Hello readers! Sorry for the wait. There will be some spelling and grammatical errors present.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this plot.
Target 9: Being Bad
Slowly his dark eyes opened, blinking a couple of times to adjust to the darkness of the room. He knew it was early but consciousness took hold of him, unwilling to let him slumber any longer. Half lidded orbs shifted to the outline of the woman in his arm, sound asleep. He had a firm, yet gentle hold around her body, keeping her warmth flushed against his body. The dark blue comforter they shared was pulled up to her shoulders covering their minimal sleeping attire. Her head was rested on his right shoulder with her left hand placed on his bare chest. Sasuke moved his arm from her midsection and ran his hand gently up her back. It came to a rest on the base of her head, tangled in her now dark locks.
The time after their short outing two days ago was spent within the safe house. The only times the couple were in each other's presence, other than in the bedroom, were during meals. Sakura had begun doing yoga and other simple workouts in the living room to build back her health, flexibility, and strength. She had noticed her physical ability wasn't where it was before everything happened, struggling to do some of the simples exercise perfectly. She was aware it was her fault and was disappointed for neglecting her health. Sasuke avoided doing anything physically strenuous that would impact his recovery, especially when there was a mission coming up. Most of the time he was hiding away, working on things he didn't need his wife to see.
He shifted slightly and buried his face into her locks, taking in her scent. The action stirred her from her sleep and she left out a soft moan as she cuddled closer to his warm body. She exhaled a content sigh and continued to slumber. It was times like these he appreciated the most. There was a sense of normalcy as if there was nothing wrong in their world. He knew their lives wouldn't be completely normal once their problems were solved, but it would put some of his worries at ease.
Knowing his consciousness wouldn't let him sleep, he slowly detangled himself for his wife, avoiding sudden movements that would wake her. Sasuke sat at the edge of the bed only in a pair of boxers and glanced over at the digital clock. It was only five o'clock and he needed to kill time until Sakura woke. He rolled his neck and shoulders, releasing a bit of the muscle stiffness. Figuring his body had healed enough, it was a good time to get a workout in to prepare for the evening.
—xXx—
The scent of freshly brewed coffee from the kitchen floated through the residence. When the earthly smell of the roasted ground beans reached the bedroom occupant, she began to stir. Opening her emerald orbs slightly, she took in the light coming from the fake windows and saw the UV lights were fairly bright. She was aware she had slept in and figured from the smell of the coffee her husband was already in the kitchen making breakfast. Turning to lay on her back, she stretched her limbs out, waking her muscles from their stiffness of sleep. As she sat up, the left side of the long sleeve button-up shirt she wore fell over her shoulder, revealing part of the crimson lingerie she wore underneath. She slid off the bed and treaded her still sleepy body out of the bedroom as she secured the buttons of the shirt she wore. Knowing they were the only two occupants, she didn't bother to dress more modestly. When she reached the shared area of the living space, the dark-haired man was nowhere in sight. Checking the open kitchen, she saw the kettle on the stovetop and hesitantly touched it to find it hot still. She glanced over the counter and saw that some ingredients have been taken out, but nothing cooked. The only thing that was running was the small rice cooker that was almost done.
Sakura went back to the living room with her cheeks puffed and brows furrowed. Where could her husband be? She didn't know much about the layout of the family's safe house since Sasuke hadn't told her anything and she didn't do any exploring of her own. The hallway leading to their bedroom also led to Itachi's room, two smaller spare bedrooms, a shared bathroom, and a small laundry room. The opposite hallway was the master bedroom and office. She figured the office was the only other place he could be, likely working. When she reached the office door, it was slightly ajar. She knocked lightly before entering, only to be greeted with an unoccupied workspace. The monitor set at an angle was off and the laptop unopened in the middle, evidence that he hadn't been working.
The ruckus of what sounded like weights being dropped on the ground caught her attention. She shifted her gaze to the left side of the wall where the sound came from and saw an open doorway that blended in. Suddenly five loud consecutive thumps echoed out. Supposing that it had to be another doorway, she was immediately curious about where it led to. Upon approaching the entrance, another set of thumps were heard. She was pleased to see the door was ajar just enough for her to get a glimpse of the area on the other side.
The room was painted gray with white LED lights illuminating the space fairly bright. The wall on the left was covered with gridded panels displaying various weapons, from firearms to blades. On the right side were several different weight lifting racks and machines, medicine balls, dumbbell sets, and kettle weights. The wall on the far side had five circular wooden targets hanging up, each with two kunai blades stuck in right at the center. Sasuke stood in the middle of the room with a movable table set to his left. On top were several more kunai blades and a transparent glass mug of hot black coffee. Between the assassin and target were several treads of stings hanging with a bell at the bottom.
He was naked from the waist up, dressed only in a pair of dark gray sweatpants. The hem of the pants around his waist was damp from perspiration dripping from his body. Ten-pound weights were on strapped on either wrist, providing him a challenge as he sharpened his skills. Emerald orbs trailed over the hard ridges of his back muscles, watching as they tensed and relaxed with every toss of the blades. She was mesmerized by his mastery and precision. The kunai struck the fine tread, sometimes more than one, as it flew threw the air before the tip embedded itself into the wooden target. The bells would jiggle as they fell before coming to a stop on the ground. Not wanting to disturb him and ruin his concentration, she settled for secretly watching. She pressed part of her body against the wall to support herself from falling on the door and interrupting him as she continued to observe.
The dark-haired man shifted his stance, giving her a profile of his well-defined chest. Not a single scar or bruise was on his body when days ago she had found him covered with wounds of all kinds. Parts of his skin are still a little red, but the lacerations there before were gone, leaving no evidence of there ever being any injuries there. He had an athletic build and muscles in all the right places that not many his age possessed without discipline and determination. Couple with his handsome yet haughty facial features, any person interested in the male population, would melt at his sight.
Sakura felt like she was a high school student spying on her crush from a distance while he practiced his sport. She had a hard time turning her gaze away no matter how hard she tried. She had been in his presence many times before when he was working out or participating in sports, but this was different. She bit down gently on her lower lips as her heart pounded loudly against her chest. She knew her perspective of him had changed and it was driving her newfound attractiveness to him. Hell, she was already more than well acquainted with what his body looked and felt like against hers, but this time she wanted to see the other side of him. She wanted the bad boy side of him to take her away.
Once the first set of blades on the table were dispensed, he unstrapped the wrist weights, letting them drop to the ground, and turned to reach out for his streaming beverage. After taking a mouthful, he set the cup down and grabbed another kunai with his right hand. The assassin leaned his head side to side and rolled his shoulders back to release some tension then stopped. He abruptly turned his head to look over his right shoulder and narrowed his eye slightly, as if sensing her presence. Sakura immediately recoiled away from the opening, pressing her back against the wall. She dearly hoped he hasn't seen her at all. Her heart was pounding wildly against her chest, pumping adrenaline throughout her body. Even though Sasuke was her husband, she was shamelessly ogling.
While attempting to calm her racing heart, fingers closed around her left wrist and yanked her into the facility she had been spying into. It happened so quickly that it took the medic's stunned mind a few seconds to comprehend what was happening. When she finally came to her senses, Sakura realized she was pressed up against the inner wall beside the open door. Due to their height difference, her eyes were locked directly at his upper chest that rose and fell steadily with each breath. His left arm was placed firmly by her head, preventing her from moving to the exit that was only a foot to her right. She felt a cold metal pressed against her throat, the very kunai he had picked up only seconds ago. Her mind couldn't focus to be alarmed by the lethal weapon against her neck. She was more afraid of the delicious slight of him and how it was affecting her. She was attracted to him in so many ways and currently, her body was sexually reacting to his.
"What's the matter Sakura?" he sensuously murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.
His spoken question succeeded in drawing her eyes to his. Now able to see his facial features better up close, she noticed his eyes were crimson instead of onyx. Beads of sweat slowly ran down his face, neck, and chest. She was completely flustered, unable to process, and react. Her lips parted slightly, but not a word left her lips. A light blush spread across her cheeks, completely embarrassed by the situation she found herself in. Sasuke tilted his head and angled it toward her, bringing his face within inches of hers. She was frozen in place, desperately pressing herself against the wall in hope that it would magically absorb her to aid in an escape. Feeling her lips drying up, she slowly wet her lips with her tongue. The trained assassin lifted his hand, tilting her chin up with the sharp edge of the blade in his grasp. She was quite certain he was fighting the urge to smirk at her behavior.
"I should go," she finally spoke.
He didn't say anything to her and trailed the blade down her smooth neck. When she felt the metal graze over her jugular, her breath hitched. He continued along her collarbone, then slid the blade between the overlap of the shirt she wore. His crimson orbs hypnotized her, making her senses lose focus on the weapon traveling along her body. Drowning in his gaze, she swore his eyes were slowly spinning, hypnotizing her body. He leaned in, placing his lips closely against the right corner of her lips before moving toward her ear. She felt the cold metal run along her abdomen, but the body heat radiating from the man before her was intoxicating. Her eyes closed slightly as she let out a sigh, reacting to his ghostly touch.
"You're a tease," he whispered.
She felt a slight chill run through her body, but couldn't tear her gaze from his body. He pulled back and admired the tantalizing sight of her, finally letting the smirk spread across his lips. Snapping out of her daze, Sakura looked at her attire and saw the shirt was opened, revealing her thin lingerie. The buttons that once secured the piece of clothing together were on the ground. He had used the kunai to cut the threads sown to hold the fasteners in place. Her hands immediately flew up to wrap the opening of the shirt around her exposed body to cover up her partial nudity. She was well aware she didn't need to hide her nakedness from her husband, but her embarrassed mind was telling her otherwise. A dark blush rushed across her face. She had never imaged being caught in the position she was in. Maybe in her wildest dreams, but what it would lead to was going to arouse them both. His right hand cupped her chin and tilted her head up to make her look at him. She was beautifully innocent in his dark world.
"I'll be done soon," he said, releasing her then turning back to continue his training.
Sakura sprinted out as fast as she could, completely embarrassed. The moment she reached the bedroom, she immediately shut herself inside the bathroom and leaned against the door. Her heart pounded loudly against her chest as she tried taking in deep breaths to calm herself. She felt the beating organ was trying to jump out of her body. She sensed the slight sticky moisture in her nether region and was relieved her husband hasn't initiated any sort of intimate action. She knew just one kiss would have done her in and they would be exploring each other's body. The woman turned toward the large mirror and saw her cheeks were still flushed a bright pink. Knowing her husband was likely going to shower after his workout, she needed to go through her morning routine quickly.
After finished up in the bathroom, Sakura changed out of her sleeping attire and into a crimson winter tunic dress that reached her knees. The large cowl neck design was scrunched neatly but left a view of her collarbones. Still a bit flustered, she went straight to the kitchen to get started on making brunch. As she tried to focus on prepping and cooking, her mind wandered elsewhere. She couldn't get the image of him shirtless and covered in sweat out of her head.
She let out an annoyed moan. "Stupid Sasuke-kun for getting me all hot and bothered," she muttered out loud to herself. "Why does he have to be so attractive and sexy?"
"So I'm attractive and sexy?"
She jumped at the sound of his voice and turned around to come face to face with the man that was plaguing her mind. There was a smug smirk across his lips as he watched Sakura's face turn bright pink. He had stepped into the kitchen to put his empty cup in the sink when he heard his wife's mumbled comment about him. It boosted his ego knowing he still had that sort of effect on the woman before him. It was only fair since she always affected him. Having been amused earlier, he couldn't help wanting to tease her further. He stood before her drenched in his sweat with a small blue towel over his shoulders.
"Yes, I mean no, I-I-I… You weren't –"
Sasuke stepped forward and placed a quick kiss on her lips. He pulled back just as quickly and turned around to leave. The smirk never left his lips as he went to freshen up, leaving the stunned woman to collect herself.
—xXx—
They sat across from each other eating brunch in complete silence. Sakura had prepared a traditional Japanese breakfast with some help from her husband after he had showered and changed. The events that took place earlier were still fresh in her mind and his current attire, or lack of, wasn't helping. He was dressed only in a pair of black jeans, leaving his chest exposed. The tank top he was supposed to have on was laying on the couch, neglected by its owner. She would occasionally look at him and would quickly turn her gaze back down at her plate when they made eye contact. Her cheeks remained a light pink the entire time. Sasuke purposely chose to tease his wife further because her flustered behavior amused him. It took a lot of will power to not smirk at Sakura's embarrassment.
Finishing the late bite of rice in his bowl, he set his utensils down and leaned back into his seat to observe his wife. Her current behavior reminded him of their past when they initially started dating. She was shy and nervous in the beginning until she got comfortable. As their relationship progressed, she became more open around him and even bold at times. They barely had anything in common and yet they were drawn to each other like magnets.
"Sasuke-kun," she said after swallowing. "Do we still have that dinner tonight?"
He nodded slightly to her question as he thought about the task he needed to complete. Having scouted the restaurant and surrounding areas two days ago when they were out and knew the layout fairly well. There weren't any security cameras and Sakura would be his main alibi. As much as he hated it, he needed a small team involved to collect evidence and clean up the scene. The only issue was that they would use the opportunity to try to capture him to bring him back. He was aware punishment was likely going to be arranged and that would mean being away from Sakura. He wasn't ready to go back just yet, not when his relationship with his wife was slowly stabilizing. He wanted to spend more time with her, away from any distraction.
"Would I have to dress up?" she asked. "I don't have anything even semi-formal with me."
He frowned, forgetting the most important detail he had overlooked. The restaurant they would be eating at had a strict dress code policy that customers needed to abide by or be forced to leave. He had the needed clothes already, but his wife didn't. There wasn't enough time to go out to find something last minute, get ready and make it in time for their reservation. Besides his mother, the only other woman that has been in their family's safe house was his sister-in-law. He remembered Sakura and his mother had cleaned up Izumi's belongings after her death. If it wasn't stored at headquarters, it had to be stored here.
Sasuke got up and headed straight to Itachi's room, hoping he would find what he wished for. He pulled open the closet doors and looked around the large wardrobe for a particular suitcase. Sakura had followed her husband and stood at the entrance, bewildered by his action. Once he located the burgundy suitcase, he pulled it out from its storage spot. Taking her hand, he pulled her toward their bedroom to display the contents within. He set the travel bag on the bed and opened it to reveal a bunch of different clothes. Folded neatly at the top was a black lace dress with a pink layer inside.
He stood with his hand stuffed into the pockets of his black ripped jeans, irritated by the suggestive glances he was getting from the female population. The unique high collar black short sleeve shirt he wore hid his scowling lips. He stood out like a sore thumb standing in the boutique, accompanying the person who dragged him in.
"What do you think of this Sasuke?"
He turned his gaze to the seafoam green laced pattered dress before glaring slightly at the woman who was holding it. Her waist-length dark hair was tied up into a ponytail with loose strands framing her face. She wore a violet short sleeve tunic dress with a small black crossbody purse and a pair of black clucks. On the left ring finger was a small silver band with a clear diamond and a small red rubies on either side and a solid gold band. She held the semi-casual garment up, turning it around on occasions as she inspected the style. Draped over her right arm were two pastel children outfits and a cherry blossomed pattered silk kimono. The children's clothing she had was for a girl and he found it odd when the woman only had a son. Her large dark orbs then glanced over at the man accompanying her, wanting his response.
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Why are we here, Izumi?"
Izumi rolled her eyes at the response before turning back to the rack of clothes. "We're supposed to be here, remember?" She flipped through the clothes on the rack, sometimes taking one out to inspect further before putting it back to look through more. "I'm paired with you on a field assignment and the intel led us here."
"You're shopping," Sasuke argued.
The woman turned her attention to the younger man and placed her hands on her hips. "We're at a mall Sasuke," she contended. "How else would you blend in huh? Would you rather be partnered with Naruto who's likely inhaling whatever he can buy at the food court?" He frowned at her. "I didn't think so." She turned her attentiveness back to the rack of clothes. "Plus the rookie with us is too scared to be around you."
"Hn."
A smile spread across her lips. "Besides, Suna has some styles and colors I find back home," she mentioned. "And I'm not shopping just for myself. I wanted to get Sakura-chan something since someone doesn't buy her gifts when he returns from his travels."
Sasuke raised a brow. "She never asks for anything."
Izumi sighed and shook her head slightly. "How did you ever get that sweet girl to out on a date with you in the first place?" she mumbled to herself. "Let alone marry you."
He heard her comment and glared at the woman. Feeling his intense annoyance directed at her, Izumi turned to give her own death stare at her brother-in-law before looking through the rack again.
"You can always get her something nice whether she says anything or not," she advised. "So if you see something nice you know or think your lovely wife will love, buy it. That's an order from me, your sweet caring sister-in-law." He snorted at Izumi's description of herself. ''Hell, I bet even bringing her a single rose every time you return would mean a lot to Sakura-chan."
"Hn."
She signed in defeat, knowing it wouldn't be easy to convince Sasuke to do something he thought as unnecessary. When she found the perfect design, she grabbed it from the rank and inspected it. After checking to see there weren't any loose stitchings and it was the correct size, the brought it to the cashier without bothering to ask her brother-in-law for his opinion. He followed behind and took a glance at the dress picked out. It was a thick shoulder strapped pastel pink silk dress with a black lace pattern layered over it. The style was good for both semi-formal and formal events. He may not understand women's fashion, but the loose black mesh sleeves and ruffled shoulders ruined its elegance.
"You're buying that for Sakura?" Sasuke asked with a crooked brow.
"Relax Sasuke," Izumi responded. "I'm going to alter it to make it look gorgeous."
It was known throughout the agency that Izumi had an eye for fashion that if it wasn't for her involvement in ANBU, she would have likely become a fashion designer. She diverted from that career path because of her desire to help others weighted heavily in her heart. She had gotten into computer science after her father's death when she was around five and eventually learned to hack. When her mother started going in between the hospital and the bills piled up, she began investigating why her only parent and countless others were being hospitalized consistently. She eventually found out their wealthy employers were making them ill and began hacking to transfer the corrupt companies' money to various organizations that would help people in need. Eventually, she was found out and corporate companies began to take out extreme actions that alerted ANBU. After being protected and saved by the agency, they offered her a chance to use her skills to help and protect others which she took without a second thought.
"Oh that reminds me," she said looking at Sasuke. "Remember that burgundy carryon I always used?" He nodded slightly. "There are some clothes inside there for Sakura-chan. I'll add this dress in once I'm done fixing it up."
"You're giving my wife your old clothes?"
"Yes and no," she answered, handing the cashier several bills. "There are several outfits I never wore. The ones I did wear, I only wore them once or twice and they don't fit me anymore ever since I had Toya-chan."
His eyes saddened at the memory as he looked at the very dress Izumi has purchased and true to her words, it had been altered. The mesh sleeves and shoulder ruffles were gone and the thick shoulder straps were now four spaghetti straps. The wearer's shoulders would be completely exposed with two simple straps over the shoulder and two longer ones crossing at the back. Sakura held up the dress admiring the beauty of the outfit.
"It's beautiful."
Izumi had been the older sister figure to both of him. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, he had taken some of his sister-in-law's advice that helped woo the woman that was now his wife. That was the last mission he had with her and six months later, she was killed. After her death, Sasuke had taken it upon himself to at least get a rose for his wife whenever he returned to Sakura after a mission. If anyone could help Sakura through her current struggle to understand the world surrounding the members of ANBU, it would be Izumi.
"Izumi picked it out," he told her.
A sad smile appeared on her lips as she remembered the woman. She brought the dress to her chest to cherish it even more. Izumi's sudden death had shocked her and she never really got the details surrounding it. Sasuke saw a lanyard with a USB flash drive laying on top of the folded clothes and was immediately curious why it was there. Picking it up the tiny storage drive, he saw the familiar elegant handwriting on it.
Only if she knows.
He never expected his sister-in-law to prepare something like this. Without hesitation, he went over to the desk and pulled out a laptop from the drawer. After powering it up, he plugged in the flash drive and it automatically began running. In a matter of seconds, a video appeared with the chestnut-haired woman. Sakura placed the dress down on the bed and went to her husband's side to watch the recording.
"Hi Sakura-chan," Izumi started. "If you're watching this, I'm no longer here." Her usual loving expression has been taken over with sorrow. "And you know the ugly truth we've kept from you."
Sakura placed her right hand over her chest as she leaned against her husband who instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist. She missed the woman that was like an older sister to her. She could feel her eyes beginning to water.
"I know there's a lot to take in," she continued. "And I don't expect you to forgive any of us overnight. There are things I've been hiding too and I wish I was there to make it right. Know that if you ever need support, reach out to Konan-chan."
She remembered the blue-haired woman very well, having been Izumi's maid of honor.
"I have one favor to ask of you and Sasuke," Izumi spoke sadly as tears began to build up in her eyes. "Take care of Itachi-kun, Toya-chan, and Aya-chan for me." Tears began to fall down her cheeks. "And tell them I love them with all my heart."
The video ended and the only thing went through the couple's mind. Who is Aya?
"Just back in slowly until you tap the bummer, yeah," Deidara said to the agent driving the medium side cargo truck as he walked past. "Just make sure you guys don't damage the evidence as you unload, yah."
The driver and other agents responded to the instructions as they worked. The blond climbed up the metal steps to the loading dock and stood beside Shikamaru who was smoking a cigarette. The two of them with a team consisting of twelve other agents were dressed similarly to construction workers. It worked out in their favor as they were working almost around the clock for almost two days straight cleaning debris and digging. The team was covered in dirt and grime from all the physical labor even with the help of machinery. They had divided the group into shifts to keep their excavation running almost nonstop to confirm their suspicions. They never expected to uncover what they did.
"Heard old man Onoki has been keeping your dad in Iwagakure with games of shoji, yeah," Deidara said patting off some of the dirt on the sleeve of his black jacket.
Shikamaru took a long drag from his cigarette then exhaled. "Troublesome."
"Well, you better get him back here soon." Deidara crossed his arms over his chest. "I think you're gonna need another genius to help you figure this out, yeah."
The brunet took another drag as they watched as three agents slowly roll out a large cylindrical tube. Suspended in the light blue fluid within was a male human monstrosity. It looked like a scene out of a science fiction horror movie. The body was visibly human, but the gruesome distortion of the left side wasn't normal. Following behind them was another cylindrical tube but with a female body. The figure still had its feminine form but had modified features made to resembled mythical beings.
"This might sound mean, yeah," the blond said. "But I'm glad we didn't find them alive."
Shikamaru breathed out the smoke from his lungs and nodded.
He stood before the large mirror hanging on the inside of the dresser's door as he got ready for the evening. His hair that was naturally spiked at the back was flattened with some hair products to change his look. He had settled for the simple combination of black and white for his suit. As he buttoned up the white dress shirt, he heard his wife approaching and turned to glance at her appearance.
Sasuke's hand stopped moving as he looked at his wife, captivated by her beauty. While walking toward him, Sakura smoothed out the wrinkles at the hem of her dress. It fit her perfectly, stopping right above her knee. She wore a pair of opaque black stockings to reduce her skin's exposure to the cold element. To cover her bare shoulders and arms, she had a black shawl wrapped neatly in layers to keep her warm. Her face was powered in addition to dark eye shadow and liner. Her lips were painted with a light coral pink lipstick with a think gloss coat over it. Her dyed hair in combination with her makeup and attire made her eyes pop and her skin tone look a shade lighter. When came to a stop before her husband and she looked into his eyes, a light blush appeared across her cheeks.
Seeing Sasuke had stopped in the middle of buttoning up his shirt, she moved his hands to help him. She then took the black-tie from his left hand and began to knot it around the collar of his shirt. He didn't say a word as he eyed her from head to toe. After she secured the necktie into his proper place, she grabbed the suit jacket from the chair and handed it to him. As he took the last piece of his attire, he leaned his head down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He pulled back slightly and rested his forward against hers.
"You look beautiful."
—xXx—
The sky was being painted a midnight blue as the fiery orange receded. The sun had almost finished setting when they pulled into valet parking. Sasuke exited out of the driver seat to his wife with the keys still in the ignition and the engine still running. The passenger side door was opened by one of the young men working, allowing Sakura to get out as she held her winter coat from falling off her shoulders. She thanked the young man and smiled, then took a step over to link her arm to her husband's. The walked in silence toward the heart of the restaurant district. The atmosphere around them was a nice change in pace. When they entered one of the high-end restaurants, Sakura was surprised to see people waiting. Sasuke led his wife through the small crowd until they reached the host standing behind the podium.
"Good evening sir," the host said. "Please be aware the wait time is about two hours."
"We have reservations," Sasuke said.
"Oh excellent, name please."
"Fujiwara."
"One moment sir," the host said as he checked the tablet before him.
Sakura wasn't surprised her husband had used a fake name, especially when they needed to keep a low profile. As they waited, her emerald orbs observe the dining area. The tables were set a good distance apart from other tables to ensure there was plenty of room for waiters and waitresses to move about but also ample space between the guests. The occupancy hasn't reached max capacity yet even though the host had mentioned the wait time being two hours.
"Ah yes," the host said. "VIP reservation for two under Fujiwara." The man gestured the couple to follow the hostess that picked up two menus. "She will take you to your table."
The couple followed the hostess to their table. Once their seating was shown, Sasuke helped his wife out of her coat and pulled the chair out for her. Sakura thanked her husband for his gesture as he placed her overcoat over the back of her chair. She waited until her husband was seated before picking up the menu to look over their options. Everything sounded delicious and the sight of the dishes the servers brought out to other customers reassured the quality was excellent. Curious of the prices the highly-rated restaurant had, her eyes immediately widened upon seeing the unbelievable high prices. She had dined in lavish places before, but the prices weren't this extravagant. Sakura placed her menu down to look at her husband doing the same as he closed it.
"Have you decided on your order?" he asked.
"How are you planning to pay for this?" she asked quietly. "It's expensive."
"Don't worry about it," he reassured. "I have it covered so enjoy yourself tonight."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded to answer her question. Sakura couldn't remember the last time they had gone out to a fancy dinner together. It felt too good to be real, but she didn't question it. Unknowing to her, the assassin before her was working. She closed the menu before her and let a small smile grace her lips.
"Will you order for me?" she inquired. She placed her left elbow on the table and gracefully rested her chin on the palm of her hand. "I want you to surprise me."
Sasuke smirked at her request. He was going to ensure their outing together went smoothly.
"You sure this is the place?" Naruto asked as he peered through a pair of binoculars. "I don't see him anywhere."
Tenten laid perched on the roof edge, with her empty sniper rifle. She scanned through the scope at the restaurants below until she spotted who they were looking for.
"Bingo," she said. "Ten o'clock in the middle of the room. Hair flattened."
The blond switched his view in the direction his colleague had pointed out to him. As he focused in at his best friend, his cerulean orbs noticed the dark-haired woman seated across from him. Assuming he was seeing things, Naruto rubbed his eyes then went back for a second look. He watched as Sasuke raised his glass of whiskey to the dark-haired woman with a smirk. The female seated across from him held up her drink to him before both took a sip. He caught sight of the wedding band around the woman's left ring finger and his jaw just dropped.
"Tell me I'm seeing things," Naruto said in disbelief. "Teme is having dinner with a married woman that isn't Sakura-chan."
Time passed too quickly for Sakura's liking that she wished the world around them would slow down. They had talked about their past together, more like she did all the talking, never going into the subjects that surrounded ANBU. The appetizers and entrées Sasuke had ordered were delicious and what she wanted. The young woman was currently working on a slice of raspberry cheesecake as her husband watched her.
"You sure you don't want any?" she teased, knowing well her husband was not a fan of sweets.
"Hn."
His dark orbs watched the waiter walked by, holding a tray of drinks from the bar. Right as he was about to walk past the assassin, Sasuke reached out for the glass of whisky. Sakura was puzzled, remembering her husband hadn't ordered another drink.
"Sorry sir," the waiter said. "That is for another table."
"Table three?" Sasuke questioned.
"Yes," the waiter said. "I can get you one after I deliver this."
Sasuke nodded and placed the drink back on the tray for the waiter to deliver. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the alcoholic beverage being given to his target and began to countdown in his mind. He shifted his gaze back at his wife and noticed her sadden gaze.
"You're working," she stated as a matter of fact.
His dark orbs looked at her blankly, neither confirming nor denying her statement. Sakura knew the dinner was a little too good to be true, but never brought up the fact until she had possible proof. If she had blinked a second later she would have missed the pill the assassin had slip into the drink to dissolve before giving it back to the waiter.
She took a bite of her dessert. "How did you know who ordered the drink?"
"It's apart of my job," he answered.
New to the world of the unknown organization of ANBU, the young doctor didn't believe her husband. In her mind, she had listed a set of skills she had read or seen fictional assassin used and wondered if it was fictional. She wanted to learn more and this was her chance to do so.
"What did the table behind me have?" she questioned before eating another piece of her dessert.
"Two house specials salads, herb grilled salmon topped with seared scallops, mushrooms, spinach, and a medium-rare rib-eye steak and lobster tail with a side of cream spinach and a baked potato," he answered.
Her eyes lit up with amazement; she had barely heard the table behind her order their food and Sasuke got it down the exact things. Her emerald orbs saw the occupants of the table behind him and figured there was no way her husband would know what the woman was wearing since he hadn't turned to look back.
"What is the woman seated at the table behind you wearing?"
"The brunet woman in the red dress seated behind me is not a woman," he smoothly said.
Her brow rose as she placed her fork down and grabbed her glass of champagne. As she tipped the drink to her mouth, she studied the facial structure and upper body build of the woman resembled a male's; the contours drawn in with the makeup was excellent that it fooled her. Her lips turned to a frown at the smirk Sasuke had across his face knowing he was right. After taking a sip of her drink, she mouthed a question to the man sitting before her.
His smirk only grew. "Black," he answered, tilting the spoon on the table to look at the refection of the target getting up from his seat. "And it's laced."
Sakura blushed; she had mouthed the question of what color undergarments she was wearing and her husband had answered correctly. She thought he wouldn't know since they hadn't dressed each other's presence.
The smirk on his lips disappeared as Sasuke got up from his seat. "Be ready to leave in five minutes."
"What about the check?"
"I'll handle it."
She nodded and watched her husband head in the direction of the restrooms. When he reached the entrance of the men's room, two largely build men stood on guard, stopping him from entering. Knowing they wanted to do a body check for weapons, he held his hands up to indicate he met no harm. The bodyguard to his left stepped forward and began to pat the assassin down, but found no weapons of any kind. Once the search was complete, they allowed Sasuke to pass. When he entered, another bodyguard stood before the furthest stall the target was in. The assassin only nodded at the guard before going into the open stall next to the occupied one.
Once the door was closed behind him, Sasuke removed the lid from the toilet drain and grabbed the ziplock bag he had planted in a few days back. Inside was one of his silver handguns, a fully loaded magazine, a silencer, a pair of gloves, and a filled syringe. He opened the waterproof plastic and grabbed the gloves. When they were on, he put the capped syringe between his teeth as he screwed on the silencer and inserted the magazine into his gun. When all was set, he heard the toilet flush in the stall beside him.
A man in his late forties stepped out of the stall, grumbling about the sudden stomachache that interrupted his dinner with the escort he had hired for the night. He went over to the sink to clean his hands as his bodyguard watched over. Sasuke pulled open the door of the stall he was in and aimed his gun at the unsuspected guard's heard. The moment the trigger was pulled, blood splattered on the mirror beside the target and the man fell.
"What—"
The assassin appeared behind the target and wrapped his hand around his mouth to prevent him from calling in his other guards. Taking the syringe, he quickly plugged it into his neck, injecting the solution within. Pulling the syringe out, he dropped the medical tool down on the ground and destroyed it by stepping on it. With the target silenced and immobilized, Sasuke wrapped his arm in a headlock position and dragged the target behind the door.
"A little assistance in here," the dark-haired man called out.
The door swung open, hiding Sasuke and his victim behind it as the two guards that were once outside entered. Upon seeing the blood, they reached for their guns. Pulling up his firearm, the assassin fired one round each at the head of the watchmen. More blood splattered on the white walls of the men's room, painting it with specks of red. Before the door closed completely, the assassin hung the out of order sign in the knob to prevent any disturbances.
"Now cooperate or suffer the same faith."
—xXx—
A sigh escaped her lips as she picked up her glass of champagne to finish the last of it. As bad as it sounded, she was thankful her husband had ordered alcohol. Knowing he was returning soon, Sakura grabbed the black shaw behind her and wrapped it around her shoulders messily. Sakura didn't want to think about what her husband was doing, but at the same time, it bugged her to no end. Part of her wondered whether Sasuke had planned her involvement long before that night. Her emerald orbs fell upon the engagement and wedding ring on her left ring finger. They had made a vow to accept each other at their best and worse. Though she didn't agree with what he does, she would support him regardless and hope that he does the same for her.
"Ready?
She looked up to see Sasuke picking up his coat from the chair. Sasuke pulled out a few crumpled large bills from his pocket and tossed them onto the table, more than enough to cover the cost of their meal and tips. She noticed some had fresh specks of red on them and held her tongue from asking about it. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and stood from her seat. He held her coat up for her to slip into before taking her hand in his to lead them out. Noticing her slight discomfort, Sasuke guided them toward the park a block from where they were. The various walking paths were cleared of snow as the lamps lit the way. Though it was chilly, the night was beautiful and he wanted her to enjoy it, to put her mind at ease.
As they ventured deeper into the park, Sasuke kept his senses on high alert. They were being followed. Avoiding a fight would be difficult, especially with Sakura around. He knew pulling out his gun would mean her possibly getting caught in the crossfire the moment a trigger is pulled. Something rustled in the bushes before them and stopped the couple in their tracks. At the sound of guns clicking, the assassin instinctively pulled his wife into his chest and wrapped his left arm protectively around her waist. He immediately pulled out his firearm and pointed it straight ahead as the first body emerged from the darkness.
"Time to go back teme," Naruto said with his gun drawn at his side.
Sasuke gritted his teeth. Sending the blond meant serious busy for Naruto was one of the few capable of matching him blow for blow when it came down to their fists. He was sure extreme measures must have been taken and that Naruto had backup. The small team hidden was there for minimal support if necessary. Sakura felt the hold on her tighten and she turned her gaze to look at her husband. His once onyx orbs had turned crimson, allowing him to assess the situation they were in.
"You should be ashamed of yourself too," Naruto said. "Cheating on Sakura-chan."
Sakura shifted her gaze to the blond blocking their path. She was slightly surprised Naruto didn't recognizer her with her slightly altered look. Her fingers gripped onto the fabric of her husband's winter coat as she looked up into his furious gaze. Without breaking the eye contact he held with his best friend, the dark-haired assassin leaned his head down and ran his lips against the forehead of his wife. It was a loving gesture he did often to calm her and she found it odd that he was doing it now. Those red eyes of his were focused at the obstacle before him, never moving to meet her gaze. Suddenly she felt the grip around her waist disappear and appear around the front of her neck.
"Leave." She was immediately forced to turn around with her back against her husband's chest. She felt the cold metal of the gun pointed at her head. "Or I blow her head off."
PLEASE REVIEW!
Yes, Sasuke has his gun pointed at Sakura. Don't shoot me! You will find out in the next chapter as to why he turned his gun on her, but you are all free to guess. The whole recording thing seemed cheesy, but more about Izumi will be revealed in a later chapter along with a huge twist. Defiantly a lot of SASUSAKU moments, especially the lime in the beginning. If anyone is wondering, there will be a lemon eventually.
To all of those that have reviewed, favorite, and follow, I thank you all so very much. I hope to hear from all of you.