Adagio for Love

by SasuXSaku Guru

Disgraced Interpol agent Uchiha Sasuke, must enlist the aid of former teammates to finally put his demons to rest. Years in the seedy underworld of organized crime has changed the man of the law they once knew, and his methods. Is it possible for his comrades to restore his former self? Will friendship and love reign supreme in his dismal world? AU rated M for sex, violence, etc

4. Deadly Duet

A/N: Alright! Seems like this story may start getting some traffic once again, and I'm just such a sucker for giving the people what they want; and maybe some what they don't know they want ;3. So sit back with something warm to drink and forget about the snow for a few hours (if you're on the east coast like me) and enjoy.

Deadly Duet

Sasuke and Tayuya sat in the back of the sedan as they raced through the streets of Nagano; the sounds of sirens fueling their getaway.

"This is wrong. You're supposed to be dead" he stated his mind still reeling from the events that had transpired not fifteen minutes ago. That made one of them at least. The redhead adjacent to him seemed to be taking it quite well, in fact, she was smiling about it.

"You're one to talk" she retorted, averting her gaze from the window to her black metal watch, "You were supposed to be dead by now. I wasn't joking about your date with the executioner"

Something was different about her, granted the last time he'd seen her was in the days following Orochimarus demise six months ago, she seemed colder now. He supposed faking your death did that.

"You work for Akatsuki. Does that mean you still intend to kill me" he asked lowly, his bad arm inching to the shotgun in his lap. Easily taking notice she released an exhausted sigh and dismissively waved off his hostility.

"Psh, I knew you would show your face again and they would most likely be your target. So I worked my way in, to keep tabs on you. Like I said before, I saved your life. I wouldn't let that bastard get the satisfaction. So no I don't work for them, and no I'm not going to kill you." she responded, coolly crossing her legs and turning to face him.

He could only stare at her searching for something he once knew, but she had become foreign to him. Tayuya was an army brat born and raised in Okinawa to a young mother she never knew and a father who never wanted her. He was an engineer in the Royal Air Force on loan to the Americans at Kadena Air Base, until he was dishonorably discharged for "blatant and extreme misconduct". He was a drunk and a womanizer, even before Tayuya's mother passed. Eventually she was taken from his custody, due to his inability to care for her between the drink and the prostitutes he brought home, Tayuya was a ghost in her own home, but the orphanage wasn't a marked improvement. She was always an angry child and who could blame her? Her earliest memories were her father's drunken rants about her whore of a mom leaving him with a useless brat. By the time she was ten she'd tried to run away a dozen times, each time she was brought back to the orphanage more battered and bruised than the last, but so was her retrieval team. One night she ran again, this time no one looked for her. She was twelve then.

Living on the streets, she forged her own way stealing and scavenging to survive with her own gang of forgotten children. Each year the city's wayward children flocked to her and grew. For years they harried convenience stores, arcades, restaurants, knocking over anything they thought they could handle to survive. Until one day they picked the wrong mark and hit one of Orochimarus establishments. In response he killed those that had perpetrated the crime and anyone connected to the gang of street urchins. Ultimately they betrayed her; even presented her to the clan boss in a bid to save their own sorry skin. It did not work. Orochimaru killed them but kept a now sixteen year old Tayuya alive. He intended to have her work off her debt to him as a toy sent to prospective allies among the other clans. She killed the first man she was sent to "service", ripped his throat clean out with her teeth, and killed four of his bodyguards in her escape. This time however she hadn't returned to the streets; they'd betrayed her like everyone else. She turned to Orochimaru, requesting to join his clan. He accepted her, taking her in as a bodyguard and an enforcer. Her life alone was enough to make anyone cold, but she'd found purpose in the work she did for the deceased crime boss, they all did. But that was history.

"Still can't believe it's me, huh" she asked releasing an exhausted sigh; noting how he gawked at her questionably with his dark eyes. With little warning she loosened her tie and began unbuttoning her blouse

"Tayuya—"

"Oh get over yourself. Just look" she interrupted sliding her blazer and blouse just past her shoulders to reveal her own set of scars. Turning away from Sasuke, the chocolate eyed woman moved her unruly hair around her neck exposing her Heaven Seal between her shoulder blades. Hesitantly he reached out to touch it causing her to let loose a small shudder as he traced it and the beginnings of the surrounding mural on her back.

"I told you it was me" she affirmed, a pink tinge to her cheeks as she dressed herself again.

"If this Commissar is who I believe them to be then it's important for me to know you are who you say you are" he returned relaxing in his seat for once. Nodding in response she turned back to her musing outside the tinted windows.

"Sasuke, you've stepped into a world of shit. This Sasori guy is no joke. He's practically got an army" she cautioned

"I can handle it" assured the coal eyed man his brow furrowed as if in deep thought. Slowly he shrugged out of his black blazer and gingerly touched his wounded shoulder; a dull grunt escaping his lips.

"I'm sure you can tough guy" she chided with a smirk.

"No thanks to you" he added plainly trying to move the injured appendage as best he could, but to no avail.

"I had to make it look good" defended the redhead picking her ear nonchalantly.

"Is that why you did what you did to Sakura to, "make it look good"?" he countered the words cutting deep in the silence of the sedan. Tayuya crossed her arms in restrained anger; her gloved nails digging into her arm.

"She provoked me, that stupid little bitch! She told me to go fuck myself" she bit out, trying to fight the pang of guilt she felt in her stomach, "She did it for you. Tch, stupid fucking—"

"Watch your mouth, Tayuya" he warned glaring sharply at her. The sentiment was returned with a scowl of her very own.

"You're not fucking her, yet you're so quick to defend her. What makes her so special?" snapped Tayuya fighting the tightness growing in her chest.

"She's part of my team. My responsibility" he answered simply, noting how her expression turned from angered to a pained one, as if his words were a slap in the face to a petulant child.

"Then what was I Sasuke?" she whispered harshly, averting her gaze when all he did was stare in response, "Forget it. I'll apologize if that's what you want"

The remainder of the ride was spent in silence, neither wanting to right their collective wrongs. Eventually they came to a stop far from Nagano on a dirt road near the base of a mountain range. Sasuke followed Tayuyas lead as they exited the car; it retreating down the dirt road before disappearing behind the tree line. The redhead ushered him down the "trail", if it could even be called that, and into the wilderness. As they delved deeper into the forest the sounds grew stiller almost to the point of complete silence until a monastery came within sight at the foot of the mountain, and people. Four of them were seated against a tree, the other five in a heated debate, threatening to turn violent by the looks of things.

"This is ridiculous! How come they get untied and we're still prisoners" exclaimed the blonde, struggling against his bonds to the point of drawing blood. He puffed out his chest as he bore down on his three armed captors who easily dodged it, chuckling at his attempt.

"Why are you doing this? Where is Sasuke?" questioned Sakura, doing her best to help Naruto to his feet. Sasuke and Tayuya approached the scene in relative silence, the forests strange acoustic properties masking their arrival. Jugo was the first to take notice, but he said nothing only stared at them until Tayuya cleared her throat getting everyone attention.

"Sorry for being late to the party. I assume you didn't have too much trouble with this lot" she surmised, her lips curled in a frown at the sight she saw, "Why's this one still tied?" she asked gesturing to Jugo.

"During the extraction this one flipped out, took all three of us to subdue him" answered a grey hair man with bored eyes, a mirror image of his adjacent confidant. "As for the Interpol agents, you never said they could be trusted"

Tayuya turned her attention to Sakura and Naruto, taking notice of how they glared at her. Taking out her trusty switchblade she approached the two, roughly shoving Naruto out of the as he tried to block her path to the rose haired woman.

"Trust, is going to be very important from here on out" she reminded grabbing the other woman behind her neck to hold her head still as she stared into her fierce emerald eyes.

"Tayuya, don't" Sasuke warned eyeing the exchange with uncertainty. He watched as the redhead slid the blade across Sakuras bruised cheek releasing the congealed blood and cleaning it with a handkerchief from her pocket.

Tayuya cut her zip ties with ease and allowed the agent to hold the now soaked cloth to her own cheek. "Please….accept my apology for being a world class bitch back there", she bit out, finding the words came easier than expected before taking a step back from the other woman. Sakura's gaze hardened on the other woman, her hair may have been different, but she had hated that face for the last twenty-four hours more than she'd hated anything in a long time. Without notice she struck her hard across the jaw with a tight fist, sending her reeling to the ground.

"Apology accepted", she spat turning away from the woman nursing her own face now. Sasuke stepped forward and placed a hand on the offendeds shoulder; mostly to stop her, should she try to get revenge as she rose.

"Untie them" he ordered to the three suited men one of whom scowled but did as he was told anyway.

"Geez. Nice to see you again too Sasuke. Still an asshole I see" Sakon retorted clipping Narutos bindings as Jirobo attended to Sai and Jugo.

"Right, now that we all "trust" each other and I've gotten the shit knocked out of me can we continue? We aren't out of the woods yet…no pun intended" Tayuya jeered, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth and leading the way towards the monastery. It appeared abandoned; rotting timbers, cobwebs and the faint smell of animal shit. The defunct leader led them to the back of the building where a lone tengu statue sat upon a pedestal. With a delicate finger she lifted the mask by the nose and stared deep into the unmasked figures eyes. Moments later the stone wall behind the statue opened revealing an elevator with two armed guards eyeing the group warily.

"Stand down. They're with me, naturally" she ordered haughtily, brushing past them as they all filled the elevator. Slowly they descended underneath the mountain in uncomfortable and slightly cramped silence.

"What, no elevator music?" joked Suigetsu, snickering at the glares he received. At least Sakon laughed, or was it Ukon? He couldn't tell.

"This must have been one of Orochimarus bunkers" surmised Karin as the doors opened to reveal a massive warehouse with rows of dark colored SUVs and sports cars alike, even military grade vehicles lined the walls. Men and women bustled about some in jumpsuits others in suits.

"It's all mine now" sang Tayuya grinning widely as she stepped out the elevator and through the room, subordinates bowing and saluting as she passed.

"You've certainly been busy in death", Sasuke stated plainly looking about, eying the passerby's for more familiar faces. Too many was sometimes an ill omen in this line of business.

"I had to. Knowing you'd shake things up again and I'd have to bail your ass out", she taunted leading them down a corridor and into what appeared to be a boardroom complete with a grand roundtable, comfy chairs, intercom, and attendant.

"Welcome back, Tayuya-sama" greeted the lithe dark haired woman dressed in a suit, bowing deep as the group entered. Another familiar face. Sasuke had known her as one of Orochimaru's working girls. Little more than sex slaves he kept strung out and on retainer for his "parties". Kin Tsuchi had been a veteran of the business and most favored by the crime boss, eventually becoming a valued spy.

"Thanks Kin, I assume everything is in order" questioned the redhead brushing past her associate and taking a seat at the head of the table in the largest chair, one that seemed to be oversized for a women of her stature, the rest following suit. Sasuke was the last to take his seat. Gently he placed a hand on her shoulder, a token gesture but it was all he could offer. He'd always loathed the way her and her colleagues were treated and used under Orochimarus rule. Often, when he was forced to attend Orochimaru's "parties" he was prone to scaring if not outright beating the men who overstepped their bounds with the girls. She placed her hand on his and smiled up the dark haired man.

"Hai, Kidoumaru handled the logistics of containing the accidents. The bodies have been placed and were razed along with anything that may lead Sasori to believe it was an inside job. It should appear to be a rival clans simple hit in an attempt to capture Sasuke-sama" she explained taking notes on her clipboard.

"Wonderful, you're dismissed Kin. Have someone bring some food. I can't remember if I fed our guests during their stay in jail" she wondered reclining in her chair as she removed her peaked cap and gloves. Sasuke watched her impassively from across the table, Kin making her exit behind him. He hated these types of things. Meetings in rooms like these; the conversation typically revolved around who people wanted dead and how it would be done. He never was one for the machinations of the criminal underworld; it always boiled down to who would die and who would become more powerful.

"You didn't" Naruto and Suigetsu grumbled in unison.

"Can we please get down to business?" yawned Ukon, resting his head in his hands.

"Maybe introductions' are in order first. I am Tayuya, these sorry sacks are Sakon and Ukon; the twins, this large fellow is Jirobo. We were—"

"Yakuza enforcers, agents of the deceased crime boss, Orochimaru, and former associates of Uchiha Sasuke" interjected Sai, feeling all eyes turn to him. "Until now, it was believed that you all perished in the days following Orochimarus demise as the remaining clans vied for control."

Tayuya pinched the bridge of her nose releasing an annoyed sigh, "That's right, anything else to add Pasty? Maybe what my favourite food is, or hey, how about my favourite phrase" she responded sarcasm coating her words.

"No, Interpol doesn't keep track of things like that, well at least not on mid-level criminals", he retorted nonchalantly.

Tayuya grit her teeth in anger shooting Sasuke a glance, "Please tell me you don't need this asshole", she practically begged contemplating all the numerous ways she could kill him.

"I'll need all of them if my mission is to be a success, but first we need to eliminate this Sasori", Sasuke affirmed interlacing his fingers, his brow furrowed in thought.

"He's a slippery sonuvabitch I'll give him that. In my three months undercover I may have only met him in person once", she admitted running a hand through her hair absently, "As you've seen in Paris he likes using imposters and proxies of all sorts. Hell, he may not have even been waiting for you at the execution site today."

"We should go to the site. There may be clues as to where he or his associates came from" piped the rose haired woman

"We will, tomorrow. We risk exposing ourselves if we are too hasty" added Sasuke. Tayuya nodded her approval turning her attention to something chewing away at her, in the back of her mind.

"There is something you should know however. Before the incident in Paris I was in charge of covering up certain events involving Sasori and his associates," she began her voice becoming serious her eyes fixed on the table. "Sasori is the least of our trouble", she warned bleakly. "I'm sure you know by now that no Akatsuki member operates unaided. Sasori's partner, this Deidara he's—"

Without warning the boardrooms double doors opened as a group of attendants entered behind Kin with platters brimming with assorted foods. Sushi, sashimi, slabs of barbecued meats, even bowls of ramen accompanied the feast. Underneath the bustle of servers placing food and utensils in front of people, almost everyone's stomachs grumbled in anticipation.

"Nevermind…it can wait. Please eat", she urged, seemingly thankful for the interruption as she sampled a slice of barbecued pork. Amidst the clamor Tayuya gestured for Kin and whispered something in her ear to which she nodded in response.

"Sugoi! This food is amazing Tayuya-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, already on his second bowl of ramen. Tayuya scowled at his familiar tone, chewing voraciously on a rice ball.

"Don't ever call me that again" she replied coolly, wiping grains of rice from her lips with her sleeve.

"But we're working together now aren't we? We're friends right?" he asked in between chews, his eyes wide like a newborns.

"Tch, this Naruto guy is thicker than you made him out to be in your stories Sasuke" taunted the redhead, grabbing her abandoned cap and gloves before she rose from her seat and sauntered out of the boardroom. "We'll discuss our plans tomorrow. Kin will show you to your accommodations once you've had your fill", she threw back, her voice carrying.

"Stories? Sasuke, what the hell did you tell her?!" questioned the blonde his cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the idea of what Sasuke may have gossiped about.

"Who could say? It was some time ago" he answered simply, indulging in a slice of tuna. Unexpectedly Kin approached him and leaned in his ear whispering.

"Tayuya-sama would a like a word, when you're ready." With that she exited neither waiting for a reply nor expecting one. 'What could it be this time?' he wondered, eying another piece of fish. Waiting a few moments until he was fairly sure no one would notice his departure he quietly rose from his seat and made for the door calmly. In the corridor he was escorted by a waiting Kin.

"It's nice to see you again Sasuke-sama", she said meekly to the man following behind her. He replied with a simple grunt. It made her smile.

"Are you well? I mean is Tayuya…" he inquired awkwardly, suddenly feeling the need to make small talk.

"Tayuya-sama and you always treated me with kindness. I'm grateful that she took me in after…well you know" she replied her free hand absently scratching her neck. Sasukes lips curved into a frown at the sight of this.

"Kin…have you been using?" he asked sternly trying to find the right words. She stopped in her tracks shaking slightly as if catching a chill in the empty hallway.

"N-no. Tayuya-sama would kill me if I….It's been four months", she admitted her voice growing proud as she uttered the last part. They continued their walk until they came to a large ornate wooden door. The carving of what once had been a snake had been hacked at and was barely recognizable.

"I'm glad" he said plainly, brushing past her and entering the room. Tayuya sat in an oversized chair reminiscent of a throne but not nearly as cliché or gaudy. The wooden armrests carved in the image of serpents devouring

"Thank you Kin. You can leave us" ordered the redhead waiting for the door to be shut before she said her piece.

"What is it now Tayuya? What couldn't you say in front of my team or your own" he questioned icily noting how she glared in response at his tone.

"I wanted to tell you how bat shit insane this little vendetta of yours was", she retorted somehow keeping her anger in check as she fiddled about with something in her desk before producing a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. "I'm all for killing this Sasori prick. He deserves it without a doubt. It's this other guy, Deidara that bothers me."

"You've never been one to admit you're afraid, Tayuya" Sasuke antagonized, making the hot-headed woman opposite him slam her fist on her desk jostling several items.

"This is fucking serious Sasuke! Deidara is a madman", she explained, pouring the brown liquid in equal parts into both glasses before handing him one. "Those incidents I covered up for Sasori…they were mostly to keep Deidaras body count well hidden. The man's a mass murderer with a hard on for explosives and art."

"How is he any different from the rest of Akatsuki then" Sasuke wondered, feeling there was more to it than this man particular lust for bloodshed.

"Rumor has it he also despises your brother; maybe even all Uchihas" she said finally, swirling her glasses contents around before taking a drink of the sweet and spicy liquor.

"You believe he'll come looking for me once Sasori informs him of my escape" surmised the dark eyed mad has he inspected his glasses contents.

"They may both already be hunting you as we speak, and Deidara isn't known for his subtly" she cautioned finishing her drink and pouring more into the glass.

"I won't hide from them if that is what you're suggesting" he assured, emptying his glass in two great gulps. His face contorting as it burned its way down his throat. Giggling to herself she filled his glass again.

"I'd never expect you to do such a thing", she trailed off tracing the rim of her glass absentmindedly. "There's no turning back now I suppose", she mused, taking a sip.

"You could always kill me and present me to your Commissar. Perhaps you'd receive a promotion, Major", he chided a smirk spreading as he sipped his drink. She laughed into her glass as the notion. He liked when she laughed even when it was at someone's misfortune, as she was prone to.

"Perhaps I should. I am quite fond of the uniform" she reflected, rising from her seat and looking herself over in a nearby mirror. Sasuke tried to avoid staring, feeling that all too familiar tightness in his loins.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn"

"Why didn't you come for us when you heard we died; Sakon, Ukon, Kidoumaru, Jirobo, and I?" inquired the redhead seemingly out of the blue, still standing in front of the mirror with her drink.

"I…wanted to. It was my duty as the last surviving member to hold your vigils. But I couldn't risk it", he admitted feeling the return of those feelings he'd suppressed since he'd gained wind of their demise. Hatred, for those who killed them. Sadness, for the comrades he'd lost. Disgust, for abandoning his duty in the wake of their deaths. "The other clans…I believed they'd be waiting to kill me as well if I returned."

"You're right."

"But why did you…?"

"Because we had no choice. You refused to take me—us with you. If we didn't disappear and fake our deaths we'd still be hunted to this very day", she choked gripping her glass tight as she sipped its contents in hopes it would soothe the wound. Sasuke rose to his feet, faltering as he tried to balance himself. Tayuya laughed quietly at the sight she saw through the mirror.

"I did it to protect you. All of you. I hadn't planned on ever seeing any of you again" he admitted seeing her lips twist into a frown at his candid confession.

"Men make plans and God laughs, Sasuke", quipped the coffee eyed woman finally turning to face her guest before walking the distance between them. She could see a faint tinge of red rising against his pale cheeks, "You always were a lightweight."

"I recall out drinking you on more than one occasion" he returned, trying to avoid eye contact with the woman barely a foot from him. He had buried her in his dreams many a night since the day he heard of her death. It was still hard seeing her in the flesh; memories came rushing back.

"Care to try me again Sasuke" she dared a wolfish grin gracing her features.

"Another time. Maybe after we kill Sasori and Deidara" suggested the obsidian eyed man, watching her grin grow as if only she was privy to some lewd joke.

"I'll remember that. In the meantime…" she trailed off, her body now mere inches from his, "Care to try me instead?" Her words were honey to his hazy mind and absentmindedly he acted; his free hand resting on her thigh as hers caressed his face; she smiled at the beginnings of his stubble. His cool fingers grazing the velvet that was her bare flesh, eliciting a soft gasp from her.

"I missed this the most, Sasuke" she cooed reaching to capture his lips. He wanted to give in to her lips; he owed her as much for saving his life. God knows he missed the pleasures they once enjoyed together, but he knew she'd only want more if he gave her a taste of what she had been denied for months. He turned away, her lips pressing against his cheek weakly.

"Don't Tay…" he breathed realizing he had been holding his breath as he held her at arm's length. Their eyes met, hers hurt; his apologetic.

"I—yeah, sorry Sasuke. Guess I'm the lightweight huh" she half-heartedly joked, moving back to her seat, "Let's just…catch up", her voice had become small and it was almost as if she was begging him to stay. He took his seat once again, returning to his glass and finishing it as if trying to drown the pervasive awkwardness. Tayuya mimicked his actions before filling both their glasses.

"…I did miss you Sasuke" she admitted bashfully, breaking the discomforting silence.

"Hn." he returned raising his glass to touch hers in solidarity.

"Tch, asshole" she cursed, their glassing clinking; accompanied by laughter.

---

"Sakura-chan? Hey Sakura-chan, are you feeling alright?" questioned the blonde at her side, waving his hand in her face in an attempt to get her attention.

"Hm? Sorry I guess I zoned out" she answered smiling weakly at her companion. She scanned the room finding that Sasuke still hadn't returned and was gone for quite some time. "Do you think Sasuke is alright? He's been gone so long…"

"Has he?" he questioned absently looking at the seat to his left where Sasuke once sat.

"Knowing the Uchiha, he's probably having a nice "visit" with Tayuya." insinuated the gray haired man, air quoting his words.

"Visit? Why wouldn't they just catch up here with the rest of us?" Naruto wondered finally putting down his chopsticks after six bowls of ramen.

"He means fucking, as in having sex you numbskull." Suigetsu elaborated indifferently reclining in his chair with his feet on the table.

"Sasuke-kun would never! Not after all this time! She was just a fling!" Karin contested furiously, the topic of discussion making her livid. Naruto and Sakura watched the exchange in with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"Sasuke and that woman are in a r-r-relationship!? A sexual one!?" stammered the blonde in disbelief, still reeling from the revelation.

"I wouldn't call it much of a relationship. I mean, what's the point? When you don't know if today's the day you get a bullet in your head or not" Sakon ranted feeling all eyes turn to him. "You three will understand once you're bloodied and in the shit. Be grateful for each day, and fuck like there's no tomorrow."

"Pervert!" snapped Karin rising in her seat

"You're just jealous he hasn't bedded you. Surprising, figured he had a thing for redheads" chided the grey haired man rising with his comrades as they made their exit.

"I always hated that smug bastard, fucking twins" Karin grumbled taking her seat with a pout.

All Sakura could think about now was that woman and Sasuke. 'They couldn't be lovers. That's impossible.' chimed the voice in the back of her head. In all l honesty it seemed highly unlikely, the woman shot him and let him bleed out for heaven's sake! It reminded her of those bad television dramas her and Ino used to watch about scorned lovers. Gently she touched her wound, still tender but the swelling had gone down considerably, thanks to Tayuya's first aid.

"Excuse me", rang a voice from the doorway; the dark haired attendant from earlier, "if you're quite done I'll show you to your rooms." The six remaining occupants abandoned the remaining food and followed their guide through the compound.

"Hey…It's Kin, right? Do you know where Sasuke and that Tayuya woman ran off to?"

"Tayuya-sama requested a private meeting with Sasuke-sama." she answered simply eyeing her charges with her peripheral vision, "I cannot speculate what the meeting is about, nor am I at liberty to discuss it with you"

"How are we supposed to trust any of you if everyone is so tight lipped about everything?" interjected the emerald eyed woman.

"Trust is earned in this business", she snapped stomping her foot for full effect, "I apologize, that was ill deserved. Trust is a commodity that cannot be misused in this business. In due time Tayuya-sama will be more…cooperative", Kin explained coming to a stop in front of a bloc of rooms.

"In the meantime please enjoy your accommodations. You'll find your "confiscated" belongings in the assigned room", she said gesturing to each room with their names above each door. As she turned to leave them she spotted a figure making their way towards her.

"Ah Sasuke-sama, I was just coming to retrieve you. Tayuya-sama has arranged a special—"

"I'd prefer to stay here, with my team." he cut in, his appearance slightly disheveled.

"I—all of you belongings have already been moved…"

"Move them again Kin. This room will do" he droned adjusting the blazer draped over his shoulder as he leaned against his chosen rooms' door.

"…Hai, Sasuke-sama." she said finally, bowing low before she hurried off.

"You look like shit Sasuke. Was Tayuya that rough on you?" Suigetsu teased grinning from ear to ear like a pig in shit. Truth be told he did look quite unbecoming of an Uchiha. His shirt half tucked, his wounded shoulder blotting the fabric with blood, cheeks flushed and eyes bloodshot.

"Fuck off." he responded flatly much to everyone's shock. Sasuke cursing was a rare sound indeed. "It wasn't her as much as it was the alcohol", he admitting flashing a small smirk.

"You two were…getting drunk? That Sakon guy said—"

"Naruto! Just get some rest Sasuke, you do look terrible." Sakura interrupted covering her partner's mouth to stop him from blurting any of their gossip to the Uchiha. Sasuke eyed the exchange suspiciously before skulking into his room without another word, everyone else following his lead.

Sakura flipped her rooms light on staring in awe at what she found. Her seized suitcase was resting against a queen sized bed draped in cotton sheets and topped with comfy looking pillows. A marked improvement from her jail cell. There was another door; she could only wonder what was behind it. On the bedside dresser she found antiseptic, gauze, and surgical tape.

"How thoughtful." she grumbled bitterly. Just then a knock came at her door. Probably Naruto coming to see what her room was like she figured. To her surprise when she opened the door there stood Sasuke.

"Sasuke is…is there something wrong?" she questioned doing her best to not sound meek under the shade of his shadow.

"Can I come in for a moment?" he replied scanning her room from the doorway. The heavy smell of alcohol on his breath making her cringe.

"I'm pretty tired Sasuke, can it—Hey!" Sakura exclaimed as he brushed past her and made his way to her bedside dresser.

"Don't be stubborn. I only want to take a look at your face" he defended plainly as he fiddled with the supplies.

"My face?" Sakura repeated her cheeks warming to match her hair.

"Your wound. Now take a seat" Sasuke all but ordered, patting a spot next to him on the bed. Closing the door behind her, Sakura slowly made her way to him, biting her lip nervously. Finally she reached him shifting anxiously under his gaze. "Hold still."

Sakura winced as the antiseptic soaked gauze came in contact with her cheek. She gripped his shoulder roughly as he dabbed at the cut, "Relax, I'm almost done" he assured a thin smirk on his face.

"Are you enjoying this?" she asked anger evident in her voice.

"Not at all. I was thinking about how you got this", he admitted tossing the gauze in a nearby waste basket and retrieving more gauze and some tape. "I heard you told Tayuya to go fuck herself. That was brave", he quoted, stifling a chuckle when her face grew two shades redder.

"And stupid" she added laughing weakly as he placed a fresh bandage on the cut and gave it a light pat once he was finished. Realizing she was still squeezing his shoulder she squeaked back, whispering her apologies.

"Why'd you do it?" he wondered absently.

"Why'd I…Well, I didn't—couldn't trust her. Not after what I saw she did to you" Sakura confessed looking him full in the face. His smirk returned and she could feel her blush grow.

"Hn. She always was violently impulsive. Now, I suppose you wouldn't mind doing mine, Sakura?" he asked placing the medical supplies between them on the bed before he began unbuttoning his shirt. She turned away as her blush threatened to reach her ears.

"Stop being so shy, it's nothing you haven't seen before." Sasuke argued patting his previously wounded side.

"I…I'm not a pervert! It w-was dark and I barely saw anything." defended the rose haired woman eyeing him in her peripheral vision. He still had that stupid smirk on his face. 'His stupid handsome face' reminded the voice in her head.

"If you say so. Now would you kindly?" quipped the dark haired man finally shrugging his shoulder from his sleeve. Sakura gently removed the previous bandage, finding it soaked and caked with dried blood.

"Ugh, gross. So…what do they mean" she asked trying to find a way to divert from their proximity as she prepared to disinfect the injury. "The tattoos I mean."

"You're not Yakuza. You shouldn't even be seeing them" he grunted gritting his teeth as she cleaned the bullet wound

"Neither are you, Sasuke" retorted the emerald eyed girl applying more pressure to her ministrations much to his discomfort. "Don't be a baby." She had a point, but he supposed old habits died hard.

"You already know the legend of the shisa and I'm sure Interpol has their fair share on Orochimarus clan marking. Do you mean what they mean to me?" he inferred taking note of their closeness and her soft hands as she leaned over him.

"They must mean something more right?" she assumed taping two layers of gauze to the affected area. He flexed the afflicted arm inspecting the tattoo himself. He hadn't really thought much about it since he had gotten it.

"Traditionally such a tattoo was intended to protect the wearer from evil spirits by keeping the good safe, hence its closed mouth. I wear it to protect others; from myself", he began gingerly touching the dogs billowy flaming tail. He scowled as his gaze turned to that of his right arm. Sakura watched as his expression hardened and his gaze became somewhat distant. "The open mouthed shisa bares its fangs to ward off evil spirits. Aptly so, I wear it to remind me."

"Remind you of what?" she choked finding her words caught on the growing lump in her throat.

"That I am a destroyer. A murderer. An evil spirit that kills his own."

"Sasuke…don't say that. Orochimaru made you—"

"Please Sakura, don't try to justify what I've done. What I continue to do." he pleaded harshly, rising from the bed and redressing himself. "I'm sorry, I must still be drunk. Get some rest Sakura." With that he left her.

Sasuke drudged the short distance to his room with downcast eyes as he pushed into his room. Bed made, and his duffle bag and katana placed upon it and a note placed upon that. Quickly taking it as to not delay his sleep any longer he read it to himself.

"Shave your goddamn face. I'd rather not kiss a porcupine."

The obsidian eyed man sighed, dropping the note and rubbing his temples. If Tayuya was one thing, it was persistent. Quickly moving his luggage to the floor he disrobed and climbed into the sheets. Sleep claimed him with relative ease.

Sasuke woke with a start when someone began pounding on his door. At least he thought it was the door, he couldn't tell the difference from that and his thumping head. Gazing groggily at the clock at his bedside he noted how late he'd slept. Slowly he rolled out of bed and answered the impatient hammering at his door. Tayuya stood there with everyone behind her gawking at him.

"Glad you got plenty of rest sleeping beauty. Put on some pants, we're moving out." jeered the redhead flipping a pair of dark shades over her own bloodshot eyes.

"Where to?" he asked simply covering his own eyes from the light with his hand.

"The execution grounds. The compound we held you at has already been scrubbed clean. One of Sasori's contingency plans. Now hurry up we're burning daylight." Nodding his understanding he closed the door and began his daily routine. Grabbing a few things from his duffle bag he took quick shower in his rooms' bathroom, he even shaved with the disposable razor Tayuya had so graciously left with her note. Leaving the bathroom clad in a towel and toothbrush he inspected his armaments. Performing a simple magazine release, chamber clear, and dry fire on each of his pistols he then began dressing. He chose a black dress shirt with a matching blazer and slacks. Shrugging into his armpit holsters he equipped himself and left his room to find everyone waiting around in silence.

"About time, here you'll need these." Tayuya chimed handing him an earpiece and transmitter as well as a cup of coffee. Eagerly he took the gifts and a gulp of the black liquid. Bitter as Hell and twice as hot. He cringed but drank it greedily all the same as they made their way to the warehouse. The small platoon took two SUV; Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, Tayuya, Sai, Sakon, and Ukon in one the others begrudgingly stuck together in the other. The vehicles drove around the warehouse before coming to stop at a gate where armed guards waved them through and into a tunnel. The SUVs navigated the close cropped tunnels with practiced precision in near darkness before emerging on the outside into the surrounding forest.

"Word is that Sasori is looking for you. All of you actually." Tayuya explained fingering through information in her cellphone. "He has his own men scouring the entire city in broad daylight. Intel says you're all to be killed on sight. Suppose he's not taking any more chances just to have the satisfaction of kill you himself"

"So it's a fight he wants then. We'll give him one, right Sasuke" boasted Naruto from the third row playfully jostling Sasukes seat.

"Are you prepared to give him that fight Naruto?" he countered icily, recollecting the conversation they had in Paris. "If he intends to kill us we can't risk not returning the threat with equal force. Can you kill him or anyone who threatens your life without hesitation?"

"We'll do what is necessary Sasuke. Nothing more" responded Sakura when Naruto couldn't find the words. The ride was spent in silence other than the occasionally yawn from Ukon and the complaining of Sakon about being a chauffeur until they came to a stop near an abandoned construction site on the border of the city. As if instinctually everyone preformed one last weapons check before they parked out of sight and exited their vehicles.

"Kidoumaru, Sakon, Ukon, find vantage points and cover our approach. Karin you can join them" Tayuya ordered.

"You can't order—"

"Go Karin. Suigetsu bring up the rear with Jugo and Sai." Sasuke interrupted firmly examining the partially constructed two story building. "The rest of you stick close to me."

"You're in no position to take point Sasuke, not with that arm. Allow me" insisted the redhead moving slowly into the site, her 1911 drawn, ignoring the disapproving grunt directed at her.

Carefully the squad moved through the outskirts of the building periodically hearing reports from Karin and Kidoumaru. They came to stop at a locked door where Tayuya signaled for them to stack up on. Jirobo approached the door and with a nod from Tayuya he kicked it open. Entering slowly, the lights flickered on as the group entered the stark interior of what was most likely to become a welcome room judging from the receptionist's desk. The five of them lowered their weapons momentarily as they cleared the room. Tayuya pointed to one of the two other doors in the room this time slowly opening the unlocked door. Sasuke scowled as it creaked open revealing another empty room.

"This doesn't look like an execution site. It looks like a damn office" Naruto whispered rounding a pillar in the room.

"The site itself is underground. Problem is I don't know how to gain access to it" admitted the redhead running her hand against the cool sheetrock of the walls as if looking for something. "Typically Sasori's men would be here to lead the prisoner to their death."

"You've brought prisoners here before?" Sakura asked her voice more accusatory than anything.

"Don't get preachy with me Pinky." Tayuya bit back, huffing in frustration.

"What's the hold up?" asked Suigetsu poking his head in the room; everyone pointed their guns at the sound of his voice. "N-nevermind."

"Tayuya, you have company approaching. Three men. Armed. Should I take them out?" toned Kidoumaru on everyone's earpieces.

"We need more time to find the entrance. Kill—"

"Hold your fire." Sasuke order into his transmitter earning himself some questionable stares. "We'll ambush them, everyone hide."

Suigetsu, Jugo and Sai hid behind the receptionists desk while the others waited in the next room with the door closed. Sasuke next to the door, Naruto and Sakura hidden against the rooms pillar, Tayuya and Jirobo in a far corner with weapons trained on the door. The entire building became quiet enough to hear Sasukes bangs growing until the front door slowly opened.

"Door should've been locked. Maybe the last guys left in a hurry after yesterday's fiasco" mused one of the intruders gruffly, a tall bald man dressed in a simple suit, flanked by his companions.

"What a fucking shit show. A dozen dead agents including the Major. All for that damned Uchiha." another spat closing the door behind him. A plain looking young man with matted black hair and stubble. Slowly they made their way towards the other room unaware of the men behind the desk.

"A shame really. The Major was a nice piece of ass, when she wasn't shoving her fist up yours" joked the last man, young with spiky black hair and a cocky grin; filling the rooms with their laughter as they pushed into the room. Taking this opportunity Sasuke kicked the opening door with as much force as he could muster, slamming it into the bald man face effectively knocking him backwards into his allies. With that the three behind the desk emerged; weapons drawn making the other two intruders focus as them as Sasuke and the others revealed themselves.

"Drop your weapons." demanded the obsidian eyed man pulling back the hammer on his pistol aiming it at the older man whose nose was leaking profusely now. The younger agents began to visibly shake as they looked to their senior for instruction. Scowling in contempt he slowly laid his MP5 on the ground, his subordinates following his lead. Within moments Suigetsu and Jugo had them detained with zip ties and seated against a wall in the next room.

"No gunshots. Everything went smoothly huh?" sounded Sakon in the investigation teams' earpieces. Tayuya grinned deviously, like a wolf locked up with the sheep.

"Silky smooth" she responded as her captives stared at her wide eyed.

"Y-you're supposed to be dead Major!" marveled the man with the stubble, blanching at the sight of her despite her wearing a dark suit rather than her more familiar military uniform.

"She's been hearing that a lot lately." Sasuke quipped squatting down to eye level with their captives, "How do we get into the execution site?"

"Ha! You missed your appointment, though I'm sure Death will pencil in the illustrious Uchiha Sasuke soon enough." chided the young man still sporting his cocky grin despite his compromising position. Tayuya moved to Sasukes side, her boots creating a sound more menacing than the look on her face.

"Just tell us what we want and you won't be hurt" Sakura urged feeling more and more out of her element as the exchange wore on. She wasn't an interrogator, but she could tell it was going to turn violent quickly.

"You like to talk huh? Must mean you're the smart ass who was talking about my ass." assumed the redhead striking him across the face with the butt of her handgun, "Now I'll ask nicely, one last fucking time. How do we get inside the execution site?"

He chuckled lowly raising his head, his grin a constant, "You can do better than that, Major"

Sasuke hated this part. Now Tayuya would kill him and they'd repeat the question until one of them spilled the beans or they were all dead. Whichever came first. Rising from his previous position he took a step back not wanting to be splattered with the other mans blood. Tayuya moved to stand over him her 1911 gripped tightly as she shoved it inside his mouth and cocked the hammer.

"Not smiling anymore are you, eh cocksucker?"

"Stop! Please, t-the mechanism is inside the pillar." stammered the youngest of the trio earning a muffled sound of disappointment from the man with the gun in his mouth. Sakura and Naruto simultaneously released a sigh of relief and began searching the pillar for a false panel.

"Found it!" Naruto exclaimed but his smile turned to a frown as he inspected the mechanism behind it, "What is it?"

"A retinal scanner…and a voice recognition device" Sakura surmised after examining the machine.

"I assume your voice and eyes won't work, huh newbie?" Tayuya questioned her gun still seated inside the mouth of the young agent's comrade. "And you really shouldn't talk with your mouth full" she jeered before turning her gaze to the senior agent. "That just leaves you."

'I'd rather die." He responded simply, his face stone.

"Naruto, take him to the device. Make him use it" Sasuke ordered pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. They always say they'd rather die. It didn't matter he'd be killed by Sasori for his treason regardless. Hesitantly Naruto approached the man and lifted him to his feet slightly taken back by his size. The man fought him, planting his feet and pulling against the blonde. Eventually the bald man overpowered him; he charged into him impaling him on his shoulder, pinning him against the wall. Naruto slammed on his back with both hands but to no avail, the man was immovable. Sakura rushed to aid contributing her own brute force to his ribs after being unable to dislodge him from her partner's midsection.

"Let him go damnit! I-I'll fucking shoot you I swear!" she cautioned the words flowing unnaturally; alien to her tongue as she drew her sidearm. The man took a step back before ramming into Naruto again this time the contact knocking the wind out of him.

"Goddamnit just shoot him already!" urged the redhead growing more and more irritated by the exchange. Sasuke watched the exchange with a stoic expression curious about how it was going to play out. In the commotion his charge, the stubbled man, tried to make a mad dash for the door, but was quickly stopped when Sasuke grabbed him by the back of his collar and slammed him against the wall; his pistol pressed to the back of his head. Sakura's eyes darted between the emerging situations and Narutos pained face. A split second latter she shot the man in the lower leg effectively bringing him to his knees in pain. She rushed over and kicked the man onto his back as she aided Naruto.

"What the hell's going on in there? Are we good?" Sakon asked roughly, having heard the gun go off.

"Yeah, we're good. Hey Fatso, get that man up and open this fucking door we're burning daylight." Tayuya ordered somewhat satisfied with the deescalating crises. The orange haired man frowned muttering under his breath as he brought him to his feet easily and dragged him to the pillar.

"That strength really could've helped you know" Naruto choked out, holding his side in pain; most likely suffering from a few bruised, if not broken, ribs. The portly man paid him no mind as he forced his prisoners head towards the device in the pillar. He kept his eyes closed and mouth shut, until Jirobo kicked the wound in his calf. Quickly the machine scanned his eye returning an affirming beep.

"Speak." Jirobo commanded lowly digging his heel into the wound. The man grit his teeth in pain before releasing a defeated sigh.

"Nakamora" he all but shouted earning himself another chorus of beeps and the kiss of the concrete when he was pushed aside. Everyone looked around to see what had happened but nothing unusual was noticeable.

"Hey! Whatever you guys did in there worked. You gotta see this" Suigetsu shouted from the main room. Sasuke placed his charge back on the floor next to his companion.

"The three of you watch them. If they move don't hesitate to shoot them." instructed the dark haired man as he and Tayuya left the room to see what Suigetsu was on about. As they entered Suigetsu, Sai, and Jugo were pushing the receptionist desk towards the front door revealing a small set of stairs leading underground. Tayuya whistled eying the dark passageway with interest.

"What do you think we'll find?" she wondered as Sasuke began the descent.

"Hopefully some answers." he shot back.

Finally reaching the bottom of the steps Sasuke flipped a nearby switch turning on the dim bulb that hung in the center of the large room. The tiles floors were spotless but the smell of death, ash, and fear hung heavy in the stale air. A bank of file cabinets occupied a corner of the room while a cold furnace sat across from it, while in the center sat a lone drain. The duo wondered how many people had descended those stairs and never emerged, but there was nothing they could do about it now. The two of them combed through the file cabinet draws finding many were already empty save for a few pictures of tourist traps and historical sites. No information on where Sasori may have been or what Deidara was up to. Frowning in frustration Sasuke slammed the last empty cabinet closed after pocketing what little he'd found and made his way to the furnace. Tayuya questioned what he intended on finding in there, but he didn't respond too busy sifting through cold cinders and scorched bone fragments. Eventually he found a heavily charred photo of what appeared to be a bridge and moat with barely legible writing on the back of it.

"6-25…2200. Some sort of code maybe. Have you seen this before?" he questioned Tayuya showing her his findings. Her brow furrowed as he tried to interpret the random numbers but ultimately she gave up shaking her head in defeat.

"No code I've ever seen. This place gives me the creeps, let's go" she insisted climbing up the stairs to the ground floor Sasuke close on her heels still trying to decipher his clue.

"Anything good?" Suigetsu asked relaxing on the desk as if he hadn't a care in the world. Sasuke ignored him as he made his way back in to the room with the prisoners. None of them had any clue of what the image was or what the numbers meant after showing each of them.

"What good are you losers?" remarked the redhead pacing back and forth. "If we're done here Sasuke we just need to take care of them."

"Wait you're just going to kill them?! After all of this?!" Sakura protested leaving Narutos side to confront Tayuya

"They work for the man we intend to kill. They've seen our faces, know our names. They're loose ends." she defended drawing her sidearm. Sakura eyed it warily, a scowl finding its way to her face at her actions. Quickly she drew her own weapon pointing it at the other woman much to everyone's surprise.

"Sakura…" Naruto whispered breathlessly in shock.

"I won't let you. I am no murderer." growled the cherry headed woman her hands steady and focused. "Sasuke, you promised us you wouldn't kill people without reason."

"I didn't make that fucking promise, now lower that weapon or there will be four bodies to deal with." Tayuya warned bitterly returning her grimace with bared teeth. Sasuke stepped between the two taking the barrel of Sakuras gun into his hand and slowly lowering it

"I intend to keep my promise. They live. Stand down Tayuya." he said as stoically as ever, accepting the flurry of muttered curses the redhead spewed. He turned his attention back to their captives having heard a faint buzzing coming from one of them. He made his way to the bald man and rifled through his suit pockets producing a cellphone.

"Answer it. I've just saved your life, don't make me regret doing so." he cautioned producing his pistol as he answered, putting it on speakerphone, and holding it in front of the man.

"Nakamora, report. Have you secured the site?" asked the man on the line

"Yeah, we have." he responded flatly trying to keep his voice steady with a gun to his head.

"Good, the Commissar is having a meeting in two hours. Do not be late." with that, the phone disconnected and Sasuke pocketed it.

"Where is the meeting being held?"

"They'll kill me if I tell you."

"I will kill you sooner if you don't tell me." threatened the dark haired man his eyes becoming speckled with crimson as his patience waned. The bleeding man began sweating profusely as he weighed his options. Finally he broke giving up the location of the office building.

"Great, now we've got two hours to find this bastard. What do we do with them?" questioned the coffee eyed woman her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Jirobo, knock them out" he ordered simply as he holstered his weapon. The heavyset man nodded and cracked his knuckles before he struck each of them in the temple knocking them out one by one. Sasuke snatched the switchblade from Tayuyas pocket and cut their bindings before turning to make his exit.

"We have to hurry back to base and arm ourselves" Sasuke reasoned rounding up the rest of the team in the adjacent room.

"No need, the cars should have enough for us all in the trunks. I made sure to stock them just in case." Tayuya returned trying to keep up with his pace.

"Sasuke, what do you intend to do?" asked Naruto propping himself against the doorway as they left the building. The sun was close to finishing its descent below the horizon, but the fresh air was welcomed after hours inside for the group. Sasuke spotted Kidoumaru and the rest from their vantage points and gestured to them that they were leaving. Spotting the black sedan of the recently incapacitated prisoners he slashed their tires in case they awoke sooner rather than later. Everyone convened behind the building where they had parked watching the Uchiha with inquisitive eyes.

"We gain entrance. We find Sasori. We question him. We kill him."

"Interpol could use this man. We could use him. He's more valuable alive than dead. You know this." chimed the quiet pale man; most had forgotten he was even there for all his silence.

"This man won't be taken alive easily. You risk your own life if you choose to do so." he warned, and for a brief second he sounded genuinely concerned for their well being. Truth be told he actually was, somewhat. Sasori was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to Akatsuki. He wasn't worth any of their lives, neither was the information he'd be willing to divulge when faced with death. Sakon and Jirobo popped the trunks of their respective SUV's and lifted the floor panel revealing a small armory. Kevlar vests, compact submachine guns, a variety of grenades, handguns of all manner, and naturally a vast assortment of ammunition.

"The building will most likely be heavily guarded. We work together, we all might live to see the sunrise" Sasuke continued as he removed his blazer and replaced it with a bulletproof vest. He noticed how the former Interpol agents stood there unmoving as if all caught in the same daydream.

"I understand why this—"

"You don't understand anything, Sasuke." Sakura interrupted harshly as she supported Narutos weight on her shoulder. "You're asking us to commit to this vendetta; to kill for you."

"This is bigger than me!" Sasuke snapped his emotions surfacing, "That is bigger than all of us…I didn't reach out to Tsunade and demand your aid because I was feeling nostalgic.

You were the only people I could trust." confessed the Uchiha.

"There is no turning back for any of us. Sasori will hunt us all if we don't end this." shot back Tayuya from the armory having finished arming herself in a similar fashion to Sasuke

"This is our first step to taking down Akatsuki. I am only asking that you not hesitate when faced with taking a life or losing your own." concluded the obsidian eyed man taking the MP5K the redhead handed him and slung it over his shoulder.

The trio traded looks as if they were forming a wordless consensus amongst themselves. This would be it for them if they decided to go along with the plan. The prospect of throwing away their years of service to law enforcement and becoming vigilantes for the supposed greater good was unnerving; not to mention it seemed like something out of a bad noir film. They had seen firsthand that Akatsuki had power and reach and was indeed a threat, to what exactly, they had no idea.

"If this is truly about Akatsuki and not revenge Sasuke…you have our help" proclaimed Naruto flashing his trademark grin

"I appreciate it, but with your injury can you still fight?"

"Like I'd miss a chance to have Konoha PDs finest back together again, and on a raid no less!" exclaimed the blue eyed man as he stood on his own and puffed out his chest despite the discomfort it caused. He brushed past his dark eyed counterpart giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder as he left to examine the SUVs wares. Sai quietly made his exit as well feeling somewhat like a third wheel as Sasuke and Sakura stared at each other in silence. The woman before the Uchiha stared with a hardened gaze as if searching for any deception on his stoic face. She wanted nothing more than to argue, plead her case, but it wouldn't change anything, and he knew that. This was his world, playing by the rules they'd been trained within got you killed here. Eventually she broke eye contact and hurried past him to join the others. Sasuke could feel that pang of guilt in his belly again. He pulled out a lone cigarette and lit is taking a long drag before turning his gaze to the star speckled nights sky and releasing the smoke into it. He really did hope to see the sunrise.

---

"You do realize how insane this plan is, right?" questioned Karin pressing her glasses up on the bridge of her nose

"The meeting is beginning soon; we have no time for any other plan." Sasuke maintained, speaking into his transmitter to communicate with the others in the following SUV. They intended to siege the building in two teams from a rear security entrance. Sasuke's team, consisting of Tayuya, Sakon, Ukon, and Kidoumaru would ascend the building via the elevators intending to draw the majority of resistance; while Naruto's team, comprised of Sakura, Suigetsu, Sai, and Karin would use the emergency staircase to reach the 10th floor where the meeting was to be held. Jirobo and Jugo would cover their rears and secure escape routes. Soon enough the vehicles came to a halt in an obscured alleyway.

"I sure hope this works Sasuke" Naruto said emerging from the vehicle with everyone else.

"Remember your training and you'll be fine." Sasuke assured.

Splitting into their respective teams they wound their way through the alley two by two before coming to a stop at a corner. A suited man stood in front of a back door enjoying a cigarette; his back was turned. Signaling everyone else to stay, Sasuke quietly made his way around the corner; taking refuge behind a dumpster a few meters away when the man peered over his shoulder suspiciously before going back to his smoke. Taking this last opportunity the dark haired man crossed the distance quickly and trapped the guard in a headlock effectively putting him to sleep. Waving on the rest of his team Sasuke eyed the camera outside the entrance, before tearing at the exposed wires in hopes of still catching them unaware. As they stacked up along the wall preparing for entry Tayuya searched the pockets of the unconscious man producing a key and used such to slowly open the door. The hallway was brightly lit and created an almost blinding white reflection on the pristine tile as they moved cautiously through it. It was seemingly devoid of all personnel; Sasuke had figured most would be attending the meeting. Naruto's team took point when they stopped at the security office door. Communicating wordlessly with Sai and Sakura, he gestured a descending count from three before the cherry headed woman kicked it open on one. They flooded the room shouting orders and brandishing their submachine guns taking the four occupants by surprise. Within moments they had all been bound and gagged leaving the assailants in total control of the security systems.

"We should be able to track the target with these monitors; we just need to….Uh-oh. Sasuke, you need to see this." Karin said her tone turning from optimistic to grim. Sasuke joined the redheads' side as she called his attention to two monitors.

"There's….two targets?" he growled watching as two men resembling Sasori navigated two different floors with a full retinue of armed guards about both of them. He should have figured it wouldn't go so smoothly forever.

"We've got to keep moving, Sasuke. We'll assault the 10th floor as planned." Naruto urged.

"No, it may be a trap. My team is better suited for this. Assault the 8th floor. We'll draw their attention as planned." contented the obsidian eyed man turning to one the captives whom he grabbed roughly and removed his gag. He pushed him towards the buildings intercom.

"Tell them they have five armed intruders headed to the 10th floor via the elevator. Now" Sasuke threatened gripping the back of the young man's neck tightly as he turned on the communication device. Having no recourse, the man recited his captor's speech causing several groups of guards to mobilize on different floors in response on the monitors. The stoic man gagged the prisoner, collecting himself and his team preparing to make for the elevator.

"Stay safe, Sasuke" Sakura send as he passed. Those were the first words she'd said to him since they left the execution site. He stopped momentarily and looked her full in the face, nodding in response as he and his team made their way down the hallway and around a corner; into the impending fray. They reached the four main elevators without incident seeing as the first floor had been totally abandoned.

"Tayuya and I will take this one, you three take that one. We'll send all four elevators to confuse them. It'll give us a chance to surprise their forces." Sasuke proposed. Grabbing two smoke grenades off of Tayuyas vest he removed the clips and threw them into the two center elevators; sending them on their way to the 10th floor. The small unit separated into the flanking elevators and followed their decoys up.

"Just like old times, eh Sasuke" she chuckled performing one last weapons check.

"Iie. We're doing this for ourselves now", he stated his gaze trained on the steel doors of the elevator, "No one pulling our leash."

"You know how I get when you're all dark and introspective." she taunted sarcastically with a grin.

"I thought it was bloodshed that did that to you?" countered the raven haired man taking a combat firing stance as they approached the 10th floor.

"You know me all too well Sasuke. I'll be sure to pay you a visit tonight. If you survive that is." retorted the redhead taking a similar posture

"Tay…" Sasuke began his tone warning as they reached their destination; the hallway already being flooded with smoke from the other elevators. "Watch your fire, throwing a flash." he whispered into his transmitter before doing so. They waited for the signature bang followed by scrambling feet, shouts, and a few cries before they emerged firing down the hallway and into their disoriented would be assailants. The gunfire illuminated their silhouettes as they walked through the smoke and those caught in the wake of the burning magnesium light. Soon they began taking fire from those further down range. Tayuya kicked down a nearby office door taking refuge from the rounds inside as she caught her breath and reloaded. Firing blindly around the corner she provided enough cover for the rest of the team to join her. Sasuke peered around the outside quickly noting the numbers of their remaining opposition.

"Sakon, Ukon. You know what to do, we'll cover you" ordered the stoic man receiving parallel grins from the twins. When the bullets ceased Sasuke, Tayuya, and Kidoumaru laid down staggered fire as the duo went into action rushing down the hallway headlong into the resistance. It always was a treat watching the two work in deadly tandem; with lightening precision they closed the distance disarming two of the four and using them as human shields before eliminating them all.

"Clear." Sakon called back being more vocal than his older sibling. The rest of the team emerged from the room checking bodies for signs of life as they regrouped at the hallways intersection

"Jirobo, which way is the meeting room?" Tayuya questioned into her transmitter.

"Down the hallway on your left. Follow the men with guns." he responded.

"Have the others started making their way to the 8th floor?" Sasuke inquired stoically.

"They're on the 6th floor. No resistance yet. Jugo is covering their ascent."

---

"I hear gunfire. We have to hurry!" Naruto urged bounding steps two at a time. He stumbled at the top of the 7th floor. Taking a knee to catch his breath his comrades surrounded him, Sakura helping him to his feet.

"Naruto you can't do this in your condition. Let me take point" she insisted shaking her head when he attempted to dispute her decision. Finally they continued their climb reaching the 8th floor with no more incidents.

"Um…Jirobo? What's the resistance like in the halls?" asked the rose headed woman.

"Light. Six men, you can take them unaware." he informed

"Great, let's do this. I've been itching for some real action." declared the sharp-toothed man taking his position next to the door as if ready to breach it himself.

"Baka, take this seriously! Sasuke-kun is counting on us." reminded the redhead moving to his side looking to Sakura for their next move. Jugo waited at the bottom of the steps deciding he'd set his post there while others went on. Taking a deep breath and calming her nerves over her newfound leadership position the emerald eyed woman counted to three before kicking the door open with a swift kick. They did catch the men off guard as they rushed the hall but that wasn't enough.

"Hands up! Drop your weapon!" ordered the de facto leader her submachine gun aimed at the back of the suited man; some of her teammates taking a more physical approach to detaining the others.

"Tch, what are you a cop? A real thug would've shot first without a word." he sneered slowly raising his hands in surrender.

"I said drop your weapon!" she demanded again her heart beating in her ears drowning out the clamor behind her.

"Fuck you bitch. For the Commissar!" he yelled turning around swiftly with his pistol in hand. For a brief moment she froze and her blood ran cold.

"I am only asking that you not hesitate when faced with taking a life or losing your own." the words resounded in her head above the escalating madness in the hallway. Her finger twitched and before she knew it she had unloaded nearly half of her magazine into the man. Her ears continued ringing as the hallway filled with gunsmoke and rounds fired by the others as their captives retaliated.

"Commie sons of bitches. Always put up a fight." Suigetsu mused jabbing at a one of the newly deceased's bodies with his boot. Sakura stood over the body still reeling from the altercation. Taking a ragged breath she stepped away and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked her voice wavering slightly.

"We're fine. Wish I could say the same for you, Pinky. Here, it'll get your courage up." responded the cerulean haired man handing her a stainless steel flask. Gingerly she took it and gulped down the liquid in a hurry, coughing at the antiseptic burn. Handing it back to him she pushed past the group signaling them to follow. The sound of gunfire reignited two floors above, fueling her newfound vigor in the mission.

"We have to keep moving." she said simply checking how many rounds she had left in her magazine as everyone formed up around her and continued down the hallway.

"Hey Sakura, are you…?" whispered the blonde at her side.

"I'm fine Naruto, just…I'll be fine." Sakura assured her brow furrowed in concentration. Jirobo's gruff voice rang in their ears informing them that the meeting room was just around the next corner and at the end of the hall. He made sure to stress that both were heavily guarded. Slowly they made their way along the wall to the corner where Sakura poked her head out for a better grasp of the situation; receiving a hail of bullets making them all duck for cover.

"We'll need a plan for this." Sai chimed above the boom and rattle of bullet shells.

"Good one Captain Obvious! Tell us something we don't know!" berated Karin flinching as the rounds ripped into the walls around them. Eventually a lull came while their attackers reloaded and repositioned.

"Return fire!" ordered the rose haired woman as she fired blindly around the corner, her teammates following suit. For a brief moment they thought that was all it would take to break through their forces but their efforts were returned twofold.

"We can't keep this up, we're gonna run out of ammo" Naruto warned noticing how he was down to his last magazine. He was right, they didn't know if they had hit any of their assailants much less how many their truly were, every time they tried to see what was around the corner they'd riddle the corner with bullets.

"We need a distraction or we'll never reach the meeting room." Sakura urged looking to her squad for suggestions. Everyone's gaze turned to Suigetsu oddly enough.

"Y-you gotta be shitting me!" he objected staring bug eyed at his supposed comrades whom seemed all too ready to hang him out to dry. Just then the very building was rocked by a tremor making the lights flicker. Hell if this wasn't a sign they didn't know what was.

"Now!" they yelled in unison emerging together from cover firing down range into the fluctuating darkness and hopefully into their opposition.

"I'm hit!" Sakura cried going to her knees as the breath was knocked out of her. Naruto took the initiative of pulling her from the fray as the bullet storm died down one the lights stabilized. Sakura peeked around the corner to see what they'd accomplished but it only made her stomach churn at the sight of corpses and the sea of blood pooling on the tile.

"I-I'm fine. I think they only hit the vest" she breathed checking her Kevlar for points of impact as the blonde helped her to her feet.

"Color me impressed Pink—err Sakura. Guess you guys are tougher than I thought." Suigetsu whistled grinning sharply. Hoping to still have the element of surprise on those in the meeting Sakura's squad quickly loaded their last clips and hastily breached the bullet ridden double doors. Unfortunately upon entry they themselves were taken off guard. Almost immediately two guards knocked the weapons from Sakura and Narutos grasps and put them in iron clad full nelson holds, using them as human shields. The remaining members aimed hesitantly as those being held captive tried to fight.

"Please drop your weapons. Unless you intend to shoot your friends; if so, by all means please do. You've caused me enough trouble as is." commented a thin voice from the head of the round table in the room's center. Cursing at the futility of the situation Sai, Suigetsu, and Karin dropped their guns. The young man wore a trimmed black suit with an identical tie, but his crimson shirt paled in comparison to his hair. He rose from his seat inciting the same actions in his constituents.

"Gentlemen, this meeting is adjourned. As you can see I have other matters to attend to." he stated calmly gesturing towards the exit. The attending businessmen left in a hurry brushing past the interloping attackers with nary a glance; their pace turning into a sprint at the sight of the bodies they had left in their wake. The bodyguards finally released Naruto and Sakura before they ushered them all against the wall with their own weapons. The pervasive silence was cut when gunfire was heard once again two floors up.

"That Uchiha certainly is tenacious. Though he'll be sorely disappointed when he realizes that "Sasori" is just another pawn", crowed the crimson haired man moving to stand behind his guards. "No matter, none of you will escape me again."

"So you're the real Sasori then…What is it you want from us?" questioned Sai as impassively

"What I want?" repeated the young man as if genially perplexed by the inquiry. "To end this crusade of Sasuke's before it becomes even more of an annoyance. As for you, I can pin your deaths on him. Let the world see him for what he truly is."

"No, what does Akatsuki want?" Sakura clarified her eyes darting from the redheads face to the weapons in his guards' hands. He chuckled lowly turning his gaze to outside the wall to wall windows at the far side of the room.

"Naruto, Sakura do you read me? Our Sasori was a fake. What's your status?" toned Sasukes voice in their earpieces.

"To fix this corrupt world." he answered simply, his eyes going wide maniacally, but stayed that way at the sight he saw. Everyone's attention turned to the man they caught a glimpse of falling from the sky itself. Taking the only opportunity they'd most likely get Suigetsu rushed the distracted bodyguards effectively tackling one; his submachine gun going off wildly in the air. Naruto joined the fray going after Sasori only to be cut off by the other sentry and struck across the face. He went to finish off his would be attacker, but when he pulled the trigger he only received a disappointing click. Sai rushed to the injured agent's aid before his assailant could brutalize him further; taking him to the ground with a spear. Sasori began to back away sensing that soon he'd be attacked as well. He wasn't wrong. Sakura dashed to the door cutting off his escape route, but it made little difference as he charged her. He flashed a tight jab at her head which she easily blocked, however it was only meant to be a distraction as he kneed her in the gut; thankfully her vest absorbed most of the force. Going on the offensive the cherry headed woman fired back with her own series of hooks and haymakers driving him backwards despite only landing glancing blows.

"We're on our way. Hold on."

"Do all Interpol agents fight so brutishly? Or is just you whose style lacks artistry?" he goaded deflecting a particularly forceful jab and responding with one of his own. She took a step back and shook off the blow before doubling her assault. This time she found greater success using a combination of kicks and elbows to drive him back. Sakura landed a straight kick to his midsection sending him to his knees in search of breath; she let a smirk slip clearly proud of herself.

"Tch, so what you lack in style you make up for in power. Suppose I shouldn't be surprised." noted the redhead rising to his feet and squaring up again.

"It doesn't have to be like this if you just surrender." Sakura insisted trying to offer him an ultimatum.

"Death is the only way this ends for any of us." he assured her going on the attack with more ferocity than before. Sakura easily slipped one of his jabs but was taken off guard when he grabbed her behind her neck hindering her ability to gain some distance and pulled her close. She felt a sharp pain in her side causing her to gasp . Looking down she realized he'd pressed a knife between the straps of her vest. Grasping at the hand holding the knife in her side she used what strength she could muster and tried pulling it from her flesh. Feeling her power slowly being draining as the blood flowed she glared into his calm brown eyes. Gathering her resolve she slammed her head against his sending them both to the ground. Collecting herself, Sakura was finally able to jar the blade from her side and toss it aside. Sasori fought from below with renewed zeal caring little for the blows he took as the woman above him tried to subdue him.

Becoming more and more desperate he drove his fist into her wound paralyzing her with pain, he mounted her producing another knife hidden in his sleeve and thrust downwards. Dodging the first attempt, the knife bit into the carpet beneath her missing her neck by a mere inch. The next attempt aimed for the exposed flesh just above the edge of her bulletproof vest. Catching his hands mid stab she tried overpower him but found hers was waning fast. His eyes were wide as if in a maddening trance as the blade crept closer to its mark. Panicking Sakura did the only thing she could; she kicked him between his legs. For a split second his vigor vanished. Swiftly she forced the knife to the side and upwards into his chest making him release a grotesque sound; a mixture of a croak and gasp as he stumbled off of her holding onto the blade. As he pulled away the ring on his thumb slipped into her palm. He slumped against one of the chairs at the round table unable to pull the blade from his chest.

"Bested in such a way…Deidara, will have a good laugh when he hears…" coughed the dying man blood flowing from his mouth. Sakura propped herself against the window holding her side listening to the fading mans ramblings.

"W-where is he? What were you planning?" she inquired watching as the man opposite her raised his head to look her in the eyes.

"He plans to make art….from the ashes of a forgotten era." Sasori wheezed a small smile tugging at his lips' bloody corners.

"What do you mean art? Is he planning another bombing?" pressured the rose haired woman having lost too much blood to decipher his cryptic answers.

"We…never did agree on what….true art was…" he mused his voice but a faint whisper now. With that his eyes slowly closed and his head lulled to the side limply. Just then Sasuke's team burst onto the scene themselves, quite disheveled and bloodied. Quickly inspecting the condition of Suigetsu and Naruto he rushed to Sakuras side spotting her bleeding at the far side of the room.

"Sakura, are you alright? How bad is it?" questioned the obsidian eyed man kneeling beside her. He removed her vest and applied pressure to her hemorrhaging side.

"I've been better." she spoke softly her eyes dimming. He looked to the motionless man across from her with blood pooled around him. Gently he helped her to her feet slinging her arm around his shoulder.

"You did well, Sakura. You did what you had to, that's good." Sasuke assured following behind the rest as they made their escape.

"It doesn't feel good." she objected clinging to consciousness.

"It rarely does." he admitted solemnly.

---

Well that's that. This one was tricky for me. I'm not used to writing for more than two or three characters at a given time, and this was certainly a challenge. I mean hell; this may be the longest chapter I've ever written. it involved quite a few rewrites, and several long nights filled with whiskey and nicotine. Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed and if so please do shoot me a review or PM me regarding any questions, concerns, praise, criticisms, phone numbers ladies ;3 , or what have you. I can take it I promise, but that doesn't mean don't be nice to me.

Next Chapter: Sins of the Nocturne

Until next time! Sayonara!