overdose effects on the human body.

And I cannot take a taxi or God forbids a bicycle, this man is basically all the times on the road! Even now he went somewhere, but judging by the fact that he took a taxi I assume somewhere to drink and find some women to keep him entertained."

"…I see. I will try my best to send a motorcycle to you as soon as possible, via one of our planes. You just focus on him and do not let any assassin near him."

"I know I know, I have his GPS signal for 12 more hours. I am going to take a shower and head in his direction. I do hope he is not having fun in the most deprived place possible, my innocent mind is hurting already."

"Heh, he is probably in some fancy looking exclusive club. I suggest you do not go there dressed like that."

"…thank you Papa Oro, I really need someone to remind me just how awful I look like."

"Nice hair style by the way. What happened to the wig I gave it to you?"

"Just…don't go there…"

"Ok ok. Cherry I am hanging up, there are some news coming I need to sort. I will keep you informed. Call me if anything happens."

"Of course." She let out a small sheepish beam. She really loved talking to Orochimaru, his presence was calming and comforting, not to mention he was always solving her dilemmas.

"One more thing Cherry."

"Yes Papa?"

"Be aware of the young Uchiha, he is a dark horse."

And with that Orochimaru hung up.

"Huh?! What the hell did he mean with that one?" Oh well…who knows…time to work, but first SHOWER AND TIRAMISU TIME BABE!

"…So this is what happened…"

"Yes. This is all I know for the moment."

"….Fuck."

"I wouldn't have summarized it better myself."

A really tired Hyuga heir was currently talking to an equally tired looking Uchiha Itachi, Ten Ten dead to the world in her room.

"I analyzed all the data, but nothing seems to make any sense Neji. First the suspect managed to fool us all, escaping our eyes two times, then all the others burned spontaneously with no witness or video record available.

The police is in the shadows, they are all expecting the forensic expert to come, he is going to arrive in Tokyo in two days."

"So our hands are tied until then."

"Apparently, yes. But…I took a closer look at the pictures we got from the Sound as well as the information I gathered from your little encounter with the assassins and the police report and I have found out something interesting."

"Really? What exactly?"

"I studied the diameter of the hole left in the Walmarkt heir's chest, as well as the one from your bulletproof vest and I was able to determine the caliber of the bullet, and after having done some more measurements, I was able to find out the trajectory and the speed as well."

"…are you trying to teach me a physics lesson now, leader?"

"No Neji, I am not trying to play the teacher with you, I am trying to tell you that I was able to determine the gun they used for both killing that man and shooting you."

"Now that is really interesting, but I do not see how is this so important to our case."

"The typical bullet diameter is 0.355–0.357 in (9.0–9.1 mm)." Itachi was getting impatient. Man he really hated when people didn't get what he wanted to say. He knew his subordinates were tired and injured, but they were not a bunch of amateurs now, were they?

Neji looked at Itachi in a weird way. He was brooding, an eyebrow slightly lifted and his lavender eyes betraying confusion. He really looked totally lost. "And? What is this supposed to mean?"

"Neji…they used the exact same firearms as the CIA agents."

The Hyuga heir almost had a heart attack upon hearing that and he was sure his brain turned to jelly, swimming in his head like a jellyfish.

"WTF are you shitting me?! Is this some kind of joke or a really not funny at all coincidence?"

Itachi covered his face with his right hand, rubbing it slightly. His eyes were bloodshot and started to sting and he had a painful headache. "How can it be a coincidence when our guns are 100% customized?"

"Then what do you suggest, that they have robbed us or something?"

"I don't know, this is what I am investigating. I don't want to suggest we have a leak of information or a spy among the CIA members. Maybe they have stolen the technology…somehow."

"This is awful Itachi, think about it, if they use the same technology they are basically able to jam all of our devices without a problem. We are two steps back in this game."

"I am aware of the situation, do not need to remind me."

"What about the ones that had spontaneous human combustion?"

"I don't see any connection on that one, my guess is that things are not that simple. This is only my opinion, but I think the guy you didn't manage to catch had done something to cause that thing to happen….."

"Yeah, that sounds more reasonable. What is Hokage`s opinion by the way?"

"He is screaming and cursing at everything that crosses his way. Last time I saw him, he was in his office with a bottle of Rum, mumbling something about that damned snake man and his team saving our incompetent asses once again.

He sent the data we collected to the DI and DS&T for further investigation. Apparently, he finds my theory plausible."

"…good."

"How is Naruto?"

"He has been put into ICU. They are going to transfer him into a private room by tomorrow morning. He is going to be fine. I talked to the doctor. Orochimaru got us covered pretty well."

"I know. He was quick to act, that was good."

"Yeah…we were lucky Athena was there as well, she saved his ass."

"I was informed by that as well. It was good having someone with medical knowledge there, but we cannot keep relying on her every fuckin time, she is there for another purpose."

"That's true. By the way leader…"

"Hm?"

"I am going to tell you something you wouldn't like in the slightest."

"Don't tell me Akatsuki`s new policy forbids male agents to wear their hair long."

"NO! Something less painful and horror than this one…"

"What is it then?"

"Today…I almost crashed your younger brother's car."

Itachi looked like he wanted to grab a bazooka, jump through the screen and play GTA, using the pearl eyed Akatsuki member as a human target.

RIIINGGGGGGGGGG

A soft voice answered the call as soon as he saw the ID and the number: "Yes?"

"Juugo…" A deeper low baritone voice was heard from the other side of the line.

"Mr. Uchiha, how can I be of your help?"

"I need you to do something for me."

"Of course."

Sakura was eating her Tiramisu enjoying some fancy radio channel she found, in the kitchen when her phone rang. She looked at the ID of the caller: Aburame Shino. She furrowed her delicate eyebrows. "Aburame?" She pressed ok.

"Hello?"

"Sakura, this is Shino Aburame, can you talk?"

"Yeah. I was expecting your call"

"Good. I have investigated the strange magnetic field manifesting in your boss` office and got the results."

Sakura was glad to hear that, especially since Orochimaru`s revelation about that day's events. "So? Have you been able to find out anything."

"Not quite. I think your EMF meter was either damaged or used incorrectly. The data you have sent is not possible."

"What? Shino I am certain I got it all correct. I have done the measurements three times in all the surrounding area."

"Sakura, what you have there is not possible for some normal dude's home. If that information was sent by NASA that would have been another story."

"And that means what?"

"Let's suppose that your measurements are accurate. We both agree that the electromagnetism manifesting in the Uchiha`s house is not a natural one.

For one to control the electromagnetism and focus it on a particular area, electromagnetically inhomogeneous material is required, and it is not something you do in your garage using some metal you found in the trash.

When the particles are charged, you need a strong source to accelerate the electrons to such a speed in order to generate the electromagnetic field. And the frequency is also an utopia."

"I am afraid to ask…but what are you talking about?"

"Sakura, the frequency, the wave length and the energy of that magnetic field beats every other frequencies known by far. "

"So you say my measurements are incorrect because this frequency is not possible on the Earth, right?"

"I didn't say it is not possible on the Earth. I only say I am not aware of someone having the necessary technology to build up such a device. I think the scientists from CERN have something that comes close to that frequency, but as far as I am concerned, it is still experimental."

"…ok, so I got it all wrong then…but what would you say if I tell you there is this kind of electromagnetism manifesting in other place as well?"

"Then that changes everything. Once place might be coincidental, but two different places measured with different devices means serious business. Did it happen elsewhere as well?"

"Yes. I got the results from Orochimaru and he did the EMF measurements himself. He got the same results."

"….."

"Shino?"

"…this is impossible."

"Why do you say that? Maybe someone discovered the technology and used it."

"Then we are in big trouble if there are such advanced devices targeting us."

"We are not sure if it was directed to us or used for protection. Just out of curiosity, have you ever measured such a frequency somewhere else before?"

"Yes, I did."

"…where?"

"On the Moon."

And Sakura could have sworn all the CIA members were high all of sudden. First spontaneous human combustion then strange electromagnetism around her stupid freak boss Sasuke and the supposed Lorane killer.

RIIIIIINGGG

"Speak." His dark commanding tone echoed in the dark room.

"It is done boss."

"Excellent. You proved yourself worthy. I arranged everything for you. You are to leave Japan immediately. There is a plane waiting."

"I understand Sir. I am hanging up."

BEEEP

He put the phone down on his desk, laughing like the madman he was. His plan worked just fine. Let the new ordeal begin. They didn't need to rush things, his enemies were confused. He will take his time enjoying the show.

"I like it when everything goes as planned."

DIIIING DOOOONG

"GRRRR what now?" It was almost 2 o'clock in the morning and Sakura was enjoying a cup of black Ceylon tea, when someone rang at the door bell. After her conversation with the Aburame she was even more confused, her rest never coming to her.

She decided to just follow her boss on the GPS, she was too tired to personally check on him and she was almost sure Lorane won't try anything, they would have attracted too much attention. Was there something she overlooked or did wrong, or there was paranormal activity in that house?

She saw some TV shows with ghosts and spirits and knew there was electromagnetic interference whenever they were close. Maybe Sasuke`s deceased relatives were haunting him because he was a manwhore, to knock some sense into the next generation.

She went to the door, already in guard. Who could have been, not knowing her boss was not home? Any sane person would have given a call first, especially at that hour.

But when she opened the door, Sakura found out there was no one at the door, or in the garden or elsewhere around the house. And it couldn't have been any other person except for her and her boss, because no one had the key to enter the front gate first.

"Oh my God is for real, this estate is haunted". The Sound agent wanted to go back in the kitchen and take a frying pan. In the horror movies, that was what the leading actress was doing before the climax…or before she got eaten by a monster or possessed by demons.

But when she cast her emerald eyes on the ground, she saw a small gift box, wrapped in pink, with a red ribbon, and a small card. Ok, now the ghosts were sending her welcome gifts. That, or Santa was pulling April's fools day pranks.

She bent down, taking the small box and shut the door, locking it. She headed to her room, with the sole intent of hiding under the bed if something came out of that box to give her hell.

At that point, nothing could have taken Sakura by surprise any longer. After Aburame`s confession, she really expected Peter Pan to come out from the box and take her to Neverland. Too bad she wasn't named Wendy. But she knew how to cook! "I thing I am going crazy like Sasuke…"

But the young Uchiha prodigy really knew how to make people consternated, because when she opened the small box, she found the cutest pink flip cell phone she ever seen, along with the following message written on the small card: "Welcome to the 21st century. S.U." The pink haired agent let out a wide smile, shaking her head.

"Unbelievable…"

RIIING RIIIINGGGGGGGG

"Huh?!" Apparently, she was receiving a phone call. She flipped the phone open, watching at the ID. It wrote Uchiha Sasuke.

Oh well, it looked like the human ice block wanted to check on her all right. She will change his name into something that fitted him better like "my boss the asshole" or "the cocky imbecile" as soon as she hung on him.

"Hello?" Oh God she thought she was going to go deaf. There was music blasting on the background like her boss was staying on a giant stereo. And some screams and other weird noises were heard as well.

And she almost dropped the phone in anger. If Sakura really hated something was getting orders. Especially from the world's number one player Sasuke, who was talking like someone was strangling his neck and cutting his balls…at the same time. He sounded drunk as fuck.

"…come here…now." And he hung up on her.

Sakura bolted out of her room straight to the kitchen. The cocky bastard didn't even tell her where exactly to go. Thanks God she had the GPS signal coming from him. She needed a damn frying pan.

"Oh, I am so going to hunt a shitfaced bitch down!"