A/N: Here is the continuation…!

Edo Style Tango No.2

The sun rose as it would on any other day its light cresting the peaks of the Mt. Iizuna range. Beneath the rocky formation the compound was abuzz with agents, mechanics and everything in between bustling about at their boss's behest. She had forgone the usual private meeting of what most called the "inner circle" and given a speech in the warehouse for all her subordinates. The speech was actually surprisingly riveting, despite relying heavily on vulgarity. She stood atop one of her SUVs pacing back and forth on the roof, ranting that by this time the next day they'd be back in business and swimming in cash. She knew how to whip her people into a frenzy that was for sure, Sasuke and Naruto watched the spectacle from the outskirts of the crowd.

"So today is the day, huh?" mused the blonde stretching his arms behind his head.

"Hn." Sasuke responded, he often wondered why people he had a history with expected any other response from him to rhetorical questions.

"Have you seen Sakura-chan? Usually you're the recluse." Naruto half joked, patting the man on the back. The dark haired mans usual frown deepened at the thought of the previous night. He hadn't seen her. He hadn't even returned her pistol. Hell he was even considering replacing her for tonight. In all honesty that was the only reason he was here with Naruto, the dobe was his next best choice seeing as it was them the police were looking for. Better to not endanger anyone else. Sasuke snapped back to reality at the thundering boom of Tayuya's men and women cheering in unison. She apparently had promised them a grand party to celebrate their triumph over "terrorist cocksuckers" who fucked with the wrong people. The redhead hopped down from her perch and made her way through the sea of subordinates to greet them.

"You better not fuck this up tonight, Sasuke. Nothing my boys hate more than missing a good party." jeered Tayuya with a smirk, finally coming to a stop before the two of them, "Hope you and Sakura are ready."

"Oh they're ready alright! They've been burning the midnight oil all week, Deidara won't know what hit him." cheered the blonde latching onto Sasuke annoyingly.

"I bet." grumbled the redhead still miffed about the amount of time they'd been spending together, despite Kins assertion that it was all for the sake of the mission, "Where is she anyway? Is the princess too good for my speech now?"

"I'll go find—"

"I'll get her." Sasuke interrupted, roughly detaching Naruto from him and making a hasty departure from the group. He couldn't—wouldn't avoid her. The mission came first, as it always had and she would understand that. He made the journey a quick one with his long gait, but made a detour at his own room to retrieve her sidearm. He inspected the sleek metal weapon critically, as he had cleaned it the previous night; another ritual he often used to calm his mind. Needless to say it hadn't helped much. He made his way to her adjacent room hesitantly reaching for the knob before deciding the last he needed was another hitch between them. Carefully he knocked on the thick wood of her door.

"Who is it?"

"Sasuke…can I come in?" there was a pause before the lock clicked and door slowly opened.

"Yes, Sasuke? What is it?" she asked her tone reminiscent of his own; flat, and impassive. The lack of her voices usual buoyancy was typically not a good sign if his memory served. She was dressed in her usual blouse and vest, having forgone the tie, and oddly enough donned a pair of fingerless gloves. Had she anticipated a physical confrontation of all things? Collecting himself under her somewhat hardened gaze he produced her 1911 Smith & Wesson.

"I wanted to return this to you before we head out. I…cleaned it for you." Sasuke said, his words coming out somewhat rehearsed. This didn't feel natural anymore, though he shouldn't have been surprised. He was still feeling ambivalent about what he'd done; it felt…incredible but clearly jeopardized what little rapport they had as well as their mission. Gingerly she snatched the firearm with a muttered thanks. Noticing he had no intentions of leaving their exchange at a simple delivery; she stepped to the side and ushered him inside, closing the door once he was inside.

"What is it, really?" Sakura questioned again her tone firm as her clenched fist.

"…I also wanted to go over the plan before we—

"Bullshit! Tell me what you want!" she barked slamming her gloved fist against the door, earning a small crack in response.

'I want you!' shouted the voice in his head; he was growing bolder and stronger by the day; for a second Sasuke had almost said those words. He wanted to lash out at her for the attitude and ravage her all the same. Neither of which guaranteed fixing the current rift between them. Shoving his hands in his pocket he confronted her livid emerald eyes with his own steely obsidian gaze. Perhaps a fight would be an adequate cure; it had worked for his and Tayuya's problems, for a time.

"Fine. We need to speak about last night. What I did…was uncalled for, and I don't want it interfering with the mission." he declared, waiting with baited breath for her reaction.

"Is that it then? You think I'll be a liability…jeopardize your mission?" responded the rose haired woman her voice rising to match the rooms tension. He frowned at the notion. It wasn't entirely false however; if they didn't discuss the events of last night it could jeopardize the mission. It was weighing just as heavily on his mind as he thought it was hers.

"It isn't that…I just—

"Don't strain yourself, I get it Sasuke. You regret it." Sakura finished cutting him off harshly, judging by how the thin line of his lips parted in surprise.

"Sakura…" he breathed his chest tightening as her words bit into him, the pain rivaling that of any bullet wound he'd ever suffered. He had known regret; he woke every day with many for years. How could she think that he could regret something as simple as a kiss; something they had both thoroughly enjoyed if he remembered correctly? "You don't believe that do you, do you?"

"Why shouldn't I? You've made it perfectly clear that what happened was a mistake." Sakura shot back her voice losing some of it initial fury after seeing the pain flash across his visage. She could feel her resolve waiver as he began taking steps towards her, "Don't Sasuke."

"You're right Sakura, it was a mistake." Sasuke began, his stride closing the distance quickly. She raised her fists defensibly as he came closer, "But I do not regret it."

"W-what? But you said it was a mistake." she stuttered planting her feet before he was upon her, she shook with anticipation of what may come.

"I have a great many regrets Sakura; when I kissed you…it did not add to them." he admitted, coming to a stop within the reach of her fists. If she decided to swing, he wouldn't stop her.

"Sasuke—"

"You ran last night. Tell me, did you regret what happened?' he asked, his voice coming out barely above a whisper. Sakura's eyes widened marginally as she stared into his for signs of deception or manipulation. She could find none behind his endless pools. The memories of the last time they were in this position flashed in her mind and her cheeks began to grow warm. She didn't truly regret it, but Sasuke had hurt her so many times in the past, it was inevitable. She bit her bottom lip in indecision and lowered her fists, the anger she once harbored evaporating into the ether as silence permeated the room. Taking her silence for an answer Sasuke reached for the doorknob and made to leave. Her thumping heart jumped into her throat as she panicked before haphazardly grabbing his hand with her gloved one. His gaze shifted from the door to hers; the fire that burned now subdued, extinguished by the sincerity he had seen before.

"I was scared of what you'd say." she blurted, her eyes trying to avoid his at the admission, "Afraid you'd push me away; hurt me…again."

His heart wrenched at the reality of hearing those words spill forth. It was true. He had always pushed her away when it seemed she was getting too close. He did it to everyone in fact, it wasn't only her. People were safer the further they were from him in general. It had been that way for years, thanks to Itachi. His brother had dragged his family's name through the mud and pulled him into the depths of the underworld with him. He didn't want that for Sakura, he'd do anything to spare her such a fate. Perhaps it was already too late. She had bled for his cause, taken it upon herself to personally help in whatever way she could; made it her own.

"I never wanted that; to scare you, to hurt you." Sasuke said, his words genuine as his hand unconsciously grasped hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Releasing her he turned back to the doorknob to leave, but was stopped once again. Roughly she grabbed the sleeve of his midnight turtleneck and pulled him with surprising strength. He had to steady himself on his forearms to keep from crushing her against the door. He peered down at her, such an angelic face; porcelain skin accentuated by a hint of peach on her cheeks, he even found the fading cut on it attractive. His lips parted in surprise and anticipation as she leaned forward on her tip toes and gingerly pressed her cherry lips to his in a chaste peck that lingered only for a brief moment before releasing him from their blissful embrace.

"I don't regret it either, Sasuke-kun" she whispered, her cool breath fluttering against his chin as she nestled her head in his chest. Instinctually he leaned into her seemingly innocent touch, their bodies molding with each other. His action caused her to tilt her head up and stare dubiously through her blush; in response he gave a minute smile and craned his head down to taste her again. Clearly he had a more carnal conclusion to their predicament in mind. The tender moment was cut short when a forceful knock came at the door.

"Sasuke? Sakura-chan? What's going on, everyone's waiting in the hanger." Naruto inquired through the door. Had it not been for their combined weights pressed against it their teammate would have forced his way inside. Suddenly embarrassed by the intimacy of their embrace, Sakura pushed away from the onyx eyed man.

"Sasuke and I were just going over the plan…we'll be out in a sec." she lied, attempting to subdue the flush on her cheeks. Naruto had a knack for showing up at the most inopportune times. They waited a few brief moments until their teammate retreated from the door, lest he gain wind of their actual activities. Sasuke lowered his arms allowing Sakura to shimmy away from his hold as he opened the door. Before he made his exit he turned to her wanting to say something but, when he opened his mouth he couldn't find the words. Sensing the rising awkwardness of the situation, she offered a weak smile and nodded in understanding. He returned the gesture in kind before disappearing on the other side of the door. She knew what he wanted to say but couldn't bring himself to actually vocalize. This was their secret, and a personal matter. As such it could never and should never get in the way of their professional rapport. It also was probably for the best, for fear that if anyone found out she'd be torn to shreds by Sasukes redhead admirers. She released a heavy sigh as she retrieved her forgotten sidearm and placed it in her hip holster; nothing was ever easy with Sasuke. She took a few more minutes for herself before leaving, knowing full well that this was just the quiet before the storm, and Sasuke would be deathly serious from here on out; as she should also be. Eventually she rendezvoused with her comrades in the warehouse where they were huddled around the hood of a black sedan. She was silently greeted by Sai as she peered over Jugo's shoulder for a better view of the main attraction. Sasuke was carefully tracing the planned route through the castle coming to a stop in the largest building, the old palace. If Deidara wanted to make a statement that was the place to do so.

"You're sure you can cover our escape?" Sasuke questioned, turning his attention to a dufflebag full of supplies that had been prepared for the mission.

"You worry too much. We have a plan." Tayuya assured, her sly fox grin not helping her case.

"I wish you would enlighten me." he responded begrudgingly, as he shuffled through the tools taking several of those he figured would be useless out.

"You just focus on not getting your ass immolated. Last thing I want is to be left with these two. No offense Jugo." chimed Suigetsu, his snide remark earning himself a knock on the head from the offended redhead. Taking the opportunity offered, Sakura pushed her way to the forefront coming out on the other side next to Naruto.

"That's why I'll be with him. To make sure he doesn't get himself killed." she announced drawing the eyes of the entire group to her. For a moment she wanted to slink away from the stares but, she stood her ground earning a small smirk from Sasuke that only she caught.

"It's best if we mobilize now. If we're lucky we'll be able to get into position before the curfew is in effect." Sasuke reasoned rolling up the map and shoving it into the dufflebag. Before he zipped it up he handed Sakura an earpiece and transmitter, "We'll be out of range to communicate with base until extraction, and these are in case we get separated."

"Teme, you two better come back in one piece!" warned the blonde, giving the dark haired man's shoulder a thoughtful squeeze. Nodding at Narutos heartfelt gesture Sasuke went about throwing the bag full of equipment into the backseat. The expected outcome of their mission was still up in the air; a fifty-fifty split at best, and that was after days of planning and training.

"Good luck Sakura, and please do be safe." Kin added, receiving a smile from the rose haired woman before she disappeared inside the heavily tinted sedan. Eventually they pulled away and through the gates of the compound into the mountain passageway.

The sun was well into its decent by the time they reached Nagano City and the streets were teeming with people rushing to reach home in hopes of finding safe haven from the dark. This was their first time outside since the Zenko-ji Incident as it had become known around the compound, but the fear that gripped the city that night still hung in the city air like a miasma. People walked with their heads down and with an urgency reminiscent of his days on the streets of Tokyo; the traffic at a crawl if not a standstill, and aggravation rising with the frequency of irate honking. At least something other than the air conditioner filled the silence that had plagued the car ride since Iizuna.

"I've never seen a city like this. The people…look so scared and depressed." Sakura muttered solemnly, mostly to herself as she peered out the dark windows.

"The heat doesn't help, it breeds fear and frustration like bacteria." he responded running his hands through his hair while he waited in the stagnant traffic. At this rate they'd get there in time to see the fireworks, instead of stopping them. Sasuke released a growl of frustration at the thought. He couldn't let him win, if he did all of their lives were forfeit and all he would have accomplished was legitimizing the vilification of his family and killing one communist bastard. The mounting frustration of the city must have begun seeping into the sedan judging from the way he gripped the steering wheel. Sakura placed her right hand over his left on the steering wheel, drawing his attention. Her face was serious and stern, but all the while reassuring.

"Relax, we'll get this guy." her tone was deceptively soft considering the circumstances, but it did the trick. He released a sigh and steadied his breathing, he needed a level head or else Deidara would play him for the fool again. In actuality he just wanted a smoke. Finally the traffic had cleared and they were on the move again.

"How are you so sure, Sakura? You were injured in our last mission…"

"I'm ready Sasuke-kun, honestly. If I had the tools I'd have taken the stitches out myself." she asserted, patting the offending side with a suppressed wince.

"Sakura…" chided the onyx eyed man, noting how her face soured from her own touch. She hated that tone.

"I'm already out here Sasuke that isn't going to change, nor is my promise to see this through with you." she declared, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Tch, you're still annoying."

"And you're still a prick." she blurted, covering her mouth after the fact, gasping at her own candor. Her eyes widened when a soft chuckle escaped Sasuke's throat. It was warm and accepting the kind of sound she only heard a handful of times, if even, from him.

"Believe it or not, you aren't the first to call me that." Sasuke continued, he made a sharp right down a back street to avoid one of the many traffic stops in place. The sun was now obscured by even the most diminutive high-rise buildings as curfew approached quickly. Sakura turned her attention back to the outside a smirk spreading across her features, "Thank you Sakura, for coming."

"N-no problem. I made a promise."

Eventually night fell and the streets were near empty, save for a few stragglers still trying to make their way home. Sasuke stuck to the back roads as best he could, but time was running out. Sasuke eyed his watch constantly as they skirted along the outskirts of the castle the old palace towering over the smaller ones that surrounded it taking careful note of the exterior defenses. Quarter past nine; he finds the nearest darkest side street he can and parks the vehicle. In the darkness of the sedan he reaches into the backseat and grabs the dufflebag before rifling through the equipment. He slipped a pair of leather gloves on before he pulles out a map and flips on the overhead light to see.

"We'll scale the eastern wall and make our way into the main enclosure from there." he decided, his finger tracing a careful path on the paper, "I hope you haven't forgotten your SWAT training."

"I'm sure you recall our siege on Sasori. So no, I haven't forgotten how to check my corners." she snapped, tactfully studying the map for herself.

"Hn." he responded checking his sidearm and magazines idly. He tucked his equipment into their rightful places before he fished out a pair of grappling hooks and wire cutters passing her one of each, "Ready?"

Sakura took the tools, pocketing the wire cutters and looping the rope around her shoulder, inhaling deeply before she nodded in affirmation. They exited the vehicle in unison, stealthily stalking their way towards the castle under cover of darkness. He had already taken notice of the staggering lack of security on his initial sweep of the perimeter; the eastern gate was devoid of all personnel. This was most likely Deidaras point of entry. Thanks to the recent heat wave the moats water level was lower than usual allowing them to clamber down closer to the wall. Planting her feet firmly in the soft mud Sakura swung her hook several times to build momentum before releasing it over the wall with a distant clink as she tugged to secure it. She shot Sasuke a sly smirk before she jettisoned herself over the water, landing feet first against the stone wall. He followed suit shortly after, taking the hand she offered once he reached the top. They were greeted by the sight of Matsushiro's imposing pagodas and breathtaking traditional architecture. Sasuke's eyes narrowed when he spotted a dark figure moving about the grounds before disappearing in the castles shadow. Without a word he jumped from the wall and started off after the form, but was stopped when Sakura grabbed him roughly by the arm. Damn her strength. He glared back at her, crimson already beginning to bleed into his vision.

"We can't get careless Sasuke!" she whispered harshly, returning his scowl when he ripped his arm from her grip. His grimace remained but, he agreed all the same as he took a more measured gait on their approach to the palaces front door. The duo drew their sidearms as they warily pushed open the slightly ajar wooden gate; the doors were heavy enough that it required both of them to move just one. In the process, the short hairs on the back of Sasuke's neck stood on edge when his ears picked up the twang of a snapping wire. Acting on impulse he quickly tackled Sakura to the ground avoiding the mayhem that was unleashed just above them. The door splintered and rained down upon them briefly before they stood and examined the fate they narrowly avoided. Sasuke examined the wooden shrapnel and metal shards that remained imbedded in the thick door.

"Ball bearings…" he noted before taking a step inside the palace and following the wire that triggered the trap, "packed into a tripwire rigged claymore."

"Sasuke-kun! Your arm…" she exclaimed, spotting the rather large splinter protruding from his left shoulder. In the wake of the confusion and the rush of adrenaline he hadn't felt it, not until he wrenched it from his flesh. The wound flowed freely down his arm until Sakura tore at her sleeve with her teeth and tied the fabric around the gash.

"Can't waste any more time. Let's move." he insisted pressing on through the antechamber. He pulled a small device from his pocket no larger than a cellphone and powered it up. Sasuke pressed it against the next door patiently watching the screen produce three blips. That's when Sakura realized what it was; a motion scanner and it was picking up a third person. Sasuke slowly slid the shoji screen aside scanning for any wires or other traps. Thankfully this time there were none. They crept into the larger hall, their feet resounding against the hardwood as they scrutinized everything. Wordlessly Sakura gained his attention and pointed to the second story. They watched as a cloaked man sauntered around the balcony before vanishing behind another shoji door. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the sight. This man was not Deidara. He couldn't see the man's face only a tuft of black hair poking out from behind…a mask? Sasuke released a low growl of frustration; nothing ever went as planned when Akatsuki was involved. Sakura could sense an aura of anxiety coming off Sasuke in waves. She stepped forward and stopped at the steps to the next floor, her eyes hard on his. She opened her mouth to declare her intentions, but Sasuke held his hand up stopping before she began.

"Go. I couldn't stop you if I tried. Just…be safe." called the ebony eyed man, his voice softening at the end. Sakura nodded curtly before she bound up the steps. He followed her every step of the way, watching until she left through the same shoji door, but not without giving him one last glance. Pushing the doubt and worry from his mind he trekked on, finding several bundles of explosives attached to structural supports for the second floor. Thankfully none were on timers nor were they connected via a complex closed circuit. Sasuke wiped the sweat from his brow as he went about diffusing the last plastic explosive; gingerly he traced the serial number on the ignition, coating it in crimson. His wound had begun to take its toll. Cursing his carelessness one last time he snipped one final wire and released a sigh once the device lost all power. He eyed his bloodied watch before he made his way down a corridor towards the main chamber where his target hopefully was. Time was running out.

Sakura stalked the subject through the palaces dark lit hallways, her Smith & Wesson drawn. She was always a step behind him; ever corner she turned he would escape around another one or wander into another room. She felt as if she was in some demented fun house attraction. It wasn't enough that she herself had found similar traps to the claymore at the front gate and had to deal with those. Eventually the masked man entered a room at the very end of the passageway. Trapped. Getting her courage up she approached the wooden sliding door and threw the door open with a loud crack as it slammed against the frame.

"Put your hands up!" she ordered, her weapon trained on the back of the cloaked man. For a split second she faltered when she noticed a second man on the floor fiddling with something in the corner, "Y-you too! Put your hands up!"

The thin paper windows allowed enough light for her to make out his face partially, but his most striking features were what caught her attention. He stared up from his work, a Cheshire cat grin half noticeable in the shadows, his visible eye as large as his smile. Her blood ran cold at the realization. This was Deidara.

"A woman? Is this some joke, you were supposed to lead Sasuke here." chided the blonde man, rising to his feet and pocketing the device that previously held his attention.

"You know the saying: you can lead an Uchiha to water but, you can't make him drink." jeered the dark haired man, his back still turned to Sakura who was growing impatient with the banter between the suspects.

"Tch! One job. You had—"

"Hey! I said put your goddamned hands up! I will shoot! I'm not kidding!" she shouted her voice dripping with venom, cocking the hammer on her pistol to put an exclamation point on her threat as she alternated between targets. Deidara stifled his laughter until he could no longer, the sound filling the room and making her stomach churn.

"You heard the lady. Put your hands up." he insisted, his grin turning dark and foreboding as his companion slowly complied. Sakura watched as the mysterious mans gloved hands rose to just above his head. Her voice caught in her throat when she spotted the objects in his left and right hands; one dark green sphere, and one small pin that dangled from his finger. Slowly he turned around his odd spiral masked face only showing a single dark beady eye but, she could tell he was grinning behind it.

"Now why don't you put that down before you get yourself hurt girl, hm." he taunted, soon finding the weapon pointed at himself.

"Deidara…by the authority of Interpols Special Task Force, I place you and your associate under arrest." Sakura declared finding her resolve in the recitation.

"Tch! No badge, no assault weapons, no backup. You're not Interpol…you're one of the Uchihas agents, hm!" spat Deidara, the mere thought of Sasuke drawing his ire, "What's your name girl?"

"Agent Haruno Sakura, now put your hands up. Last warning." she shot back, her finger twitching against the sleek metal of the trigger. He scowled at her boldness, but obeyed all the same. Remembering the transmitter in her glove she hailed Sasuke, "I've got Deidara and another suspect at gunpoint."

"I'm on my way." he responded, his voice coming in louder than expected causing her to cringe.

"Don't bother." said the masked man lowly, dropping the grenade and kicking it in her direction as they dove away. Sakura fired two rounds before bolting from the room, but was knocked to the hardwood when the grenade exploded leaving her deaf to the world. Slowly she rose on shaky feet, her ears still ringing as she tried to make out the conversation behind her and Sasuke's shouting in her earpiece. Blood trickling from a gash on the side of her head where she had landed.

"Baka!" reprimanded one of the room's occupants, "Did you forget what I had under here?! You could've killed us both, hm! "

"Gomen Deidara-senpai! I actually had forgotten…"

"Just deal with her and get out, it's almost time and I have to deal with the Uchiha." ordered the blonde brushing himself off. Having finally regained her faculties, Sakura peered back into the room in time to spot Deidara hopping through the hole in the floor the explosive had created and disappearing.

"Sakura, come in! What's your status?"Sasuke questioned again his voice growing urgent in the wake of the explosion.

"I…I've lost Deidara. Moving in to apprehend the other suspect." whispered the rose haired agent, steadily gripping her sidearm as she prepared to move in. Sasukes protests fell on deaf ears as she emerged in the doorway once again. This time she didn't bother with small talk. Sakura fired a burst of rounds aimed at the suspect's legs; surprisingly he dodged all of them with an awkward dance. She scowled as he burst through the adjacent shoji doors onto the balcony. Quickly she gave chase, leaping over the hole and out to the balcony. By the time she spotted him he was clambering down the pagoda tiles at an alarming speed before he leapt down to the castle grounds. Taking carful aim she fired several rounds as he made his escape, successfully striking him in his side causing him to crumple to the ground. Smiling to herself in triumph she climbed over the railing and onto the tiles, slowly reaching the edge and peering down, only to find he was gone; leaving only a small puddle of blood. Quietly swearing the emerald eyed woman went back inside to try collecting her thoughts.

"Sasuke do you read me? I've…lost the suspect. What's your status?" she asked, wiping the blood that threatened to spill into her left eye. There was no reply after several moments and when she when she opened her mouth to inquire again she was interrupted by Sasukes dark baritone.

"Deidara…"

"I'm glad you could make it Sasuke, so punctual." mocked the blonde haired man, his hands in his trench coat pockets as he paced back and forth despite the gun that followed his every move, "I almost didn't make it, thanks to your meddling little helper. What's her face…Sakura, hm?"

"If you hurt her I swear…"

"Soft spot for the pink one then? Knowing my associate…she may be a little "banged" up." he chuckled, his grin growing as Sasuke's scowl deepened and he pulled the hammer back on his pistol, "I wouldn't advise that, Sasuke."

"Afraid I won't miss this time?" growled the dark eyed man, crimson slowly making its way to the forefront.

"Partly. If you do, you'll make a crude show of the exhibition I had planned for the evening." Deidara explained lowly pulling his hands from his pockets. Sasuke narrowed his eyes to better get a look at the device he produced. It wasn't an explosive from the looks, closer to brass knuckles attached to a remote ignition.

"It's what's known as a Dead Man's Trigger." he began, clearly excited to show Sasuke his toy like a child on Christmas morning. Slowly he pulled a pin for the bottom of the device and held it up, "Now, if my hand releases this trigger for any reason the explosives I've planted in this room will blow…a beautiful bang!" Sasuke grit his teeth in annoyance. He thinks he's won, good. Sasuke could use that. Slowly he holstered his weapon feigning defeat, "Not to mention it's also rigged to detonate the explosives lining my coat. An insurance policy if you will."

"So, what would you have me do?" he questioned his eyes downcast.

"Conceding already Uchiha? What would your brother think; his junior falling in such disgrace. Perhaps I should have you run yourself through." gloated the blonde, taking a few steps in his direction.

"You truly have me beat at your own art, but can you best me at my own?" he challenged, his eyes penetrating his own with a deep crimson glare. The other man flinched, visibly shaken by his gaze.

"An exhibition of artistic prowess? Tch, no matter how barbaric your art may be it won't be a challenge for someone with my skill to easily defeat." Deidara crowed.

"We'll settle this like our ancestors did centuries ago." Sasuke declared, noting how the other man's face turned to one of surprise, "That is why you chose this place as a target no? Same goes for Zenko-ji temple; for retribution? To rewrite the Battle of Kawanakajima?"

"Your family of usurpers took everything from mine!" he spat, the hand holding the ignition shaking with his rage, "besieged our temple, slaughtered my family and left us destitute and subservient!"

The dark haired man paid his outburst little attention as he strode over to a nearby wall and examined two katanas mounted to it. He pulled the weapons from the wooden racks and turned to the other man, "Do you accept, or are you afraid of being beaten by a wounded…Uchiha?" That sent him over the edge. Sasuke tossed the fuming man the sword, which he caught effortlessly in his left hand. He moved to stand a few feet adjacent from him giving him a few moments to think, but his response came almost instantly.

"I accept, hm." Deidara answered placing the pin back in his detonator and putting it back in his pocket. They stared each other down before they unsheathed their blades in unison and took their respective stances. Sasuke made the first move, charging with his blade angled down. He took a wide arching slice upwards that his opponent dodged easily with a backwards step, before launching his own attack. He hacked and slashed at the Uchiha, the twang of their clashing katanas filling the spacious chamber with music the grounds hadn't heard for centuries. Sasuke backed away from a sweeping slash aimed at his midsection, countering with a powerful thrust of his weapons only to have it batted away by Deidara. Clearly his fatigue was setting in and the wound he suffered earlier only exacerbated his current state. His breathing was labored and his enraged opponent's forceful blows sent waves of pain into his shoulders, slowly numbing them. For a moment his vision blurred and he faltered, his katana stopping Deidara's from biting deeper into his cheek. He suffered more superficial wounds as his onslaught continued, the sound of his pounding heart filled his ears to the point it drowned out the insults and taunts his opponent spat.

"Getting tired Uchiha!?" he roared, pressing his attack more and more. His eyes mad and wide in his blood trance as he lead their dance of blades. Sasuke smirked through sweat drenched bangs as he ducked under a reckless swing and closed the distance with surprising speed. The blonde man's face blanched as he stared down at the blood red orbs staring up at him.

"Not a chance." he shot back, throwing his body weight with his shoulder against the other man, successfully driving him back. Before they broke apart he dragged his blade across the Deidaras side with what strength he could muster. The wound must have bit deeper than he expected judging by how quickly the blood pooled in the blondes hand and around his feet.

"Damn you…fucking Uchiha!" he bellowed, charging again in spite of his wound. The attack was sloppy Sasuke capitalized on the opening he saw. As the blade came down in near slow motion to Sasuke, he sidestepped the blow and swung upwards. The well maintained blade clove through flesh and bone making the blonde bomber stumble back and shriek in horror as his sword and half his arm thudded against the hardwood. The panicked man reached for his pocket not fully cognizant of the stump he now had. When he went for his other pocket with his left hand, Sasuke wasn't taking any chances. In one swift movement he kicked the man onto his back and stabbed down towards his splayed hand. He released another blood curdling screech as the blade separated several fingers from his hand. Sasuke pressed down firmly on his chest with his foot the blood coated blade resting against his adversary's neck. He was quickly becoming delirious from the blood loss judging from the glazed over look in his eyes and the way he was babbling.

"I—impossible…my art defeated again. Those eyes…those thrice damned eyes! Just like your bastard brother." he quavered, clinging to consciousness on sheer hatred alone.

"Where is my brother?" Sasuke asked his blade biting into the flesh of his throat. He had no time for a subtle interrogation. He could hear footsteps approaching in the distance; he pulled his Beretta M9 on reflex as the wooden door slid open and pointed it at the intruder.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled across the chamber, her stomach churning at the copious amount of blood spilt all along the room. The crimson eyed man lowered his weapon at the realization and turned back to his prisoner. She watched the exchange from afar. She'd never seen him this way, eyes set ablaze and one notch below feral.

"Where is Itachi?" he asked again, his voice conveying the mounting anger and urgency he was experiencing.

"Same damn artless eyes! J-just like in Tokyo…" his eyes fluttered as he crossed in and out of consciousness on the blood soaked hardwood floor. Sasuke removed his foot briefly contemplating what to do with him. He would succumb to his wounds soon enough. He tossed the katana aside and stared down at the man for a few moments, so he would remember his face.

"You don't deserve an honorable death. Nor do you deserve praise for your "art". You're a murderer, plain and simple." Sasuke hissed lowly as he stepped away from the bleeding man and towards Sakura. It wasn't until then he realized how drained he felt, blood was flowing freely down his arms and even pooling in his shoes. He almost stumbled to his knees but Sakura caught him.

"Hang in there! We've got to find a way out, the police are on the way." she urged leading him out of the room as quickly as she could carrying a 180 plus pound man with a stitched side.

"Can anyone hear us? Sasuke? Sakura? Come in." chimed a female voice in their ears.

"We're here; both pretty beat up, but alive. We need extraction." she responded adjusting Sasuke against her shoulder.

"Get to the second floor as quickly as possible. The whole place is crawling with pigs…err no offense."

Sakura ignored the slur and continued her trudge down the corridor. The further she went the more distinct the sounds of rushing boots became causing her to panic and escape into a nearby room. Thankfully it was directly below the room she had confronted Deidara in. Unfortunately, there wasn't any way back up through the hole. Cursing to herself she leaned Sasuke against a wall and looked for debris she could stack to make the climb more accessible for the both of them. She frowned at the inadequate half foot of leverage she was able to create. It would have to do.

"I won't be able to drag you to the second floor so you'll have to go first." she surmised standing on the makeshift stool, resting her interlocked fingers on her bent knee.

"Sakura…just—"

"There isn't any time to argue and I'm not leaving you! Just do it!" she ordered sternly, and for once Sasuke left it at that and did as he was told. He planted his foot in her hands and used what remaining strength he had in his legs to jettison himself upwards. Luckily he was able to get a good enough grip on the floor above to pull himself up. The sounds of feet were soon accompanied by shouted orders as they came nearer and nearer. Sasuke offered his hand as far down as he could, grasping for her own as she leapt for him. Eventually he was able to grab her wrist. He grit his teeth as he struggled to pull her when suddenly the wooden door burst open. He could see the raw fear in her eyes as she mouthed his name amidst the chaos. By the grace of some merciful god, he summoned the strength to pull her up before the SWAT personnel could get their hands on her. They collapsed on the floor panting heavily, but the reprieve was brief.

"Hurry up! This place is swamped and we need to get out of here, now!" exclaimed Tayuya, the sound of air being beat into submission by sharp blades filling the room as they plodded on onto the balcony nearly spent. There they spotted their ride. The helicopter flew low enough for them to make out the occupants' shouting against the deafening sound and see the hanging ladder. Fueled by the sense that their ordeal was nearly over they crossed the distance with renewed vigor. Sakura was the first to reach the ladder on the pagoda tiles and climbed up into the helicopters open cabin. Sasuke had just begun his ascent when bullets began speeding past him, ricocheting off the thick casing of the helicopter as well.

"Get us the fuck out of here!" Tayuya ordered as she returned fire with her meager 1911. Shouting an order to hold on Suigetsu jerked the vehicle away from the castle and high into the sky.

"Sasuke-kun!" cried the jade eyed woman as she scrabbled to the edge to see if he was still holding on. The pressure that had built in her chest lessened when she saw that he still clung to the ladder and was steadily approaching the top. The two women held their hands out and pulled him up themselves with one great heave. His breathing was labored and he could barely hear the worried questions that were shot at him. Steadying himself against the adjacent wall he stared out into the night sky he caught he managed to catch his breath and release a sigh.

"I need a smoke." the cabin erupted with laughter and for once things went as he wished they would, as he took a long drag.

Welp that'll do it for a bit! I hope you all enjoyed reading the sweet, sometimes sour, SasuSaku goodness as much as I did writing it. Fluffiness aside (or included if you want) let me know whatcha think as usual the good, the bad, the raunchy, whatever. As always I'll do my damndest to pump out the next chapter as soon as inspiration hits me. Or at least until I get an adequate amount of bourbon to help me.

Next Chapter: Bossa Nova Nouveau

Until next time! Sayonara!