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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Sanguine

def. 1. happy, hopeful; 2. crimson, blood-soaked.

Chapter 2

Offer

"Sasori."

The twenty-four year old looked upwards, his hazel eyes searching for the owner the voice that called out to him. He spotted a figure perched on a tree branch located across the green clearing he had been loitering around for several hours.

"You're late," scowled Sasori, his arms crossed. "I don't like being kept waiting."

Itachi leaped down from his spot on the branch and landed several steps away from the red-head. "Apologies," he murmured, "I had to make sure my tracks were properly covered."

Sasori's lips pursed at his raven-haired companion's very reasonable reply. He sighed and released his arms from their locked position. "It's fine." Then his lips twisted in disdain. "I'd rather we don't get caught."

Itachi hummed in agreement before taking a seat on top of a nearby bedrock.

The two of them had been friends since they were little. Itachi was a prodigy, belonging to a prestigious noble clan that hailed from Konoha, a beautiful and green city that served as the Fire Country's capital. As one of Konoha's top soldiers, Itachi also directly served the Queen herself, sworn to protect her with his life.

On the other hand, Sasori came from the neighboring Wind country, a land constantly exposed to the sun's harsh rays and covered in sandy dunes, with Suna as it's capital city. Wind Country's current king was also his uncle, and thus Sasori was a prince himself. However he liked to keep that fact of himself hidden, and so only a handful of people outside of Suna knew of his royal standing; one of them being Itachi, another being Konoha's monarch.

It was past the break of dawn. The two of them were currently idling around in a forest near Konoha, a long distance and several days away from where they had initially been for their current covert mission of six years and counting, assigned by Konoha's Queen herself. Their aim was to infiltrate the ranks of a mercenary organization owned by a wealthy nobleman. However, their target wasn't the lord himself, but rather a mysterious benefactor that controlled the lord like a puppet behind the scenes. Naturally, the benefactor had yet to reveal himself.

The first year of their mission, they successfully joined the upper ranks of the organization. Afterwords, they spent the next five years scouting around and hunting for information while balancing missions given by the organization's leader. It was rather boorish, as half the time they would hit some sort of dead end. And now finally, after six years of depthless results, a rather interesting yet favorable circumstance finally arose before them.

Sasori stiffled a yawn as he fiddled with a blade in boredom. "So," He drawled, "How do you plan to go about with this... risky opportunity."

"Risky indeed," Itachi's lips pressed together tightly. "That is why we are here," He continued, motioning to their surroundings. His eyes landed on the faraway castle, vividly seen over the treetops. "I believe we should request assistance."

Sasori chewed on the skin of his bottom lip as he eyed the same castle. "This request for assistance could either kill us," He murmured, "Or bring us up."

Itachi agreed.

Tsunade frowned as her fingers lightly tapped against her mahogany desk in a rhythmical manner. Her hazel eyes were locked onto a particular scroll, a report that she had received three months prior from the prison located on the outskirts of the Fire Country. Like every other morning, she would pull it out to read it once or twice, before moving on to her stash of paperwork.

For the umpteenth time, she let out a frustrated sigh. Her fingers balled up into a tight fist as she glared at the report. 'But what can I do?' She bit her lip. It was a question that plagued her mind since even before the report fell into her hands. 'How can I help her?'

A brief knock sounded against the double doors of her office. "My lady," A muffled female voice could be heard from the other side. "You have important guests waiting for you."

Tsunade raised a brow. Guests? Surely it couldn't be the blasted elders. She collected the report together and rolled it up, the silk of her robes rustling as she moved around. She neatly placed the report next to a fairly tall stack of scrolls at the side of her desk. Then she called out, "Bring them in."

Moments later, the double doors opened, revealing the head maid Shizune, along with two hooded figures following behind her. Once the two figures settled inside of the room, Shizune closed the doors behind her and made her way to Tsunade's side. "Look who's home after all these years." Shizune cheerfully said.

Before Tsunade could ask, the two figures pulled back their hoods. Tsunade's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she recognized the faces of Sasori and Itachi.

The two men swiftly knelt before her and lowered their heads in respect. "Your Majesty." They greeted.

"Rise, the both of you." She smiled and nodded at each of them. "I'm glad to see the both of you healthy and strong."

Sasori and Itachi straightened themselves, each murmuring quick thanks.

Tsunade nodded again. Then she cleared her throat, her gaze more stern. "Report."

"We believe Uchiha Madara will be showing himself soon." Itachi murmured, "Two weeks ago, it was announced within the organization that a battle royale will be held in a month between skillful thieves and killers."

Sasori crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Utterly ridiculous if I do say so myself." He muttered under his breath.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed at the newfound information and she frowned. "What do you suppose his ulterior motive is?" She wondered.

"I believe it is to fill in the final position of his line of top assassins, in order to carry out an even bigger operation." Answered Itachi.

"The catch is," Sasori interrupted. "Not anyone can join this battle royale."

Curiously, she asked, "What do you mean?"

"That is why we are here." Itachi continued, "Including Sasori and I, there are currently ten highly ranked members of the organization. Each member is allowed to handpick one person to participate in this competition."

"It's rather risky," Sasori frowned, "But I believe it's an opportunity to bring in a third person into this mission." Then he added, "It would also greatly assist Itachi and I, since we are constantly assigned on missions by the organization's leader."

Tsunade laid back against her seat and folded her hands across her lap as she contemplated. "So how do you want to go about with this opportunity?"

"Itachi has already plucked an irrelevant thief from a random village to be his representative." Sasori lazily flicked a ball of cotton off of his sleeve. "The battle royale starts in a month. I've gotten permission to roam the nation to search for my representative, because everyone certainly knows how picky and eccentric I am." He sarcastically said, rolling his eyes once more.

"Ah," Tsunade hummed. "So you're hoping I could provide you with someone."

"Correct," Sasori smiled lightly. "Smart as ever, Your Majesty."

"You don't give me enough credit, Prince." Tsunade huffed, "I'm not queen or head physician for nothing."

Itachi smiled lightly at the banter between his friend and his monarch.

"Anyways," Tsunade cleared her throat. "In terms of skill and prowess, I believe Sasuke is most suited for this mission."

Sasori made a face at the mention of his companion's younger sibling.

"This is a death match." Itachi's lips pursed in disdain. "I would not like to witness my little brother's death if he were to be overpowered in these matches. Besides," Itachi shrugged a little. "I believe he would rather stay here in the palace, in order to protect our parents in the case of something terrible befalling them."

Tsunade's brows furrowed. "If you say it like that, then I don't have anyone for you. I can't possibly offer you the rest of the brats in the guards either, they're just as irreplaceable."

Sasori tapped his foot a little, silently thinking. "If possible," He started, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "One that is efficient when it comes to killing with absolutely no qualms. Perhaps someone from the prison?"

Tsunade's eyes widened a little. Slightly baffled, she asked, "You want a criminal to represent you?"

Sasori shrugged. "It would be preferred. Specifically, one who used to be an assassin. If you can't provide one, someone of similar caliber would be fine." His eyes quickly narrowed as he noticed the corner of her lips twitch, along with a brief flash of pain in her eyes. "You have someone in mind." He stated.

Tsunade slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her hazel orbs landed on the small scroll that sat next to her pile of paperwork. She gently took it into her hand, gave it a long stare, and then placed it back down on her desk. She slid it towards him and motioned at it with her chin. Quietly, she said, "Read it."

Sasori and Itachi gave each other questioning looks before Sasori grabbed it off the desk. He unrolled the scroll and speedily scanned the contents of the report. When he was done, he handed the scroll to Itachi and looked back at Tsunade. "When was this?"

"Three months ago."

Itachi's foot tapped as he read the report. "Forty-seven jailors killed in order to stop her from escaping." The more he read, the more he began to frown. Slowly, a glint of understanding and recognition began to appear in his eyes.

Tsunade closed her eyes again and began to massage her temples. "Mind you, this is a high-security prison we're talking about. She was rendered unconscious by several tranquilizers before she reached the outer wall."

"She was hit by the tranquilizers a few minutes before she reached the wall." Sasori repeated the words he had read not too long ago, his lips twitched as amusement danced in his eyes. "How weak are these tranquilizers?"

"They're not weak at all," Tsunade grumbled. "One dose of those tiny tranquilizers can knock out an elephant in ten seconds." Then with a proud huff, she added, "I was the one who created them."

"And yet it took four doses and eight minutes to completely knock her out." Sasori said, slightly impressed. Then he raised a brow as a question that he should've asked a while ago struck him. "Who is she?"

"The imperial princess." Itachi stated. He rolled up the scroll and set it back on Tsunade's desk.

"Yes," Tsunade's gaze fell on the scroll. "My student and heir," She whispered, "My daughter."

Sasori blinked as the new information soaked in. "She's a princess?"

Neither Tsunade nor Itachi said a word.

"Wait," Sasori rubbed his temples. "How come I've never seen her the three years that I've lived here?" 'And how did a princess end up in prison?'

"She had been training at a secluded island long before your uncle sent you here to me." Tsunade smiled faintly, "She came back a month after the two of you left for this mission, and insisted partaking in the royal army's advanced activities."

Before Sasori could ask anymore questions, Tsunade cleared her throat. "Do you think she would fit your description?"

Taking the hint, he bit at the inside of his cheek in order to restrain himself. "Perfectly," Sasori murmured.

"Alright," Tsunade stood up from her seat. "I will call a meeting with the Council and bring this up to them. Even though I am queen, I can't make any decisions without their approval." She added, "Even if it concerns my own daughter."

"We greatly appreciate your help," said Itachi. He humbly bowed his head, Sasori following suit.

A quiet chuckle escaped Tsunade's lips. "No need to thank me," She murmured. "I benefit greatly from this opportunity too."

Hours after Sasori and Itachi had left her office, Tsunade stayed true to her words and called a meeting between herself and the councilmen.

The sun was now setting, and they were currently seated in the Hall of Wisdom, a chamber where the majority of her meetings with the council took place. Tsunade sat at the head of a long table. Seated on the left side of her, near the center of the table, were three elders wise beyond their age, and serving as her advisories. Lined up on the entire right side of the table, were seven men, all of them leaders to their own respective clans. In short, the council had a total of ten members.

"What is the reason for this unplanned meeting?" Demanded Utatane Hotaru. Seated between the other two elderly men, she was the only female in the council. "For what reason must we be summoned before nightfall?!" Frankly, Tsunade found her the most annoying out of the three elders.

Following Hotaru's cry of complaint were several murmurs of confusion and curiosity. Tsunade bit the inside of her cheek in irritation as the drivel got louder and louder. "Enough!" Tsunade commanded, her voice booming within the chamber. "You dare question my summonings?"

Not wanting to upset their queen even further, the members of the council began to quiet down. Once they completely settled down, Tsunade took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "It seems Madara will show himself soon."

The pressure in the room dropped as silence enveloped the chamber.

"Madara?" Hissed Nagai Kogarou, an elder seated near the end of the table, to Utatane's left. "Madara will show himself?" His voice raised as he repeated Tsunade's words in disbelief. "How is that possible?" His eyes fell on the the man seated closest to Tsunade. "Lord Uchiha, is this nonsense true?"

Uchiha Fugaku, general of the royal army, was a man well into his late forties, with sleek raven hair, and eyes as black as night. He quietly sighed as he closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "It appears my son is back." He murmured, obviously relaxed in his chair.

"That's right," Tsunade confirmed. "Your eldest son and his companion has returned briefly to inform me of this."

Fugaku gave a low hum of approval.

"That's impossible," Hotaru scoffed. "That traiterous bastard is dead."

"Do you have evidence that he is dead?" A fair man with long brown locks and a set of pearl eyes spoke up. Hyuuga Hiashi's cold eyes bore through Hotaru. "I don't mean to disrespect you, Elder Utatane," He continued, "However, since his act of treason, we have been unable to locate his whereabouts, nor do we have evidence that he is dead."

Hotaru's eyes narrowed. "Lord Hyuuga," She started, "The revolt was twenty years ago. I saw with my own two eyes, the way an arrowed pierced his chest. I saw how he fell, how the rubble buried him." She huffed haughtily. "How can anyone survive that?"

"And yet," Hiashi countered, "His body was nowhere to be found, despite the efforts to find it."

"Enough," Growled a man seated on Utatane's right. Mitokado Homura turned his attention to Tsunade, who was beginning to lose her patience again. "My queen," He humbly bowed his head. "Please continue."

Tsunade hummed and nodded in approval.

"It's been reported by Fugaku's son and his companion that a battle royale will be held soon and a representative will be needed." Tsunade tossed a certain report towards the center of the table. "I have someone in mind. Itachi and his special companion also requests to have this person."

"I may be wrong," Hiashi started, "But I believe Itachi's companion is of royalty?"

"Aa," Fugaku closed his eyes as he let out a knowing smirk. "His Highness Sasori, of the Land of Wind."

Hotaru's eyes widened at the mention of their neighbouring country's prince. "The current king's nephew?!"

"Correct." Slowly, a feral smile creeped onto Tsunade's features. "The prince has been traveling with Fugaku's son for over six years now, on a joint mission between Konoha and Suna that I specially assigned them." She continued, "And His Highness requests that we specially lend this person to him for the sake of the mission to expose Madara and finish him off once for all."

Whispers circulated around the chamber.

Homura quickly grabbed the scroll that lay at the center of the table. He unraveled the scroll, his eyes scanning left and right as he took in the content of the scroll. His eyebrows furrowed and he blinked several times as he reread certain parts of the report.

"The princess," Breathed Homura, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You want the princess to take part in this."

At this, Hotaru's shrill stare instantly came down on Tsunade. She hissed, "You-"

"Let's make a wager," Tsunade interrupted. "However I assure you, it's a very, very one-sided wager." She smiled slyly.

"Absolutely not!" Hotaru shrieked. "You want to free a killer?!"

A blond man stood up and slammed his hands on the table. "Don't you dare speak ill towards our princess." Yamanaka Inoichi growled.

"Our princess," Utatane sneered, "Is a cold blooded killer, one who killed her own people." She let out a mocking laugh. "Oh my, did you perhaps forget how your daughter entered the afterlife?"

Inoichi gritted his teeth. "You know nothing." He hissed.

Hotaru huffed and rolled her eyes. "Anyways," Her attention went back to Tsunade. "This wager of yours is invalid and nonsensical."

"No," Fugaku spoke up. "If His Highness Sasori specially requested this, it would most likely anger Wind Country's king if we refuse."

Tsunade grinned as she met eye to eye with Fugaku, who returned her grin with a smirk. She set her elbows onto the table and laced her fingers together. "We can't afford to anger his uncle and have a war break out against our strongest ally," She smiled at Hotaru. "Isn't that right?"

Hotaru lips trembled in anger, her eyes glaring holes through Tsunade. However, Tsunade was unaffected. She knew she had the elders trapped. 'Wrapped around my little pinky, and all it took was using that cheeky brat's name.'

"Your Majesty, what do you suggest we do?" asked Homura. He slowly set the scroll back down on the table.

Tsunade straightened up in her seat. Her eyes sharpened as she looked at each and every member of the Council. "We will heed Prince Sasori's request. If my daughter succeeds in this mission, I want her reinstated as my heir, to be next in line for the throne once more."

"Killer or not," Tsunade continued. "She is the only princess you have." Then she smiled, "If you refuse, I will simply abdicate my seat to a certain whiskered idiot in the army, and I will do it without the Council's approval."

A string of coughs escaped Hiashi. "Your Majesty!" He exclaimed incredulously.

"I'm sure you wouldnt like that." Tsunade nodded sagely. "So," She smiled once more. "What do my dear councilmen think of this offer?"

Once more, the chamber was enveloped with hushed whispers.

Minutes later, Fugaku cleared his throat, catching the attention of his councilmates. "All in favor of this offer, raise your hand." As he said that, he raised his own hand.

Not long after his hand went up, the other six clan leaders followed suit, lifting their own hands in approval to Tsunade's offer. The elders, albeit reluctant, also raised their hands.

Tsunade felt her shoulders loosen up as a wave of relief and a sense of accomplishment overcame her. 'I can finally help her.'

She let out a long and slow wave of breath. "This meeting is now adjourned."

Two days had passed since Sasori and Itachi had arrived at Konoha. The very night they heard news of the Council's approval, they immediately departed from Konoha. The penitentiary was located on the outskirts of the Fire Country's border, and so it was a day's travel on horse from Konoha.

They had sent a messenger hawk before they left, in order to inform the warden of their arrival. The sun was rising when they reached the penitentiary, and they were instantly let in without being bodily searched. Of course, another reason they were let in so easily was because Itachi had visitedm as Tsunade's ambassador several times in the past.

Once they crossed the yard and entered the building, a bald man with a peculiar curly mustache bowed before them. "It is good to see you again, young lord." He murmured.

"Aa," Itachi nodded. Deciding not to beat around the bush, Itachi asked, "I assume you've read the message we sent with the hawk last night?"

"Yes, of course." The warden motioned towards a nearby hallway. "This way please. We have brought her down from her cell."

Without another word, Sasori and Itachi followed after him.

After a minute of walking, they came upon a sole door. The warden unlocked the door and opened it slightly for them. "She is in here."

Itachi nodded and dismissed the warden. "Thank you. We will call upon you if we need assistance."

With that said, Sasori and Itachi entered the room. What they found inside of the room was a lone woman on the floor, her wrists and ankles weighed down by long, heavy chains attached to the wall.

Sasori observed her as Itachi closed the door behind them.

She was a pale woman that was thin to the very bone. Her equally pale pink hair cascaded down her shoulders and around her. Curiously, Sasori squinted his eyes in an attempt to see past the bangs that covered her face.

"Who are you?"

Sasori blinked as he realized a whisper had escaped from the girl.

"Who are you?" She repeated, louder than the first time.

Itachi stepped up and knelt on the floor in front of her. "Your highness," He began.

"Don't call me that."

Itachi paused for a second. "Your highness," He said again. "I'm not sure if you remember me," He said gently. "I am Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother."

The girl slowly sat up. As her bangs fell away from her face, Sasori noticed her lifeless green eyes. "Get out." She flatly said.

Itachi's eyebrows furrowed. Was it possible that she didn't remember him? "Your hi-"

"I said get out."

Before Itachi could say anything else, Sasori instantly stepped up. "We're here to take you out of here."

The girl became still as stone as she processed his words. A beat later, "Elaborate."

"I hear the reason why you're here is because you supposedly went mad on a mission and massacred a few of your own soldiers." Sasori lazily waved his hand. "Naturally, that's unacceptable behavior, even from a princess such as yourself."

Sasori smirked as he noticed the corner of her lips twitch a little. He knelt on one knee and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Clemency, in exchange for your prowess." He stated. "You would be a great asset towards the success of our mission." He added.

"Your mission," She echoed.

"Correct," He confirmed. "Your mother also wishes for you to partake in this, and has received permission from the elders to offer you clemency if the mission is a success."

The girl went silent at the mention of her mother.

"If you accept," He slowly said, "You'll never see this place again." He motioned at the walls surrounding them. "You'll never be a prisoner again."

Sasori watched her as she thought about what he had said. Despite the lifelessness in her eyes, he saw a hint of defiance along with a spark of hope. 'What an odd shade of green,' He mused, fascinated by the color of the girl's eyes. Never before, had he ever seen eyes as green as hers.

The girl looked up, and her green eyes met his hazel eyes. "Who are you?" She asked.

"Sasori," He simply said. Then he stood back up on his feet and offered her his hand.

She watched him with a calculative stare, her eyes moving back and forth between his eyes and his hand.

"Haruno Sakura," He began. "Do accept this offer?"

Sakura stared at his hand as she took the offer into consideration again. 'Freedom,' She chanted in her head. 'Freedom.' She looked over to Itachi, who was still knelt down beside her. He sent her a small smile of encouragement.

She slowly reached for Sasori's waiting hand, the chains around her wrists jangled as she moved. She hesitated for a brief second, before placing her hand on top of his palm. As their hands met, she felt the heavy weight of her despair being lifted off her shoulder.

Sakura's eyes met Sasori's eyes once more. She saw surety, along with confidence in his eyes. Confident that they would succeed. Confident that he would be the key to her freedom.

"I do."

A/N: Seems like everyone is getting some kind of offer. This chapter is extremely heavy in dialogue, but that's ok because Sasori is here right?

Please R&R.