New Beginnings
She looked down her front and frowned.
"This is just great." She muttered, looking up to her perpetrator with narrowed eyes. They immediately softened.
To say he was beautiful would be an understatement.
"Although, I'm sorry for the damage…if it counts." She raised black eyebrows, studying this man. Scratch that.
God.
He was carved by Kami himself, she was sure. There was his lean build and the shape of his chest outlined from his thin dress shirt. He had blonde spiky hair, similar to Naruto's before he grew it out. His jaw was strong and cut, holding thin lips that showed a full set of perfect white teeth when he smiled. Smiles, because the expression looked as if it was glued onto his face, making her insides boil and melt. She found a dimple on his left cheek that just made him all the more irresistible.
His smile fell. "Are you okay?" She blinked. Oh Kami, he caught her staring. With the feelings brewing inside of her, she could only wonder how she was holding up on the outside. She gave him a small reassuring smile.
"Yes, yes. I'm fine." His face lit up again. He was making it hard for her to avoid his lips.
"Well, Misses Tan, forgive me for the spilled drinks." She nodded.
"Seriously, it's fine." She said, perplexed he knew her name. Rather, addressed her by her last name. She turned to order another time, but he stopped her.
"Don't worry. I'll handle those. Haroki," He called, holding up two fingers while pointing to Sakura. The bartender nodded and smiled at her. She'd try to understand the hand gestures, but she was still on why he approached her, supposedly knowing her. And the stickiness of the drinks were setting in. There was also the momentary lapse of forgetfulness. She wasn't supposed to talk to other men without Sasuke around. She slowly turned back around and mustered the sweetest smile she could.
"I appreciate your help, but I could've gotten those myself. Besides, I have to get back to—" He held up a palm.
"Don't worry about it." The smile appeared again. Was he trying to pick her up? She was on the job—she hasn't even started it yet, although he was unnaturally handsome—
She held out a hand. "Haruka Tan, but I presume you know that." He took her hand with warm fingers that sent shivers down her spine. To add insult to her already buckling knees, soft lips kissed her knuckles, his light blue eyes staring at her all the while. She took a sharp intake of breath, composing herself. "And you are?" He smiled again, returning her hand.
"Yashimata Yuuki."
"Shit."
She pressed her lips tightly together, trying to cover up her recent outburst.
"Is everything alright?" She nodded and raised a finger.
"Just give me a second." She turned around and put her hands on her front. 'Shit, Shit, Shit,' She thought, trying to compose herself. No wonder the Daimyo was so worried. Although he seemed to have sugarcoated his image a bit; any woman would willingly dance for any man with money in their hands. Her hands moved above her stomach. Sakura herself was new to the whole sex experience, but being a medic, she knew the ins and outs of the genitalia and she knew what parts were pleasurable to a man and a woman. She was also sure Ren found none of those parts. However, with all of her knowledge, she's never felt sexual tension toward someone before, and now she felt it. She knew she felt it. Deep inside of her was a prickly sensation, all from his piercing eyes.
Turning back around, she smiled at him again. "I think I'm going to grab those drinks. How much did they cost? I wouldn't want to burden you—"
"I can assure you, it's alright." Her eyebrows knitted together.
"Well, how do you know—?"
"Your name? You're the only woman I can think of with distinct blue hair and green eyes. You're very popular in this Village." She tilted her head upwards in understanding. She didn't know the extent of her reputation here. It probably didn't exceed the confines of a strip club or longue, so only those familiar with famous prostitutes and strippers would know of her. And those who read tabloids, according to Mei. "I heard you came here with Mei, so I had to seize the opportunity. A dancer of your caliber in my establishment—"
"I don't dance." His eyebrows raised. "Anymore." She corrected. She quickly tried to change the subject. "This is your lounge?" He nodded.
"I have a few more like this, but not as successful. This is the only one that boasts various amenities, other than the strippers of course." She frowned. Come to think of it, she didn't hear loud flashy music or see naked women on poles.
"So…it transforms at night?" She asked in confusion.
"Precisely. It's a night club, it hosts celebrities during the day and also various parties. I frequent this longue, so I put most of my work into this one. The Kansai…it's special somehow. But with Snow having their economic problems, we haven't been getting the publicity we usually do. Now this has no immediate effect on me; I'm worried about this Village as a whole. What used to be a popular place for people to settle down is now turning into a tourist site, and even then every once in a while." Sakura absorbed the information with her expression cooled as she tried to remember all that she could. "I don't know you as well as I'd like to, Misses Tan, but that does make me wonder, not about you leaving Snow, but your exact reasons for showing up here." He questioned, his eyebrows raised as he awaited her answer. She pursed her lips.
"To get away from it all. I don't need quietness exactly, but I need new scenery and new faces for…for new beginnings." She finished with a bright smile. "Enough about me, what makes the Kansai lounge so special?" She'd learn all about the target in one night if she could keep him talking…if she could actually pay attention to his words and not his lips. He shrugged.
"I moved here for the same reasons you're standing in front of me. I had ideas though, big ideas. But big ideas won't get you anywhere in this Village, you'll need a few commas beside your name. I was lucky. I had that. So I had this place built." He outstretched his hands. "It was rocky at first, but that didn't matter because we had a great deal of people coming in. They came for the strippers, the drinks, and they left. But I wanted more, you know? There was the money coming in from the girls, and then there was the money coming in from the drinks. But that wasn't enough to do what I wanted to do. So when we made a media deal with Snow, the investors started pouring in. More investors, more money. More money, more amenities. Thus, the Kansai Lounge you see today was born." They were leaning against an empty space on the bar now as he continued to tell her stories of his successes. She nodded and smiled, the body language of an attentive listener. Sakura was sure she knew when she was attracted to someone. Yuuki wildly so. She wasn't prepared for this. He was supposed to have been average. Handsome and sharp, but not…not the godly creature that stood in front her. As he spoke avidly about his career expenditures, she couldn't stop thinking of him and what he reminded her of.
And as much as he hated to admit it, Yuuki reminded her of Ren. And she really hated to admit it, but she missed Ren.
"Haruka?" Her eyes snapped to his.
"Y-yes?" He frowned as she smiled sheepishly.
"I asked if you were going to be in this Village for a while." She pursed her lips.
"I don't know, nothing is permanent for me anymore. Sai—" She paused. Drinks. "I have to get those—"
"Who's this?" Sasuke commanded. Sakura turned her head and sighed, her eyes meeting with Sasuke's unhappy features. She slowly distanced herself from Yuuki, currently sporting a confused expression. She sighed again, ready to explain, but she was interrupted.
"Yuuki!" Mei came forward from behind Sasuke and enveloped Yuuki in a bear hug, her arms damn near strangling his neck. "When did you come back?" He put some distance between them, but still kept an arm around her waist.
"An hour ago. I came to see you, but I ran into Misses Tan here." He gestured out to Sakura as Sasuke frowned.
"Haruka, please—"
"Misses Tan is just fine." Sasuke interrupted, his arms folded across his chest. She frowned right back.
"Sai." She whispered harshly, and then turned back to Yuuki with a smile. "Haruka, I insist."
"Haruka." Sasuke started. She looked back to him, his expression schooled. "What did you get yourself into?" He gestured down her front, still soaking from the many drinks spilled there. Her mouth formed an "o".
"I was, um, getting drinks, and I ran into Yuuki here." She tried wiping herself dry, only for her hands to become sticky. She sighed. "Literally." She deadpanned.
"Yashimata-san?" The bartender called from behind the counter, various drinks on a platter. That was not what she ordered. Yuuki waved a hand at him, instructing the drinks to be put down.
"Well, Yashimata-san." Sasuke nodded and took a step forward. "Mei," He started with a smile. "Babysit these drinks for me, will you? I have to go get Haru-chan cleaned up." Mei blushed as Sasuke moved swiftly, grabbing Sakura on his path to the restrooms. He didn't seem like he was going to stop until he got there, expertly weaving through various people throughout out the longue. She vaguely noticed the loud music in the background and wondered how Sasuke was able to get through the wildly dancing patrons flailing their bodies around to the upbeat music. Something in the back of her mind told her it was because he was used to the atmosphere of clubs. The few times she did go to a club with him, before they began dating, she faintly remembers how different women were in her position, being dragged by the hand to only Sasuke knows where. She even remembers Sasuke pulling her like this once. They were headed for the restrooms where he—
She planted her feet on the ground.
If it wasn't for Sakura's strong beliefs back then, Sasuke probably would've had his way with her, right in those restrooms. Given the prerequisites for the success of this mission, she had a feeling that's exactly what he intended on doing.
She panicked.
She wasn't ready. They didn't even talk about it. Sakura's personality and stress levels had no room for spontaneity. That was it. She decided on not doing it, on reaffirming her strong beliefs. It was too early in the mission now. Besides, they had the minimum time span of a month to complete the mission, so there was plenty of time. Plenty of preparation time. Said perpetrator turned around with knitted eyebrows.
"What are you doing?" She frowned, yanking her hand from his gasp and crossing her arms across her sticky chest. Her nose turned up in disgust but she quickly recovered, dropping her arms to her sides and balling her fists.
"I'm not doing anything. I actually refuse to do anything." She stated. The look of confusion on his face made her scowl falter.
"What the hell are you talking about, Sakura?" He whispered harshly as she pursed her lips.
"You know damn well—"
"No, I don't." He retorted, his hands on his hips. She frowned.
"You don't?" She asked, apparently just as confused as he was. He sighed.
"Sakura—"
"I'm not having sex with you, Sasuke." She whispered. His eyebrows raised. "At least not right now." He rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand again, proceeding on his path to the restrooms.
"So that's what this was about." He muttered sarcastically. She frowned as he opened the door and pulled her inside, locking it behind himself and then finally letting go of her hand as he went to check each stall for occupancy. Satisfied with his results, he came back and stood in front of her.
"I told you," She started, shoving her nose in the air. "I'm not going to have sex with you." He rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time and placed his hands on his hips.
"That's not what we're here for, Haru-chan." She frowned.
"Then what are we here about? How you've gotten your role confused?" He jerked his head back.
"What?" She pursed her lips.
"You're not supposed to do that." She whispered. He looked around the restroom, obviously at a loss as to what else he could've possibly done wrong in her eyes.
"Do what?" He asked, his voice high-pitched in exasperation. She gestured at the door.
"Make Mei blush like that. That's not your job." He rolled his eyes, sighing.
"Yes, you've told me." She bit her lip.
"But you continue to do it." He shrugged.
"It's natural." Her eyebrows raised in disbelief.
"It's natural now, is it?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Are you jealous, Sakura?" Her eyes widened.
"No!" Her head jerked back in surprise. "Wha—Why would I be jealous of her?" He smirked. "She's not even—This is a mission, and on top of that I wouldn't even care. I've had you already so I could care less whether or not you go and screw with her!" She blurted out. He shook his head, a small laugh coming from his lips. He heard the word 'care' a lot. She frowned. "This is funny to you?"
"Technically, you never had me. And you just expressed your distaste with having me at all, so…" Her frown ran deeper as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"Oh, you know what I mean. I was the best thing that ever happened to you, so anything after me is a downgrade." She slowly removed her arms, that probably being the third time she forgot her chest was sticky. His eyebrows raised.
"Oh really?" She grunted in agreement. He shrugged. "Well, considering we never had sex, that 'best' title is debatable…" The smug look was wiped from her face and replaced with a scowl. "And given your history with relationships, I think it's safe to say I was your best. I mean, come on. I held out for two years." He raised two fingers in emphasis. "That was a very long and painful two years for me, especially adding to table I was a ninja. You have to give me credit for staying faithful—" She threw a pointed look at him, her eyebrows raising. An obvious indication to change his answer. "For not having sex for two years." She took her attention off of him and tried to make the mess on her a top a little more bearable by trying to wring it out; an unknown placebo to her because she actually thought it was coming out.
"What'd you bring me in here for, anyway?" She huffed. "We're not having sex in here, so you can cross that off of your list." She reiterated. "The target's out there so I'm not sure why we're here in the first place—" She rambled. "I'm sure whatever pressing information this is can wait until we reach the hotel—"
"I need you to take your top off." She looked up, pausing the wiping of her top.
"I'm sorry?" He nodded upward slightly, pointing out the indiscreet camera in the top right-hand corner he had his back to. Her mouth dropped open.
"There's cameras in the restroom?" She whispered harshly. He frowned.
"No need to whisper, they can see you, not hear you." She scowled.
"That doesn't make it any better!" She grumbled while furiously trying to scrub out the spill. He placed his hands on his hips.
"So are you going to take it off? Because that method clearly isn't working." She sighed, dropping her hands. "I'm going to clean it with water, if that's alright with you. Unless of course, you'd like to show Yashimata-san you're uncomfortable with undressing in front of me." He finished, a smug look on his face. She frowned. "To think that he's not watching us right now would be a stupid mistake." Her eyebrows knitted together.
"Couldn't you have told me that a little earlier? I just spent this whole conversation frowning like a dumbass." He pursed his lips.
"No, you spent the whole conversation looking like a girl getting scolded by her boyfriend for standing too close to a stranger." He threw her a pointed look as she blinked.
"You're smart, Uchiha." She whispered.
"Right. Now, I'm going to take this wet thing off of you, and you're going to stay quiet. Do you understand?" She nodded slowly as he moved forward, sitting his hands on her hips. She refrained from jumping. "Stay calm." She nodded again as they slid up her waist.
"What was that about? You and Mei, I mean." He shrugged, his fingers tracing light patterns in her skin before tucking themselves underneath the band of her top.
"I asked her about her two professions, just a little digging. Nothing seductive, I promise." He pulled it off in one swift movement, her breasts perky and free in front of him. It took everything to keep from shielding them from him as he stared at her, a hungry look in his eyes. "You've gotten bigger since we were together." She bit her lip.
"Milk." She started, her throat dry and her voice raspy. "Milk helps." His warm fingers traced patterns on her nipples first; her breath hitching as her body responded to his touch.
"Right. I'm going to kiss you now, Sakura." She opened her mouth to answer but she could only muster a small squeal as he pushed her body against the wall and moved his flush against hers, overtaking her lips. He pushed a leg between her two and opened them, promptly lifting her. Soft moans vibrated from her throat as his hands sensually squeezed her now tender breasts.
There. There you please a woman.
He ravished her mouth, nipping at her bottom lip. His tongue danced with hers as his fingers expertly caused reactions everywhere he touched.
"I forgot how this felt," He whispered against her throat as he placed kisses there. She threw her head back against the wall as he pushed her higher.
"Oh," She breathed, wrapping her legs around his middle. He took this as initiative, placing ghost kisses on her collarbone. He paused at her breasts. "Go." He bit her nipple hard, hard enough to have chills running up and down her spine. His tongue gloriously pleased her there, making it harder to breathe. He sucked until Sakura was shaking, soft gasps escaping her lips. He moved to the other one. Her hair fell around his face as she laid her forehead on top of his. "More," She whispered, almost broken. He moved from her breasts down to her lower stomach, his mouth never leaving her skin. Her back arched against him and her hands fisted in his hair as he bit her navel. "Sasuke—"
The moan died in her throat as she heard three short raps on the door.
He slowly moved from her stomach, letting her slide down the wall to her feet. Sakura quickly tried to recover as Sasuke move towards the door. He unlocked it as she blinked, her fingers brushing across her bruised lips. She desperately tried to quiet her erratic breathing.
"Sai, can I come in?" Sakura stiffened as she heard Mei's voice echo throughout the recently quieted space. Sasuke opened the door wider.
"Haru, cover yourself, will you?" Mei swiftly moved past him and stopped in front of Sakura.
"Haruka…are you okay?" She was still dazed and Mei had worry written all over her face. She blinked again.
"Yeah…" She whispered. Mei tried to meet her gaze. "Yes." She said, more surely. Mei frowned again.
"But your lips…" She pressed them together, feeling their plumpness.
Sasuke, the bastard. She could almost hear him smirking behind her.
"Well, Sai—"
"Haruka, cover yourself." He commanded. She quickly folded her arms across her chest as Sasuke came near, plucking the forgotten garment from the restroom floor. He moved to the sink and started running it under water.
"Yuuki thought that I should come and check on you, Haruka." Sasuke paused. "Well, it was originally my idea because I thought you left, and the main reason why you're here is to see my performance, and he saw you leave in the direction of the bathroom, so I offered to go and see what the both of you were doing—"
"I was just apologizing to Haru here for missing the rest of our tour." He said with a smile. She turned her attention to Sasuke, and her eyes slowly moved down to his lips.
"Oh…" Was all that Mei could manage. She then looked back at Sakura, covering her chest. "Oh…" She said quieter. "And now that I've found out," She whispered. "I'll just leave you to it." The worry in her eyes diminished as she squeezed Sakura's shoulder and flashed her a small smile before backing out of the door. Sasuke shut off the water and moved to lock it. He then stepped over to the hand dryers and held Sakura's top underneath it. The whirring sound broke the silence as she bit her lip.
"What now?" He asked. She frowned.
"Well, for starters, what did you have to go and do all of that for?" He sighed, the dryer shutting off only adding to his irritation. In annoyance, he rustled Sakura's top underneath it until the air flow began again.
"There are cameras, Sakura. Have you already forgotten in your flustered state?" He finished, a smirk on his face. Her frown ran deeper.
"Even so, we're not dating anymore. You lost those privileges a long time ago. Have you forgotten that?" She huffed.
"It's a mission, Sakura." She pursed her lips, upset that he was right, again. "Remember back on the ferry? You said you were laying a foundation then." She furrowed her eyebrows.
"Doesn't ring a bell." He sighed.
"You made a restore point." She shook her head. "You said the mission is going to try to blur boundaries with the proximity we're working with, and that point is one that we should always go back to if either of us get carried away." She titled her head upwards in remembrance as her mouth formed an 'o'. "But I did tell you he was watching us. Mei came right on time." Her eyebrows knitted together.
"What's right on time?" He shrugged.
"That small space in time before I rip off your shorts and have my way with you on the sink." She blinked. He moved from the hand dryer and handed her the top.
"Oh…" She slowly pulled it back over her head and shoulders. He placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and tried to move past her toward the door. Her hand reached for his wrist and she pulled him back in front of her. His eyebrows furrowed. "You're so cute with red lipstick." She mused as she licked her painted thumb and started to wipe away her smudged lipstick from his mouth. He frowned.
"Cute? What happened to sexy?" She paused.
"I've never called you sexy a day in my life." He pursed his lips in disagreement.
"Yes you have. You just might not remember because you were—" He stopped himself as her eyebrows furrowed in curiosity.
"What? I was what?" He sighed.
"Drunk. You were drunk." She smirked.
"Well that testament proves everything." He frowned again. She continued trying to remove her thick lipstick from his mouth.
"Mei thinks I'm sexy," He said after silence. She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, her and a million other people." His frown ran deeper. Grabbing her hands, he took her lips in his, hungrily moving his tongue inside of her mouth and overpowering her senses. He continued to nip at her lips before a hand forcefully pushed his face away. He threw her a pointed look.
"That was sexy." She rolled her eyes again.
"No, that was stupid." She countered, throwing him a pointed look right back. "You look like a drag queen." He glared at her, producing a laugh. "Now, why don't you go handle the real sexy beast?"
"You can barely call this place a strip club. It's like…" She pursed her lips in thought. "It's like a night club, sort of, except there are strippers here so that makes it a strip club." Mei finished with a dry laugh. "But that's not it. This specific lounge is special to us, Yuuki and me. I don't know which one of us it means more to. I practically helped him build his life into this Lounge, and it was here that he gave me life." She said, facing away from Sakura. "But anyway, there are the booths and the tables behind the endless mosh pit of men. In front of the mosh pit is the stage with retractable poles which only appear when it's time for the strippers to go on." She said loudly as Sakura struggled to hear her over the music. Then she pointed toward the back. "Those booths are the best in town. The best practically anywhere, if you can believe it." Sakura followed her pointed finger in the dim-lit space to the booths. From what she saw, the booths described were just rooms, four walls she guessed, and only the inside could testify to its luxuriousness. "As the other dancers perform, the strippers who finished their set go to the booths where the prepaid clients are waiting. They get seen first because, well, you know…" Sakura shook her head, indicating she didn't. Mei smoothed the stray pieces of her hair falling from her bun. "Paying ahead basically guarantees your chance with a stripper, dancer, or both for that matter. And since they're taking time out for you while there could be other high-paying customers, your price practically sky rockets. Probably one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard of, but the money's there and its business, so…" Mei shrugged as Sakura hummed, running her fingers through her hair.
"I've never danced at a lounge before, and I didn't think there was a difference. Well, until now." She stuffed her hands into her leather pockets. Mei frowned.
"Well, I've never danced at a Strip Club before." Sakura scoffed.
"Good. I think you've got the best of both worlds here." She said under her breath. Mei's frown ran deeper.
"What does that mean?" Sakura sighed, looking around.
"I can tell you one thing, it's not as sophisticated as this." She gestured outward with her hand and then replaced it in her pocket. "Strip Clubs are more…down and dirty. You can even go as far as to say raunchy. There's no "clientele" and there's no "pre-paid" system. You go on stage and you dance when you're supposed to. Whether you open the place or end the night, you have to earn it. After you're naked, you take your pick. They'll either pay you for a lap dance, or they'll pay you for sex. If they pay you to fuck them, you fuck them. If they get rough, you call security. But if they don't hear you…" She wrapped her arms around her middle and looked away.
"If you get raped, you get raped. There's no two ways about it." Mei's big eyes shown with sympathy. Sakura shook her head. "We're Strippers. We're girls who get naked for money. Who's going to care? We're practically asking for it anyway, given the small print of our job description." Sakura shrugged, trying to lessen the impact of her words. "The Strip Club…for people like me, it was a safe haven. An easy way to get money, pay rent, but that's only if you had the right stuff. It was a place to sleep, a place to feel wanted." She bit her lip and looked around her. "With Sai, I have everything I could've ever wanted as a girl growing up. I've regained my sense of security and my ability to actually let people in. So I quit. I felt there was no other reason for me to continue stripping and dancing. And yet, I still feel like something's missing."
"Well, then—"
"Why don't we go find Yuuki and Sai? Hopefully they haven't killed each other in our absence." Mei's frown quickly changed as her expression became worried.
Knowing Sasuke, there had to have been bloodshed.
"Surely you think that it would be a worthwhile investment."
"No, I don't."
"It is, isn't it? More attractors for the Village. It'll make more money, don't you think so?"
"Not in the least." Sasuke drawled, most of his attention focused on slowly turning the distasteful wine in his glass. He frowned, specifically remembering telling Sakura "two rounds of Sake."
"Seriously?" He put the glass down and sighed, looking up at the pretty boy in front of him.
"Look, Yashimata-san—"
"Yuuki, please."
"Look, Yuuki." He corrected. "Mei only has the job that she has because her father's the Daimyo. And she at least tries to be sophisticated about it. Bringing in Strippers for eye candy just isn't reasonable." Yuuki frowned as Sasuke continued to turn down his idea. "If you make them mobile, they become Prostitutes. "Showing" visitors around the Village will transform into them "showing" much more." He avidly used air quotes. Picking up his forgotten glass, he looked at the contents in distaste before bringing it to his lips. "You can put a Stripper in somewhat decent clothes. Hell, you can even put a suit on her. But that won't change the seductress inside of her. Soon after, the tourist-escort business turns into mass prostitution with a pretty name in front of it. Your business here plummets because your girls are literally taking their show on the road." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not saying it'd be the worst investment I've ever made, but that's just not something I'd like my name advertised in front of." Yuuki pursed his lips.
"And you've made many investments in the past." Sasuke placed his glass back down on the table.
"True." Yuuki nodded.
"And your investments here—"
"None. Haruka and I just moved here." He raised his eyebrows, and then he shook his head slightly.
"But you've begun to look." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Look, Sai. I know your rep. Everyone does. It doesn't take long for you to make a decision, and when you do, they're hardly ever the wrong ones." Sasuke sighed, his eyes closing.
"What are you saying, Yuuki?" He drawled.
"Take a look around the Lounge. Tell me what you think. Mei didn't have to breathe a word about Haruka for me to know her rep around here. I'm sure you can estimate the amount of money she can bring in on one night. Just think about the long run. She's a skilled dancer. Pretty amazing, actually." A scowl formed on his face. He remembers her brief explanation of her and Kakashi's mission in Snow. He knew Sakura could dance, but…pole dancing? He cleared his throat.
"Haru has already expressed to me her disinterest in dancing right now. She's stubborn, so unless you and Mei can change her mind, I doubt—"
"I'm sure I can change her mind." Yuuki interrupted, a smile on his face. Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows.
Noticing more presences surrounding him, he smiled.
Saved.
"I'm sure they're just fine." Mei reassured, looking to Sakura with a smile. As they approached the table, she could testify otherwise.
Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw Sasuke smile when he noticed her. Sasuke never smiles without extreme provocation. It must've been hell.
"Haru-chan. I would've thought you've gotten yourself kidnapped with the amount of time you were gone." He said through slightly forced tones only she could hear, and a fake smile plastered on his face, covering gritted teeth. She rolled her eyes.
"Funny. Mei was just showing me around." Yuuki turned toward the two females with raised eyebrows. "The Strip Clubs back in Snow are nothing compared to this." She claimed first. "It's…It's different. And pricey. And everyone seems to look more expensive here." She said, looking around. "And I have to find out where the girls get their clothes." Sasuke rolled his eyes as Sakura threw a pointed look at Yuuki. He shrugged.
"I'm sorry, it's exclusive for my dancers." He said with a smile that seemed completely unapologetic. "If you were my dancer, I'd be more than welcome to share the name and location of the boutique." She frowned.
"Well isn't that the deal from a devil." She muttered underneath her breath. She tapped her temple and held up a manicured index finger, silently promising to think about it. "Only because I really hate secrets." He shrugged his shoulders.
"Hence the exclusiveness,"
"These drinks must be exclusive, too." Sasuke muttered underneath his breath, frowning at the full glass in his hands. The wine was tangy, and left a bad aftertaste in his mouth. He could only hope it was exclusive, because if that wasn't the case, he'd be sticking to beer for the duration of this mission. Sakura frowned at him before turning back to Yuuki.
"But why so organized? Why do a Strip Club like this?" She asked, gesturing around her. On her tour around the longue, she spotted more than enough civilian dressed security guards mixed in with the crowd. Each time she turned her head she saw one, sticking out like a sore thumb to the trained eye. Her attention turned back to Yuuki, his piercing eyes still on her. Her head jerked back.
"What happened in Snow happens everywhere, Haruka." She stiffened as Sasuke choked on his drink. It could be because of the taste he so adamantly detested, or it could be because of the bluntness of this near stranger, who knew her only by association and reputation. Taking that into account, she concluded he sure was blunt.
"Is this your persuasion?" Sasuke asked, amusement in his voice as he brought the glass to his lips again. "Because that's probably the worst you could've done."
Yuuki rose. "Watch the performances tonight. Sleep on them." He took a shocked Mei by the hand as Sakura bit her lip. "Have a good evening, Sasaki-san, Haruka." He nodded before disappearing through an array of tables in the dim, crowded space. She turned to Sasuke, only to see a laugh trying to break through his horrible poker face. She frowned, plopping down into the newly vacated seat.
"That was funny?" He shrugged, taking a sip again.
"A little bit." His nose scrunched up as the aftertaste kicked in. "Why do I keep drinking this?" He put his glass down and pushed it toward her, or far away from himself. To her, his intentions weren't clear. She didn't think he knew… "Taste. It's disgusting." She sighed, her thoughts being confirmed by his words.
"Can't." He raised his eyebrows.
"Why not?" She sighed again.
"Kakashi—"
"Ah—" He quickly said, holding up a finger. She pouted. Anything having to do with her and Kakashi spelled trouble just by the sound of their names. He'd rather not hear her skewed version, but instead wait until the both of them were together and let the pair duke it out accordingly. She rolled her eyes, understanding his prejudice of her soundness in explanations.
"He sure does know an awful lot about us." She muttered as he shrugged.
"Have you forgotten, Haru-chan?" He stated mockingly. "You're infamous around here." She frowned.
"Yeah, well, you're infamous here, too." He hummed.
"Yes, but I'm infamous for investing. You earned your rep for dancing around metal poles and taking your clothes off. In no particular order." He finished with a smirk as she rolled her eyes. "Or in Yuuki's words, by being 'a pretty amazing dancer.'" He finished with a scoff. "How'd you sign up for this anyway? I didn't think this was your thing." She huffed.
"It's not. It's an Anbu requirement. In order to pass, I had different specialty areas that had to be cleared. The pole dancing and stripping…" She pursed her lips, trying to find a way to word it. "I was being sponsored, so there was no guarantee I'd pass. If I gave my virginity on one of those missions and was cleared, but I didn't pass the final mission test, that…it'd be like a kick to the face. So they didn't make the whole sex thing a requirement, as long as you could get around it. And even so, that was based on your mission details and sometimes your skill level. I got lucky." She muttered under her breath.
"Kakashi had to watch you strip for the duration of your mission?" She shook her head fervently.
"God, no. I thought it'd be too weird, and he agreed. Being my sponsor, he practically had to sit in on most of my lessons. That was enough already." Sasuke frowned.
"So they taught you how to dance?" She raised an eyebrow and pointed a suspecting finger at him.
"Correction. I already knew how to dance. I was taught the ins and outs of pole dancing and the strip tease." He sighed.
"Look, I'm going to need a little more than that, Sakura. I'm your partner on this mission, and hiding specifics from the last one would be detrimental to my ability to carry it out." He reasoned.
"And I can understand that completely. But you're not totally in the dark here. You've already gotten all the specifics you need, so I don't see why—"
"Seriously? We're not about to play hide-and-go-seek with mission details, Sakura. You're being childish." He finished, leaning back in his chair. She fumed.
"That was an Anbu mission! Classified. You're not cleared for those details, and it's not just something you share at story-time." He raised his eyebrows, obviously offended by the authority card she pulled.
"Cleared? I'm not cleared?" His voice was completely calm, but knowing him, she could hear the underlying tone to his words. "So when exactly will I be cleared for those details, huh? When you get on stage and embarrass yourself?" Her eyes narrowed.
"I beg your pardon?" She bit out slow through forced tones and gritted teeth. He challenged her.
"No one has seen you dance, yet you want to get up there in two days." He stated matter-of-factly. Her anger flared as she moved in close to him, a manicured digit pointed at his face.
"My alias isn't fake, Sasuke." She started angrily. "It's solid. I spent three months in Snow as a stripper to build my rep and I did a damn good job at it! Why do you think Yuuki called me a pretty amazing dancer? I don't see him reaping any benefits in saying that other than recruiting me as a dancer for this longue." She spat. "Rest assured, you'll have nothing to worry about when I get up on that stage." She finished angrily, rising from her seat and stalking away.
"Haruka!" She heard him call, but all the while ignored him and kept on her way to the bar.
Sitting in the first vacated stool, she tapped the counter twice. The waiter she spoke with before immediately appeared. A smile was quick to flash across his features.
"Give me the strongest you've got." The words quickly left her lips before she could stop herself. He nodded and disappeared, leaving behind a Sakura filled with regret. She tried to block out all the medical inquiries running through her mind. How strong was their strongest? Would it kill her? No, her body wouldn't allow that, she would start glowing an emerald green, immediately classifying her as a medical ninja in a Village with a Shinobi population of next to none, and her cover would've been blown. But if their strongest was really detrimental to her health, then the effects would be instantaneous, and Sasuke would have to carry her back to their hotel.
She quickly shook her head, remembering that she wanted to block them out, not let them resurface. Her body was already preoccupied with the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. Her argument with Sasuke should've ended with his face crushed, but she at least still had some semblance of consciousness when angry, so she remembered her setting. Her patience levels were different with everyone, and sensitive to certain things. Sasuke's bar already wasn't that high, and she didn't take kindly to him blatantly calling her out. 'Embarrass?' She thought, balling her fists. How could he think she'd embarrass herself? That self-righteous bastard. And he even had the audacity to get upset when she implied that yes, she was a rank higher than him. But of course, Sasuke being the dominating ruler he is, well, in his mind at least, someone pulling the authority card on him was one of his buttons. One of the buttons that she trained herself not to push during their two-year period. So before anyone got hurt, it was safe to say she made the right decision by removing herself from the scene. The scene which, in turn, brought back many memories from their troubled relationship. There's no way that it couldn't have been a bust. But if she was in a good state of mind, she could think on the good things and how they "supposedly" outweighed the bad, like everyone continued to tell her. She thought that since they moved on, the nature of their relationship wouldn't rear its ugly head in a mission where they were posing as a couple. In the light of recent events, it seems her prediction was wrong.
"Calm down, Sakura." She whispered to herself. Arguments were a regular thing between the stubborn pair, so it was nothing new. Bad decisions were also her forte and nothing uncommon, but she was sure drowning her problems with a drink wouldn't solve anything, but only prove to make everything worse. She adamantly tried to push that thought from her mind as said drink appeared before her in the form of three shot glasses. She downed them in quick succession before her good sense could overwhelm her. The liquid almost immediately evaporated as it touched her throat. "That's strong." She rasped as her insides flared with a burning sensation that had her nerves tingling. She remembers this feeling; a similar drink at a bar on the Anbu Base to be exact. It was taken alongside Kakashi.
There was no other way she'd take a drink like that with him unless it was on terms of a bet.
-Flashback-
"How should we celebrate this momentous occasion?" She threw her bags on her bunk.
"Sleep. Sleep is good." He frowned.
"Sakura, you just turned 21. Some type of celebration is in order," He reasoned with her as she face-planted on her bed.
"Look, we've been moving all day, and I haven't even gotten a chance to get my regular hair color back." She muttered. He snapped his fingers and pointed.
"Right. So that means you're still in stripper-mode. Strippers love to party, Sakura." She groaned. "Can you be some type of excited that you've just turned 21?" He asked with a frown.
"My 20th birthday party was big enough to last for the next three." She drawled, remembering all of her drunken mishaps. "And besides, I've already passed all the important milestones, so 21 is just another number." He raised his eyebrows in disagreement.
"I beg to differ. There's a lot of things you achieve at 21." She picked her face up from the scratchy linen.
"Like what?" He pursed his lips, not expecting her retort. Then he brightened.
"21 is the legal drinking age." He pointed out matter-of-factly.
"For civilians. I was legal when I was 18." She deadpanned. He frowned, his mind working like clock-work to think of another.
"Uh…" He gave up. "Just shower and get dressed, I'll tell you on the way." She groaned again as he left their room.
"Bastard."
She dragged herself out of their room and stumbled across Kakashi waiting by the door. He nodded, taking the first steps out of their barrack and into the chilly night. He looked down at her.
"You look nice," She wore a long-sleeved low cut shirt and tight black pants. Her high heels brought the top of her head to Kakashi's nose level. Her pink tresses were styled in a tight ponytail; her bangs falling over her eyes. She shrugged her shoulders.
"You could do better." He frowned, kind of expecting the same compliment back. He wore his new Shinobi shirt that had an attached mask and his standard matching pants. He got them just for this occasion. To think she'd be grateful…the new shirt smell was suffocating him. He opened his mouth to comment on her unappreciative nature but she interrupted him. "So, what's the list of achievements I've accomplished today?" She asked, stuffing her hands in her pockets. He pursed his lips.
"Well, for starters, you can omit the honorific at the end of my name," He started sarcastically. "Even though you do it already." He muttered. "You know, I use to say 'My favorite student will hold out the longest, for sure.'" She rolled her eyes, feigning innocence as she held up her hands.
"Accidents happen." He frowned. "When you're in such close proximity with someone like you, and you get to know the real them, you start to lose respect." He placed a hand on his heart.
"That was really hurtful, Sakura-chan. I think I'll just have to find a favorite student who still respects me. Like Naruto, for instance." He suggested.
"Pfft. The only reason why Naruto still calls you Sensei is because he's too lazy to change. So technically, I did hold out the longest." She countered. "But if it really means so much to you, I can keep calling you Sensei for the rest of the night, Sensei." She offered as he waved her away, shrugging.
"No matter. Sensei would be too erotic now anyways. Especially after a mission like that, seeing you topless and all—" She pushed him, hard.
"You saw me topless?" She shrieked, pushing him again after he got back up to his feet. "I told you not to—!"
"I'm sorry, accidents happen." He started, mocking her.
"How did you accidentally see me without my bra on?" She held a fist up to his vulnerable body on the ground as he rolled his eyes.
"That's an easy question. You're a stripper, for 500 ryo." She moved her heel in between his legs. He panicked, immediately holding his hands up in surrender as he slowly rose. "Look, you didn't always tell me when you were going on, and sometimes I got thirsty, and sometimes I got horny." He said in his defense, raising himself and dusting his pants off. She fumed. How could she not lose respect for him?
"There's more than one strip club in Snow! You could've gone somewhere different!" She shouted, all the while throwing punches to his arm.
"That was the best one, remember? That's why we were there in the first place." The girls there were exceptionally bountiful in every aspect of the word, but he feared adding that would only lead to his demise. "And it was also my job to keep an eye on you, supposedly being your brother and all." She frowned, shoving him again.
"No, you were supposed to be my absent brother who I haven't seen for years. Showing up somewhere I would see you was stupid and a contradiction to the 'not be seen my sister' persona you were supposed to be portraying." He pursed his lips. He forgot that aspect of the mission. Shrugging, he remembered it was over.
"Anyway, it's a good thing half of your body hasn't gone through puberty yet—" Her fist swung back and he quickly jumped out of the way to avoid her wrath. "Oh look, there it is!" He pointed a couple hundred feet away to where the bar was. She stopped.
"You mean we're going to that expensive bar?" He nodded. "You do know I don't get my mission checks until after I've passed, right?" He nodded slowly. "You're the only one with money here." He frowned.
"Well, we'll just have to see how the night goes. Maybe if you could be a little nicer and keep those fists contained, I could probably pull some strings with the bartender." She frowned as he slapped her back. "Come on, stop frowning. It's your birthday, for Kami's sake." She looked up at him.
"Maybe if you'd stop being annoying, I could try." She muttered. He took a few swift steps in front of her and held open the door to the bar.
"See, this is me, not being annoying." She pointed to her face, a fake smile appearing there before she turned to walk through the door.
"Hey, why is it dark—?"
"Surprise!" Her frown turned into a scowl as she turned and glared at Kakashi.
"Seriously? Seriously." He stood in front of her now, his arms outstretched.
"Happy birthday!" She blinked, staring up at him through hooded eyes. "…Happy birthday!" He tried again through unsure tones, and this time, his cheerfulness more forced as she gave him a reaction he didn't expect.
"Hm." She pushed past him and the equally confused throng of Anbu operatives, making her way to the bar. He quickly caught up and took a seat next to her.
"What's wrong?" He asked, concern in his voice. It cost him a lot of money to pay these ninja who didn't even know Sakura, just to yell surprise when she walked through the door. Now he was sure that fee was non-refundable, and that was kind of shitty considering he didn't get the happy, gleeful, surprised expression Sakura was supposed to give him when she was greeted by the mass of people.
"A glass of sake please." She told the bartender, tapping her hands on the counter before her drink was placed in front of her. "Thank-you," She said with a bright smile, picking up her drink and bringing it to her lips.
"Sakura?" He tried again. She looked at him through the corner of her eye. "Are you alright?" She sighed, her drink placed back on the counter with a low 'clink'.
"Yes, I'm fine. I just don't like surprises, Kakashi. And I don't like being dragged from my uncomfortable bed to a bar filled with people I don't even know coerced into yelling 'surprise.'" She said, mockingly holding up jazz hands. "How much did that cost you? All of the lights were shut off, and it took us a pretty long time to get here. These poor people had to wait in the dark." He frowned. They were pitied? What about his pockets?
"It's not about the price, Sakura. It's the thought. You like thoughts, so what's really the matter?" She sighed, finishing her drink. She opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her. "Is this about Sasuke?" He whispered. Her mouth gaped and closed repeatedly like a fish out of water as surprised gasps came from her throat. Getting over the initial shock, her head jerked back in confusion. And then her nostrils flared as anger bubbled deep within her.
"No! Why would this be about him? I couldn't give a rat's ass about him! That bastard is probably the last—"
"Sakura."
"Okay." Her ruse broke quickly. Quicker than he'd expected. He pursed his lips. "He was just a really big part of my last birthday—he was a part of my last three birthdays—and he was gone for a while, so having him back caused me to get comfortable. But now he's not a part of my birthday, and…" She frowned, then twirled her finger at the bartender for another glass of sake.
"Well, think of it this way." He waved his hand for his own drink. "No commitments, no problem. It's your birthday, so I'd bet anyone in this bar would be willing to have sex with you." He finished with his patented eye crinkle. She threw him a glare. "Okay…so, no." She huffed a sigh.
"I guess you're right." She muttered.
"About the sex?" He offered. She threw him another glare. "No, no I guess not."
"We're not in a relationship anymore, and it's almost been a year. I should spread my wings," She said, her voice more upbeat.
"That's my girl." He patted her on the shoulder. "Now, I'll go see about those finances to pay off these drinks, or we'll be washing dishes in addition to laundry in the morning." She groaned.
"Ugh, it is our turn for that, isn't it?" He raised his eyebrows, getting up from his stool.
"No, your turn. I'm the sponsor, remember?" He left her with a frown on her face. As soon as he was out of site, she called the bartender back over, making a slicing gesture across her neck. He nodded in understanding, quickly reaching beneath the counter and retrieving a vial no bigger than her thumb nail. She snatched it up off of the counter just as Kakashi returned. She smiled sweetly at him and he looked at her skeptically.
"You know, since it's my birthday, I think you should do laundry." He chuckled.
"Sorry, Sakura-chan. Birthdays allow only but so much leeway." She frowned and then brightened again, an idea in mind.
"Why don't we drink for it?" He leaned in closer, his area of expertise coming in.
"Why don't we?" He countered with a sly smile, waving the bartender back in front of them. "Two of your strongest." The man looked at Sakura and then left to fetch the drinks. A worried expression was etched across her face.
She was going to accidentally kill Kakashi.
She shook her head, her resolve still unmoving. The waiter returned, placing their drinks in front of them. She was tired, and she'd be damned if she had to wash a bunch of sweaty, blood-stained Anbu uniforms. She looked past him, squinting her eyes. He narrowed his and followed her gaze.
"What?" As he turned, she quickly uncapped the vial and poured its contents into his glass and threw the evidence behind the counter. He turned back toward her with confusion on his face. "What?" She shook her head quickly.
"Nothing, she's gone." Kakashi rolled his eyes as someone came up behind Sakura.
"Happy birthday, Sakura." He said in a smooth voice. Sakura turned around, a bright smile on her face, as who she remembered to be an Anbu Captain acknowledged her. Kakashi turned to the bartender, making a slicing gesture across his throat. The bartender rolled his eyes and produced another vial, unbeknownst to Kakashi, as the paid patron sweet talked Sakura. He uncapped the vial and poured its contents into Sakura's glass, quickly replacing the cap and putting the vial in his pocket. "I'll see you around," He finished with a wave goodbye as Sakura turned back around, flustered.
"Did you see that?" She asked excitedly. "He knew my name." Kakashi nodded along.
"Now about that bet…" He changed the subject. "Loser is whoever passes out first, and they have to do laundry tomorrow." Sakura nodded, determination in her eyes as she grabbed her glass and took a long swig. The liquid almost immediately evaporated, her insides flaring.
"You're on."
-End Flashback-
She missed Kakashi's presence, and this was concluded by being in Sasuke's for an extended period of time. Don't get her wrong, she loved the Uchiha dearly. It's just that during their relationship, they found that they both could be annoying at times, and a break usually solved all problems.
"Another one." She said slowly to the bartender wiping down the counter. He looked up at her.
"You sure?" She nodded. He moved away again. The effects were instantaneous as she predicted, but it wasn't the drunk feeling she wanted. A headache was coming, and her body felt as if she was floating. With this in mind, it'd be even harder to pretend being drunk. There were no fools in this lounge, she knew, and after two of the strongest drinks they had, even the people accompanying her at the bar would know that no tolerance is that strong. Another glass was placed in front of her.
"You know, that's really dangerous." She inwardly sighed. She wanted a break from the target tonight, but she wasn't one in control of that. She swiveled on her barstool to face him, only for her heel to slip and cause her to teeter backwards. Yuuki quickly put a hand on the small of her back, thankfully preventing her from embarrassing herself before anyone even knew she was here. She wanted the feeling the drink provided and she wasn't disappointed. Apparently, her balance was the first to go. Anyway, beggars can't be choosers.
"I hear that a lot." She tested the cup in her hand, turning it around on the counter. Then she finally pushed it away.
"I didn't think you could actually hold your drinks," He said, surprised. She shrugged.
"I can't. You'll be seeing the affects in a few minutes. I actually lasted longer than I expected," She truthfully told him. He furrowed his eyebrows.
"Why the sudden need to get so drunk? I would start off with sake or wine if I was in it for the effect. It would come slow, but I would feel it and enjoy it. With that," He pointed to the glass on the counter. "The only thing you're rewarded with is a feeling of regret and a nasty hangover in the morning." She pursed her lips. Why didn't she think of that? She and Kakashi both passed out after taking a drink that strong. Thinking back on it, that wasn't really a fun memory. The both of them could barely move in the morning, and she remembered retching until she was heaving for practically air; the contents of her stomach already emptied. "Did something happen?" He asked. She was sure he had his finger on an invisible button somewhere, ready to call security at a moment's notice. She shook her head.
"No, no." He raised his eyebrows. "It's nothing. The details will only bore you to death." He shrugged.
"Try me." She sighed, inwardly fist-pumping. She held onto the counter as the swimming feeling came back. She tried to think of a plan as fast as she could before she couldn't string sentences together and her thoughts became incomprehensible.
"It's just Sai." She said, turning away. She felt his eyes on her, prompting her to continue. "He doesn't think I should dance here." She whispered. "I think he's more scared of the Snow incident happening again than I am." She finished with a scoff, laying her head against her upturned palm.
"So you've thought about dancing here, I see." She nodded. "Have you made a decision?" She shook her head.
"I haven't danced in so long—I haven't stripped in so long. And I love it. I don't know why I do, but I love it. I—" She sighed. "I've only just met you yet I'm treating you like my therapist. I apologize." He waved her away.
"It's alright." She bit her lip.
"I know I think Sai is being too overbearing, and I know it's just because he wants the best for me. But then again…" She smiled sadly at him. "Do I want to take my clothes off and risk the same thing happening again?" His eyes softened.
"How about this," He moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll talk to the Daimyo about having a press conference here on Saturday. A lot of people don't know you're here yet." She frowned. "You wouldn't believe how many Haruka copy cats run through this town. So on Saturday, we'll formally introduce you to the public, and you can announce your decision there." She furrowed her eyebrows.
"That's an awful lot of pressure for me to say yes, isn't it?" He smiled.
"That's kind of the point." He said with a chuckle. "I—"
"Haru," She heard him say before he approached her from behind and wrapped his arms loosely around her neck. She rolled her eyes. "Haru…" He breathed this time. She smelt the foulness of his breath from the drinks and sighed.
"Yes?" He placed sloppy kisses on her neck and it was from this that she knew he was truly drunk. They just spoke about his low tolerance—he knew about his low tolerance, but there he was, all night, drinking his "so-called" distasteful wine. She forgot how much of an idiot Sasuke was, only being reminded by the fact that he actually got himself drunk.
"Could you…" He lips traced up her neck until he reached her ear. It was there that he whispered something much worse with practiced seductive words and a rehearsed sultry voice. Her eyes widened slightly. "Could we?" She closed her eyes.
"No, you're drunk." He frowned and pulled back.
"I know, I know, you'd like to finish your conversation here—" She held up a hand.
"Sai, please." He hummed.
"Take a walk with me, Haruka." He slurred, dragging her name out in a non-negotiable voice. She unsteadily rose from her stool with the support of Sasuke's hovering hand behind her back.
"I'll be right back." She said to Yuuki with a wave and smile.
"Maybe," Sasuke quipped. She glared at him and proceeded to turn back around, reassuring him with a mouthed 'I'll be back.'
The farther they got from the target the more Sakura wavered from his grasp. As the doors to the Lounge were opened, a wall of cold air hit her face and she was left with a swimming feeling. Her legs buckled.
"Whoa, whoa." Sasuke said, holding her up with what little he had left of his balance. He moved her against the wall. "What's wrong?" She shook her head.
"I took a drink." He raised his eyebrows.
"A?" She sighed.
"I took their strongest." He frowned.
"I thought alcohol was bad for you," She turned away from him.
"It is. I just—" She sighed. "I don't know what I was thinking." He scoffed.
"Are you thinking now?" He asked accusingly. She frowned.
"Yes…" She started slowly. "Apparently, because of my condition, alcohol doesn't provide the release it should. It only makes me feel sick to my stomach." And woozy.
"You know, I don't see why they praise you for being a smartass." He breathed. Her eyes narrowed. She didn't know whether or not that was the drink talking.
"Excuse me?" He rolled his eyes.
"I'm Sakura." He started in a high-pitched voice, mocking hers. "I'm so mad at Sasuke, I'm gonna go get myself drunk! Oh I know, I'll just take their strongest, that'll surely help my oncoming headache. But wait, isn't alcohol toxic to my body? No matter, it wasn't that big a deal the first time when I put everybody in a frenzy when I stopped breathing a few times." He finished the last part in forced tones. "You always let your anger get the best of you without even stopping to consider the repercussions later." He said, shaking his head. "Are you going to pass out? Or maybe you'll even have a seizure this time. Who knows? You don't." He finished scolding her, not noticing that he's moved so close. Her jaw was clenched and her fists were balled at her sides. He wanted her to hit him. He wanted her to prove him right. But she wasn't going to.
"You're causing a scene." She bit out. "And you're drunk." He outstretched his hands.
"And who cares?" He raised his voice. "They're wasted. They won't even remember my voice." He argued. "And I'm not drunk. I only had a few drinks. I'm fine." She pursed her lips. "It's called acting, Sakura. That's what this mission entails, and a whole lot of it. I know how to conduct myself on the job."
"I think I've known you long enough to know what's acting and what's not." She countered.
"It doesn't matter! At least in my state I still had half a mind to remember the mission! I could still remember why you dragged me to this damn Lounge in the first fucking place!" Her hands flew to her mouth as her eyes widened.
"I missed—"
"Yes, in your fit of selfish rage you left our table right before Mei was about to go on. I was left, by myself, to watch her through a throng of horny men. That wouldn't have even been a problem if she didn't stop by our table afterwards, inquiring your whereabouts." She sighed, rubbing a hand down her forehead.
"I can't believe—"
"Neither can I." She frowned, glaring at him.
"Well, if it wasn't for you, none of this would've happened!" He pursed his lips.
"Of course, because I was the one who stormed from the table to go drink myself silly." Her frown ran deeper as she pointed an accusing finger at his face.
"I didn't! I had one drink. How many have you had, by the way?" He turned away from her.
"That really doesn't matter right now, considering you're really fucking up this mission." She was taken aback.
"I missed Mei taking her clothes off! You act like I blew the whole fucking—"
"Your job didn't even start yet and your already bullshitting." She angrily ran a hand through her hair.
"God, Sasuke!" She exclaimed. "You push my buttons on purpose, don't you?" She pointed an accusing finger at him. "And really, what do you expect as a result? A kiss?" He shrugged.
"Kind of." She narrowed her eyes.
"Seriously?" She shouted. He pursed his lips, sighing in annoyance.
"This just goes to show how much you can't control your anger, even on a mission. You have to have some professionalism, Sakura." She fumed.
"You—"
"Haven't yelled at you once. And I'm causing a scene?" He was right. She pressed her lips together and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to contain her anger. He was so right. She exhaled deeply and opened her eyes.
"Sasuke, I'm going back to the hotel." He rolled his eyes.
"That has nothing to do with me. I'll be staying here." She huffed at his unaffected attitude. "But I'll be back in time for our porn date."
"That's off, too. I have to get the rest of this alcohol out of my body, and I've only neutralized a bit of it." He shrugged again, making her more upset.
"That's alright, then. I'll get porn here." She narrowed her eyes.
"Fine. I can't walk by myself, so I'll just have Yuuki do it." He raised his eyebrows at this.
"Yuuki?" She nodded defiantly. He rolled his tongue around his mouth. "That's right. You'll be fucking him soon." Her anger bubbled, finally uncapping. He's been asking for it all night, literally, and she refused to disappoint. Her hands were balled at her sides, ready, before he opened his mouth again. "Or is it me first? Maybe both—" She swung for his face and he caught her fist, forcing her back onto the wall. He crushed his lips to hers, her mouth still open from surprise. He took this as his invitation in. She put her hand on his face and pushed him away, breathing heavily. "That one was from me." He stated. She continued to pant as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned around, walking away. "You have got to stop aggravating my face, Sakura."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" She shouted. "You keep confusing me." The last part was whispered as she thought of his varying emotions in the last ten minutes.
He stopped and faced her. "I'm drunk, remember?" And then he pressed his hands together and took a short bow before turning back around and disappearing into the night. He left behind a mind blown Sakura, who couldn't even imagine where he was going. Without another thought, she turned back around and pushed open the doors to the Lounge. She traced her steps back to the bar.
"You're going to take the girls out tomorrow, right?" She heard Yuuki say, causing her to stop abruptly. She casually leaned against the small divide that came before the bar.
"Sure," She heard a female voice. She didn't want to make any assumptions because it seemed to be a casual conversation so far.
"Can you make sure they're decent this time, Terumi?"
"What's the big occasion?" He sighed.
"We have some visitors."
"Visitors?"
"Possibly a new dancer." She heard Terumi snort.
"So why exactly are we covering up for a new girl?" He sighed again.
"She's not exactly from around here, and I'm sure such a blatant show of indecency outside of the confines of the Lounge might just scare her away."
"Who is this prude?"
"Terumi," He said in a warning tone.
"Alright, alright, I'll do it. Just—" Sakura took this time to appear from behind the divide. She continued obliviously to her now occupied seat by the woman who she assumed was Terumi. Yuuki quickly looked up at her and smiled.
"You made it back," She smiled sheepishly.
"I told you I would." She heard another snort from Terumi before she swiveled around in the stool to find out just who Yuuki was waiting on. And then her jaw dropped.
"Are you—?"
"Haruka, this is Terumi, one of my dancers." Sakura nodded and held out her hand to the awestricken girl, who she now noticed wasn't wearing a top.
And boy was she busty.
There was leather straps wrapped around her waist, and she saw suspenders hanging there. She had on thigh-high black leather boots, and upon further inconspicuous inspection, Sakura also noticed that she didn't have panties on either. It must've been her long, unruly blond hair that prevented her from seeing the nakedness of the dancer in front of her. She forced a smile and continued unaffected anyway.
Her hand was firmly shaken. "Haruka Tan—what are you doing in a place like Yugakure?" She asked excitedly. Sakura shrugged.
"Um, I'm in between moves, I guess. Trying new things, new people, new places…" She dragged out. Terumi brightened.
"New things—then you could come with us!" She pressed her hands together against her chest. Sakura pursed her lips.
"Well…" The girl pouted.
"Oh, please?" She truly was a master of seduction, because the persuasive look in her big blue puppy dog eyes would probably make Sakura have sex with her, and she was only asking for her to join them around the Village.
"Would you?" Yuuki added in nonchalantly. To his dancer it might've seemed like a harmless question, but Sakura could see through his ruse. It was just a part of his plan. Sakura indiscreetly rolled her eyes before putting on a smile.
"Sure, I don't see why not, then." He nodded in affirmation, a slight smile on his lips. Hers formed a straight line.
"Alright, now that that's settled, I'll just get back to work." She motioned to Yuuki and rose, waving goodbye. "Nice meeting you, Haruka Tan. See you tomorrow!" She bounded away before breaking into a strut, earning her many catcalls and beckons. She turned back to Yuuki and sat back down her seat, trying to ignore the fact that a naked stripper just previously inhabited it.
"You're very straightforward. Are you new to the 'sucking up' thing?" She said while folding her fingers against her lap. He laughed.
"No, no. I'll do many a thing for something I want." He answered, his voice deeper. She raised her eyebrows.
"Oh?" He nodded. "So would you be willing to walk a prospective dancer back to her hotel?" It was his turn to raise his eyebrows.
"And what of Sai?" She huffed, rolling her eyes.
"Wasted." She muttered. He tilted his head upward in understanding.
"So you're too scared to walk on your own." He suggested. She jerked her head back.
"No, but—" She paused. "Drunk as hell so he can't do it his own damn self, yet he still insisted on finding myself an escort. So annoying, I tell you." She said to herself, turning her attention back to him to see his skeptical expression. "Oh don't worry. My hotel is three blocks from here. Literally."
"Then we should be leaving now." He rose and held out a hand. Helping her up, he made sure she was steady on her feet before stepping back and letting her teeter in front of him. He kept close to Sakura, helping her quickly recover after a missed step or trip. No need to make a scene.
As the cold night air hit her face, her legs buckled once again.
"Last time drinking. Promise." She reassured herself and Yuuki as the strong hands on her waist helped her back to her feet.
"After this, I wouldn't doubt it. But you are holding up more than I thought anyone would with that drink. Usually you'd be sick to your stomach." She walked close to him, using his arm as a support system. He smelled nice. And expensive.
"Believe me, it's coming." She muttered, burying her face in the sleeve of his coat jacket. She lightly held onto his forearm.
"Are you cold?" He asked. She shook her head.
"I'm fine." Another breeze flew in and she immediately shivered. "I don't understand how it's so damn hot during the day—"
"Blistering." He chimed in, shrugging off his jacket.
"—and then at night it gets so cold." He placed his jacket on her shoulders. It draped over her body.
"I thought you were from Snow," She hummed.
"That's true." He narrowed his eyebrows.
"Then…" She sighed.
"Tabloids don't tell everything, Yuuki." She let go of his arm and turned to face him. "Especially not the truth." She finished with a pointed look before stepping up on the tips of her heels and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for walking me home." He raised his eyebrows. "I appreciate it."
"Home?" He followed up. She shrugged her shoulders, the large jacket shuffling.
"I guess for a little while." She said with a smile before turning back around and heading down the long walkway toward the large glass doors of their hotel. The doorman proceeded to step aside and hold it open for her.
"Haruka!" She heard Yuuki call once she stepped through the door. Smiling to herself, she turned back around.
"Yes?" He outstretched his arms.
"So…when can I learn the truth?" She smiled again. Tapping a manicured digit to her temple, she held up her finger, adding that to a list of things she promised to think about. She then turned back around and headed into the hotel.
She finally tripped and fell onto her knees, releasing the contents of her stomach. She heaved until there was nothing left but bile, and even then her stomach continued to contract as if she could regurgitate her intestines. That was probably her lunch, it was all she ate. She couldn't help the feeling of disappointment that flooded her body as she looked down into the mess she left on the luxurious carpet of their grand hotel.
Her lunch was really expensive.
"And she finally gets sick." She heard Yuuki say playfully. She sighed heavily, noticing the tips of her hair covered in the stuff. If only he'd been here a few seconds ago to hold her hair back.
"What gave it away?" She whispered, the contractions and heaving she just went through leaving her abdomen weak and her arms heavy, tempting her to fall face first in her lunch. Her bangs were covering her eyes, more so than usual because of the sweat now coating her skin. She saw Yuuki's dress shoes walk past her toward the counter, the previously disgusted receptionist smiling brightly.
"Could you get someone to clean this up?" She nodded fervently.
"Yes, yes of course, Yashimata-san." She heard a loud beeping sound, probably a page, and then within minutes someone was in front of her.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, Miss." Yuuki said. Sakura would roll her eyes if she didn't have the feeling to throw up again. She saw a bucket land in front of her as her regurgitated lunch was vacuumed and deposited in the bucket. She didn't know how many minutes passed by as she watched, fascinated by the high-powered cleaner that flushed the carpet with soap and water, and then continued to dry it. Did she forget how to move? Did Yuuki leave her? Her arms were locked in the same position she fell in. She could go to sleep, right here. Her eyesight was starting to fail her, anyway. And her head was pounding. But isn't it always?
"Haruka, are you alright?" Her eyes fluttered open. Yuuki was crouched in front of her with his hands on his knees, a concerned look on his face.
"I don't know." She whispered unintelligently.
"The carpets clean," He said with a chuckle. She swallowed, only for the remaining bile to go back down her throat, causing her to gag. "Are you alright?" Her arms were trying to give out, and she desperately dug her fingernails into the carpet to keep that from happening. "Can you walk?" She closed her eyes.
"I don't know." He got back up and held out a hand. She put all of her strength into her left arm and reached out to him with her right. He grabbed her small hand and her forearm and gently pulled her to her feet. "Can I carry you?" She shook her head.
"No, no I'll walk." She breathed. He helped her to the receptionist desk.
"Room key for Tan?" The woman frowned, obviously jealous of Sakura. If she was right in the head, she would actually feel pretty good about herself. But seeing as though she still has puke in her hair, her self-esteem has definitely taken a plunge. She handed Yuuki a key as he led Sakura toward the elevator. "Did someone spike your drink?" He hit the down button as she frowned.
"I don't think so…" The doors to the elevator opened and he ushered her inside.
"What floor?" She bit her lip as she leaned against the rail in the mirrored elevator. She looked like hell. Dark bags already shone beneath her eyes and the red lipstick on her lips was starting to fade. Thinking about her hair made her want to cry, and her stomach felt like it was a black hole; caving in on itself.
"Um…13, I think." He chuckled.
"You hope. I don't think even I can go around trying to unlock every room labeled 44A." She managed a snort. It wouldn't be that hard to miss, anyway, it was a penthouse suite. She was sure with his expensive background, he could at least recognize those. As the elevator started to move, a loud 'ping' was heard throughout the small space, only intensifying her headache. The doors opened and Yuuki helped her onto steady ground. They navigated through her floor until they reached the end of the hall and finally found her suite. To his surprise, it opened. As she walked through, he lingered at the door. "Should I come in?" She shook her head again, leaning against the door frame with the knob in her hand.
"No—" He raised his eyebrows. "No. Sai would get upset if he saw you here, and I'm sure walking me home didn't win you any points either." She said quietly, as if Sasuke was lurking around the corner. Well, he could be. She rolled her eyes. "Not to mention I'm already in trouble." His eyebrows furrowed.
"Trouble?" She sighed.
"He…he told me not to drink because I couldn't handle it, and then I went and took the strongest there was." She chuckled softly at herself and shook her head at her rambling. "Anyway, thank-you so much, Yuuki. I really appreciate this." She touched his arm. "Goodnight," She started to shut the door.
"See you around?" He asked, peeking through the crevices. She tapped her temple before continuing to shut it.
She took one step before her legs gave out completely. As her knees hit the ground, one word flashed through her mind before her face followed.
'Shit.'
It's been a while, but thank you for waiting with me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and promise, promise, promise I'll try to make the next one show up a little bit faster. Yes, yes, you see SasuSaku now, but that was written in the fine print of the terms and conditions now wasn't it? Who wishes they would've taken the time out to read it? But I promised you Kakashi and Sakura, and you'll get it. Be patient, young children. And don't forget to review, they make the world go around! Your girl,
-Keoo19