Oh my goodness, you guys are amazing! I am so happy you guys like it so far, so I'm determined to not let you guys down! I'm so excited for this, again, thank you all so much! I really like where all of this is going, too, and I really love Naruto, so this is important for me. I know some of you were wondering about Kiba, well, I like Kiba and Sakura, I can't really ship her with anyone else but Sasuke, and Kiba comes close, but not that close! Anyway, here comes the next chapter!

Deal

Sakura dipped her hands into the soapy water found in the sink. The sun was already setting, and she was still smiling softly as she thought back on her time with Kiba. He was gone now, unable to stay long due to the mission that was given to him, but she didn't mind; she knew he would return to her soon. Their small home was also so peacefully quiet and the soft breeze that snuck through the windows was enough to make Sakura relax. She couldn't have asked for a better time of day, where her father was resting easily, and with her aunt gone for most of the day. Sakura wasn't trying to be a brat, but there were seriously some times when her aunt would just trash her mood without trying too hard.

Deciding that it was better to think about what made her smile, Sakura softly hummed to herself, washing the dishes as she did so. Making a mental note to give her father his evening medication later after dinner, she gifted herself with the time to think back on what she and Kiba were laughing about, earlier.

"Kiba!" Sakura placed a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle an undignified snort, but that only encouraged the young ruffian even further. As they sat on the back steps of her home, Kiba gave off an uncaring shrug.

He was making her laugh, trying to make her feel better about her father, and trying to distract them both from the fact that they won't see each other for a number of days. It wasn't so terrible, she knew she'd see him again, but there was something about his smile, his caring nature, that she couldn't be away from for long.

"Don't pay attention to that loser Uchiha. By how you described him, it was probably Sasuke Uchiha, and no doubt about it, that guy likes dudes. I swear, there was a day he looked at me funny-!" However, he was cut short when Sakura nailed him in the arm, laughing out loud at how terrible Kiba was being, but it did make her feel a lot better.

Cupping his cheek, Sakura fondly let her thumb graze across his cheek bone. Bright eyes collided with his, before she leaned up to press a soft kiss against his cheek, smiling against his skin. He smelled of home, adventure; had no form of restraint, and she couldn't have wanted anything else.

"Sakura, knock off all that mushy stuff!"

"Put a cork in it!"

The memory made Sakura laugh again, eager to see Kiba once again when he returned. Despite all the difficulties her family suffered, the time she spent with her father and Kiba totally made up for all of that. Another giggle fell from her lips, feeling elated with everything that currently happened.

"And what is so funny?" A sharp voice rang through the air, the bubble of laughter dying within Sakura's throat. Katsumi Oshiro, widow and former Lady of the Oshiro clan, sister of Sakura's father. Her aunt was a difficult woman to please, her views differing from that of her father, well, Sakura's entire family to be honest. If there was something Katsumi loved, it was material things; money, properties, social status, power. Sadly, to her, being rich was something of sole importance, and Sakura always got the brunt of it.

"Oh! Welcome home, Auntie, and nothing, I was just daydreaming." Sakura offered her aunt a sincere smile, trying to douse any flickering flames before they decided to burn savagely. Katsumi did not return the favor, her posture tense as she tucked her hands within her sleeves. She was younger than her father, and despite her age, Katsumi still held a tinge of beauty. Her eyes still held strong and defiant, not letting off any form of weakness. Her cleverness didn't escape her, and there had been many points in time where Sakura actually feared such a mind. She resembled her father, but her hair was slightly darker in color, and her skin was rather flawless; she really did look like a real Lady. But, despite the fall of the famed Oshiro clan due to, well, a lot of things, Katsumi was forced to find a roof with Haruno and her father.

However, her nature has not changed; Katsumi questioned everything, always pushed Sakura for more. Sakura took pride in following the teachings of her parents, but when her aunt constantly berated her on what it is she should do exactly, with her life, for 'the good of the family.'

That money and possessions were what mattered.

Power.

"You should find better use for your time, Sakura. Daydreaming." The woman huffed slightly as she shook her head. "If you really wish to do something for this family like you claim to, then find yourself a husband; one with a good social standing and with a wealth to support your family."

"Here we go…" Sakura inwardly sighed, frowning slightly as her aunt went to take a seat. Being who she was, the woman never helped Sakura with anything, laundry, cooking, cleaning. Nothing. She was just there, taking what she needed because she felt it was hers to have, and never doing anything in return.

Even so, her Aunt Katsumi was still family.

Sakura quickly ducked her head, attempting to focus on her chores, so as not to spark some sort of argument with her aunt. Avoiding the subject proved futile on most occasions, since her Aunt Katsumi never failed to fill the air with her jabs; her voice full of discontent and disappointment towards Sakura. Nevertheless, it did hurt the young kunoichi, even if she tried not to let Katsumi's words sting, the thought that her aunt could not accept her as is, really did bring her down.

Silence ensued, and Sakura dared to hope that Katsumi would just leave things as is and let her continue one with a peaceful evening. Sakura suppressed the urge to glance over her shoulder when she heard some shuffling. "This place is in such a state of disarray, I knew we should have hired a cleaning woman to expertly perform these duties."

If there was one thing that Katsumi could not grasp, was the fact that the family was running really low on money. Most of her missions didn't cover everything, so Sakura was forced to take out some loans, and now she was struggling to pay those off as well. They couldn't afford such luxuries, and she yearned for her Auntie to see that, but it was all just helpless. "Auntie, we don't have the money for that, please understand…" Sakura finally decided to stop biting her tongue as she set aside the necessary kitchen utensils she would be using to cook dinner.

Almost immediately, the air around them turned frigid, nipping at Sakura's warm flesh. Wrestling down the urge to shiver, Sakura chewed on the inside of her cheek. Her eyes remained on the dishes, but she could feel her Auntie approaching from behind. Deciding it was just best to apologize and avoid some form of confrontation, Sakura turned her head. "Auntie, I'm—."

Forcing back a small, whispered gasp, Sakura stared at her aunt with wide eyes as the older woman took hold of her chin. Pulling Sakura forward to face her, Katsumi glanced down at the young kunoichi with a sharp look of disdain. "What I cannot seem to understand, is how you could let such beauty go to waste. You have the ability to capture any man if you so choose. Why not do so and save us from this family crisis? Katsumi Oshiro, forced to live in such deplorable conditions? What sacrilege!"

"May I remind you, Auntie, you had no choice but to live with us because your husband was stripped of his titles for stealing and selling in the Black Market. And for committing treason in helping neighboring villages that were considered Konoha's adversaries in the first place. All for money." Sakura added, pulling herself free from Katsumi's grasp, and returning to her chores, unable to look at her aunt in the eye for fear of being angry herself.

"My husband did what was necessary to keep our family well in line. It was his duty to illustrate our family's power, by any means." Katsumi coldly clipped in response.

Sakura's eyes widened with disbelief, startling Sakura into throwing her gaze back to her aunt. "She can't be serious…" Sakura thought feeling absolutely horrified at what her aunt was saying. How was she related to her father? Did the apple really fall that far from the tree? Hardening her gaze, Sakura turned her back to her aunt, not wanting to deal with her any further than needed.

"I'm not like you, Auntie…"

"You're right, you are not. If you were, we would be faring far better than we are now; you are such a disappointment, Sakura." The acid dripped from her aunt's voice, whipping Sakura in the back so harshly, she wanted to cry.

Her aunt was just so horrible sometimes.

Before Sakura could respond, a quick knock came to their door, saving Sakura from any more confrontations. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sakura attempted to put on her best, casual voice. "Auntie, can you please get that? My hands really are full." Quickly, as if to further prove her point, Sakura dived back into the dishes, scrubbing madly at the pots and pans.

Katsumi didn't say another word, but she did shuffle about towards the door, much to Sakura's gratitude. Luckily enough, she was near enough to the door to be able to catch wind of the conversation. She hardly had any visitors, and most of her friends knew well to not visit her at home, where her aunt would be around to berate them all. "Pardon the intrusion, my Lady, but I have come to deliver an important message to the head of the Haruno family."

"My father?" She quietly thought, frustrated that she was unable to see the man's face.

Her aunt remained unmoving, having gone silently, oddly enough. Sakura was about to step towards the door herself, when her aunt finally spoke. "My brother is ill in bed at the moment, but I will gladly deliver this letter as soon as he is able." Sakura appeared in the hallway long enough to see her aunt bow at the messenger in what seemed to be respectful as well as thankful.

Odd.

"What is it?" Sakura asked, once the messenger had left. Almost immediately after closing the door, Katsumi dipped the letter into the safety of her sleeves, leaving Sakura more confused than ever.

Stalking past Sakura, Katsumi aimed for the stairs, her voice ringing out steadily. "It was nothing of importance, just another lackey from some loan shark or other. I shall retire to my room, so do not forget to bring up my evening tea." And before Sakura could lend out her voice, Katsumi was gone, leaving nothing but the creaking steps behind her.

"You're hiding something…" Sakura finally muttered, feeling uneasy about a lot of things.

…

Sasuke sat silently sat underneath a large tree located in the small garden his mother put so much effort in creating. So many years have passed, and it was still standing, and to this day, it continued to be his favorite place to retire to after a long day. It was late, but the gentle breeze that accompanied the night was soothing, allowing him to breathe evenly, sometimes without worry. He could see the lights of Konoha dim slowly as the hour passed, leaving the village in partial darkness, and peacefully quiet.

As the last, few doors of the Uchiha's residential homes closed, Sasuke was the only one who remained awake at such an hour. However, it was not lack of tiredness that kept the young man out of bed, but it was during such an hour that his sleep would be plagued with the memory of blood covered walls; of bodies that littered the streets, of his parents mutilated within their home.

He could still smell the blood. He could still sense the fear.

But it all burned away, leaving nothing more than utter resentment, and an indescribable rage fueled by hatred.

Feeling his muscles stiffen with the tension of what he allowed his mind to wander into, Sasuke leaned back against the trunk of the tree for some support. Breathing deeply, he closed his eyes, letting the cool breeze calm him with gentle fingers. Just as he was about to succumb into what was finally going to be a dreamless sleep, he felt the presence of another human body. Sharply, he opened his eyes, turning his head to the side as he watched a small light bobbing towards him.

One of his older servants was up and about, but at this hour? Slowly, Sasuke rose to his feet, his eyes falling over the man as he hobbled over to him, limping slightly as he approached his young master. "Sasuke-san, please forgive me, but you have company. I attempted to turn them away, but the woman presented me a letter with your seal, claiming to have been summoned. I led her to your guest area, young master."

A woman? Analytical eyes shifted over to his home, which was dark and foreboding in the midst of the night. He had sent a letter requesting a meeting with the head of the Haruno family, but he was not expecting a woman. Sasuke's eyes narrowed with caution, the wind suddenly turning sharp around them, snuffing out the candle the old man was holding. "Alright. I will take it from here." Nodding in dismissal, the old servant was allowed to retire, leaving Sasuke alone once more.

Clearly the woman did not want her presence in his home known to the outside world; otherwise, she would not have come at such an ungodly hour. She wanted something, and she was using his letter as an excuse to get it, but Sasuke was not into playing games; he would make sure of letting her know that.

Making his way back towards his home, Sasuke took his time in arriving into the guest room, wanting to completely assess the situation before meeting up with the curious woman. Sasuke had nothing to fear, he had his ambitions set, and he would stand by his offer, but first, he needed to play his cards well. The young Uchiha came to a halt behind the sliding, paper door, taking a moment to himself, before he slowly opened it, briefly taking in the woman that awaited him inside.

She was older than him, not old, but not young, either. She was more well-dressed than most of the female population in Konoha, which led Sasuke to believe that she came from an esteemed, family line. It was odd, because he was told the Haruno family was struggling with their income, unless the woman had been, or is married to a man of a higher, social status, which could explain a few things. The air around her was collected, cool, and bold. She didn't regard him with any fear, her own sense of superiority challenging his, which could lead to something interesting. Even so, something told Sasuke he would not go to bed empty-handed.

"You should not keep your guests waiting for long, especially a lady." The woman sniffed, raising her head a fraction in order to scrutinize him. Sasuke waved off the jab, uncaring of another's opinion; he didn't live to please.

Taking a seat before her, the young Uchiha regarded the woman with an uninhabited stare, clear of any form of human sentiment. The burden of his eyes made the woman fidget slightly in her seat, clearing her throat as if to speak, but no words fell from her lips. Taking the reins of the situation, Sasuke stoically spoke. "I wasn't expecting a woman, especially at this hour, so I'm not in any mood to be hospitable."

His blunt words lingered in the air for a moment, making the woman draw in with caution, but she did not run away just yet. "Oh, I am not at all surprised. Given the late hour, I will get to the point, because it seems to me that you are not a young man who likes his time wasted."

"Then speak."

The sharpness of his voice made the older woman lose track of her words for a moment, before regaining control of her speech. "I am Katsumi Oshiro, younger sister of Kizashi Haruno, widow of Lord Oshiro."

It was then that Sasuke interrupted, frosty indifference coating his words. "I thought I asked for the head of the Haruno family."

Katsumi stiffened slightly, struggling to retain her collected, professional persona. "Y-Yes." She stammered at first, before clearing the mesh of words that piled up in her throat. "At the moment, my brother is heavily incapacitated, and could not come even if he wanted to. Due to his serious illness, I am acting as the head of the Haruno family in his stead, if you so choose to have me." She bowed her head, much to Sasuke's evident disgust.

He didn't know her, but already he disliked her.

"So you're here to do business with me in his place?" Sasuke responded in a low voice. The only forms of light were the candles flickering around them, casting ominous shadows around them. "Yet, you came late at night, obvious to me that you want this meeting to be kept secret? I have the feeling that you are acting on your own accord, not by your brother's command."

Katsumi wasn't slow to counter. Raising the letter, she let off a small smirk. "Ah, see, but if it concerns my niece, I have every right to be a part of this as Kizashi. However, I have witnessed this game many times, Sasuke Uchiha; I don't need to be here to know what this is about."

So she was a clever one. Narrowing his eyes, Sasuke leaned forward slightly, his words turning hard. "Then name it. If you already know, name your price."

Katsumi raised a brow, a sheet of confusion covering her face as she glanced at the man sitting in front of her. Come now, did she not grasp that much, what else did she expect? He wanted to do business, and he was going to do just that. "My price?"

"Yes." Sasuke gave a curt nod. "Name the price you want for your niece, Sakura Haruno. I'll buy her from you."

"You think I would go as far as to sell my own niece?" Sasuke pursed his lips at her response, but his cold gaze did not falter, because he saw the hint of smile that was tugging at the vile woman's lips.

Sasuke sat back, his eyes never leaving the woman as he crossed his arms. "I would think so. You seem like the kind of woman who only cares about money, power, and material things. I know of the Oshiro clan, how it fell due to their excessive greed. You are so addicted to luxury, you are willing to sell your own niece, in fact, you're debating it even now. I want her. Name your price."

"Be that as it may," The woman began, letting out a calm chuckle as she glanced about the room, highly satisfied with the state of things, and with regarding the young Uchiha's famed power. "Even if I did agree, I know my niece would never succumb to such a deal. She has quite the bleeding heart, that one." Letting out an exasperated sigh, she allowed her eyes to travel back towards Sasuke. "It's a shame, really."

The young Uchiha frowned, his brows furrowing while he mulled things over. "Name your price, and I will pay you half now if you agree to help me convince her to become my wife." His words sparked an interest within the woman, and he knew he had played the right card. "I will pay you the rest of it on our wedding day, and offer you a place here, in my home. You will work for nothing."

"By any means necessary?" The woman gave off a sick smile as Sasuke rose to his feet. "I can do so, if I do it my way. Despite the consequences?" She asked, getting to her feet, also.

The look on Sasuke's face wiped the smile off the woman's face. With eyes falling dead, and no trace of sentimentality, the young Uchiha let his words fall with deadly determination. "I don't care what you do, or how much I have to pay." He paused, before he whispered.

"I want her mine."

Please review! I hope to add more in the later chapters, but for now, I'm going at this pace! I hope you like it! It will get more action later on, I promise!