Clash

by keoo19

It was supposed to be an easy escort mission. But what was easy when you had a hotheaded Kunoichi and a stoic Ninja? Especially when their names are none other than Haruno Sakura and Hatake Kakashi. KakaSaku, Slight SasuSaku. Rated M for Language & Content.

21. Compromise

Compromise

---

"Ohhhh," She groaned, slapping a hand onto her forehead. "Ohhh, my h—"

"Just like that, baby." She froze. Her eyes shot open. "Scream louder for me." She felt a grinding motion against her ass.

"Sasuke."

"Say my name," One hand was constantly squeezing her behind while the other was at her breasts.

Where did her top go?

"You like that?" He asked, albeit rhetorically, before hasted kisses were placed across her neck. She panicked, his kisses gravitating toward her mouth. She then elbowed him between the legs. "Shit!" He cried, rolling over with his legs crossed tightly and pulled to his chest. She almost regretted her decision. She panicked. Why did she panic? She had to get use to Sasuke, again, because he'd be her love interest for the duration of the mission. If she couldn't get used to him outside of the public's eye, then she might accidentally not switch back. And that would be bad. Oh, that would be bad. She watched as he bit down on his lip to keep the tears brimming his eyes at bay. "Oh, shit." He whispered shakily. The pain was still there, she noticed, as he accidentally rolled himself right off of the bed. "What the hell, Sakura?" He squeezed out in a breath. "What the hell?" She pursed her lips, tiredly rolling over to face him. She propped her elbow up on the pillow and placed her chin in her upturned palm.

"I should be asking you the exact same question." She said quietly. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"You just elbowed me in the fucking balls!" She squeezed her eyes shut. She was very aware.

"Please stop yelling." He sat with his legs tightly wound together and his hands on his groin. "Sasuke, you were humping my ass and telling me to scream louder. That doesn't raise any flags for you?" He frowned, turning away.

"It's the morning." He muttered. She blinked.

"And I'm naked. Why is that?" He opened his mouth and immediately closed it.

"You're not naked," He tried.

"And you're not answering my question." She countered.

"Your clothes were spoiled," She pursed her lips.

"I have suitcases filled with clean ones." She deadpanned as he frowned.

"I couldn't find them." Sakura slowly turned her head to the corner of their room by the door. There were four large, bright red suitcases and two small ones. "Okay, I didn't look." He was looking now, just not at her suitcases. She ducked lower trying to find his gaze.

"Watch it, Uchiha." He rolled his eyes.

"For Kami's sake, I was just at a strip club last night. Can I get a break?"

She groaned and fell face first into the pillow. "What did I tell you about the yelling." She sighed, her head still pounding. "What time did you get in?" Her voice was muffled from the pillow.

"What time is it now?" She raised her head and looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand beside their bed.

"9:12," She managed before laying back down.

"I didn't get much sleep, I know that." He rose slowly and started teetering toward their bathroom. She heard him mutter 'this hurts so badly,' and watched as he stopped when he got to the door. "Hey, are you alright?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He turned back around.

"Well, I walk through the door to see you passed out. Of course, that wasn't my first reaction. My first reaction was that Yuuki was actually a hitman and he killed you in cold blood. So I panicked." She cocked her head to the side, appearing amused.

"And how'd you find out I wasn't dead?" He pushed the door open to the bathroom.

"You woke up and threw up on me. Repeatedly." She looked past him and saw her clothes lying in a heap on the tiled floor.

"Wow," Was all she could say.

"I know right. It was all gooey and liquid-like—" She waved him away.

"No, no." He frowned. "I'm just glad I woke up and emptied my stomach. That could've been disastrous for the bed." He rolled his eyes.

"Right, because I don't mind that you threw up on me, as long as the bed's okay." He mocked, a frown frozen on his face. She ignored him, her eyes closing as she placed a glowing hand to her forehead.

"Much better," She sighed, the soothing effects of her healing chakra coursing through her veins.

"I was really scared, Sakura." She perked up at his whisper. "You can't drink alcohol until we fix you. Until you're okay." He stressed. "You stopped breathing three times—" He stopped himself, sighing as he leant against the doorframe. "Just don't do that again." He finished, his voice strained. She nodded, her teeth gnawing away at her bottom lip. She was reckless and stupid last night, and didn't think at all about what the alcohol could actually do to her. She knew these were the words Sasuke actually wanted to say. He propped himself up and turned to enter the bathroom.

"But wait,"

He gestured to the bottom half of his body with outstretched hands. "I have to take care of this, Sakura." She nodded.

"I know, I know. Go." He nodded and closed the door behind himself, the water to the shower immediately began running.

She rolled onto her back, laying a hand on her stomach. Chakra coursed through her body trying to neutralize any remnants of her drink from the previous night. She waited, feeling the pain of her headache slowly ebb away as thoughts that would surely cause one entered her mind. She sighed.

She didn't know whether Sasuke's previous escapade bothered her. And that bothered her.

Was his dream about her? He never once said her name, and in a way that relieved her. There were boundaries they're not supposed to cross yet, and surely a wet dream about your ex-girlfriend is obviously on the other side of that boundary. Even if they were pretty close to jumping over that invisible line due to Sasuke's urging in the restroom. But that also gave her some insight on the sex aspect of him. Was his previous words practiced or spontaneous? During their relationship, Sasuke was a 'no words' type of guy. He wasn't the kind of person to whisper sweet nothings in Sakura's ear during their encounters, so she couldn't help but be a little surprised. Either way, she didn't think she could handle the 'baby' and 'scream louder for me.' Sakura was an experienced stripper and seductress, but there was only so much she could fake without having ventured far in her sex life.

But seriously, how far did Sakura think she was going to get on the sex experience of a lioness? She was used for release with only a moment of pleasure and never got her turn. She sighed. Sakura knew how far she could tease a man. Her three month mission in Snow put her in a position where she had to give many dances. She knew how to perform, that wasn't the problem. The problem would be convincing a man who's engaged to be married to cheat on his fiancée. With a stripper. Influencing a man into a dance, easy work. Influencing a man to sleep with her might be up a level or two on the difficulty scale.

The truth in the matter was, she was scared. She pursued Ren because she was attracted to him, and that was for all the wrong reasons. Back when she was locked up in the pits of Grass's Anbu headquarters, back when she would give anything to hear the sound of Kakashi's voice. A voice that became a solace to her in the span of two years, a voice that was then, more common than Naruto's. And because of that, when she heard Ren's voice, she was immediately mesmerized by it. By the lips she easily confused with Kakashi's pair. Back when she confused Kakashi's kiss for more than it would ever be, back when she had dreams of acting on it once she returned. Of course, those dreams faded alongside her reality and her sanity, so somewhere in the depths of her mind, they were still there. But they were lost. It bobbed above the surface after their game of extreme tag, and especially in the form of jealously once she found out that Kimura had sex with him.

She refused to let it resurface again.

Whatever she has with Kakashi is platonic, and back then, it was a means to an end. He foolishly kissed her for the purpose of shutting her up. He gave her ideas, unfathomable ideas, ones that she took to the hell hole. What made it worse? It was the last idea she took to that hell hole, so she had no choice but to think she and Kakashi could try it for a little while, if only for a little while. Her sanity was misplaced, along with the implausibility that she and Kakashi could ever be an item.

But she was past that. She could forgive and forget about the kiss.

It was just that when she saw Ren, the uncanny similarities between the two drove her to the edge. Kakashi was literally replaced. Albeit, by someone within her age group, someone who didn't watch her grow up, someone who wasn't so damn unattainable. And she was happy. An unfamiliar face, a new beginning. Ren was new, and Ren was hers. Because of this, she became blind to a few things. Kakashi liked to call it her 'damned tunnel vision.' What was she thinking? She wanted a younger, fresher, more attainable Kakashi. She got it.

Oh, she got it in full force.

He was a self-acclaimed sex guru and a women magnet at that. To put it in simple terms, he was a player, just like Kakashi. Wasn't into the whole 'relationship' thing, but would do whatever he had to, smooth words and smiles for Sakura, to create his means to an end. To "pop Sakura's little cherry." And it was accomplished. What happened after that? He was gone, onto the next. Although, Kimura did give a little faster than Sakura did, if she could claim credit for her staying power. Another thing Ren and Kakashi had in common. Kimura. It was during the whole fiasco where Sakura found out her flawed thinking. They were all a "Kakashi," men that is, in their own way. Be it big or small, they all had a piece of Kakashi in them. It started with Neji, moved on to Sasuke, and horribly ended with Ren. She closed the door to her heart after him. When that was shut, she decided she would put off relationships for a while, and focus on actually getting her broken life back together. But then her cruel, cruel Shishou assigned her this damn mission.

And what was this all about anyway? Forcing her back into intimate proximity with Sasuke? If her plan was to rekindle a flame then she was sorely mistaken. Sakura has overheard the crotchety old woman talking about the superb offspring that could be produced by combining perfect chakra control with the Sharingan. And Sakura wasn't stupid. She could've just as easily gotten into this role with Kakashi as well. She and Sasuke's background provided no means for them to be put as partners for this mission. Having locked away any possibility of she and Kakashi, the mission would've been easier with him. And she wouldn't get confused, like she was with Sasuke right now.

Those kisses he gives her, and the touches, and the—she's just very confused. He's playing tricks on her mind. She was the goddamned Genjutsu expert, and he had no right to do that. So what happened this morning? She was getting confused again, with not many explanations left. Maybe she was a blowup doll for Sasuke. She knew how Kakashi got after alcohol and porn, and because she just has the best luck, she's always the closest thing to them with tits and ass when they need to release themselves. She never asked Kakashi about it, but maybe there was another face in his mind. Sasuke was grabbing her breasts pretty harshly, as if they were bigger than they actually were. It was unnerving though, the thought that she was just his release while it was another Sstripper in his mind. If he was going to use her, she better be the picture in his mind as well.

Speaking of release, she wondered who was on Sasuke's mind right now. She was nowhere near as skilled as Kakashi, but being around him enough helped her develop a certain sound sensitivity. It wasn't very familiar, but she knew what it meant when she heard low moaning coming from inside of the bathroom. Looking over at the clock, she noticed Sasuke's been in there for almost an hour now. The sound meant he'd be exiting soon. She rolled onto her back and crossed her arms behind her head, her cerulean blue hair mussed up and splayed around her in loose, messy curls. She heard the shower turn off.

"Alright, what did you want to—" He stopped, the telltale shuffling of the carpeted floor. She heard him inhale sharply and she turned to face him, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He shook his head and started again, diving onto the bed beside her. "You are so not slick, Sakura." She frowned.

"Slick?" He breathed into her neck as he wrapped his arms loosely around her middle.

"You don't mind being topless beside me?" She looked down and her mouth formed an 'o.' The covers were lying below her waist, the upper part of her body fully exposed.

"Oh...no." He pursed his lips.

"I've missed this Sakura…" She rolled her eyes. He moved closer to her now, his lips were touching the base of her neck. She bit her lip. "You know your skin puts me on edge—" He emphasized his words by brushing his thumb across her nipple. Her teeth showed her bottom lip no mercy. "Right?" He whispered. Her eyes closed, remembering the many times he's whispered this to her.

"…Yes." Sasuke didn't show emotion a lot. It was either all or nothing. Given their mission requirements, she was going to have to get him to show all again. It's been a while since she's gotten anybody to give her everything, and in the back of her mind she thought she'd lost her touch. But now she knows she couldn't have lost it completely; she somehow got Ren with bald spots and black eyes.

She turned around to face him, moving her forehead to touch his. She stared him down and immediately noticed it was unnerving for him. His eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" She pursed her lips.

"Your dream," He frowned, releasing her from his grasp. He rolled onto his back and crossing his arms behind his head, he exhaled.

"Right." She bit her lip and sat up, awaiting his answer.

"So, who was it about?" He furrowed his eyebrows, his attention on the ceiling.

"What do you mean?" She narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean 'what do you mean?' The question was simple." He sighed.

"I can't just go around discussing the details of my dream," She frowned.

"Well considering I was a part of the play, I think I'm entitled to some rights." He rolled his eyes.

"It was an accident." He muttered. She threw him a pointed look, causing him to sigh again. "It was you. A bustier version, that is." He commented, nodding to her breasts. She looked down and frowned.

"Well, why?" He pursed his lips.

"Sakura, your breasts aren't the biggest. They're actually pretty small, to tell you the truth—" Her frown ran deeper.

"I mean, why me…you know, for your dream?" She muttered 'jerk' underneath her breath.

"I can't control my dreams. I certainly can't control, you know…him." He gestured to the lower part of his body covered by the sheets.

"So your mind involuntary chose me as your blow-up doll?" He shrugged. "Why not someone more well-rounded?" He hummed.

"Like Ten—" He stopped himself as he noticed the scowl appearing on her face. Then she sighed.

"Yeah, like her." He shrugged his shoulders again.

"Well, I was with you, not her."

"But you've had sex with her," He narrowed his eyes.

"That's true," Her lips formed a straight line.

"On more than one occasion—"

"Sakura, could you just—" He exhaled. "Look, maybe you're more appealing to me than she is. I don't know. It was my subconscious, remember?" She huffed. "Now what did you have to ask me?" He moved closer and brought her back into his embrace. She struggled against him.

"Would you…get off—" She pushed his prying fingers away from her person with a final push to his chest.

"So?" She frowned.

"So what?" He rolled his eyes.

"Did you just want my presence before I took a shower, or…" She pursed her lips in thought. She quickly revisited her question. Asking Sasuke whether he still had feelings for her wouldn't go over so well. And on top of that it would be bad timing. While the new Sasuke is very appealing to her, not to mention the years have been kind to him. Well-mannered, for the most part, attractive, more defined—she definitely loved the new Sasuke. But she wasn't in love with him, and she wasn't going to put herself in that position again. While he did grow up, tremendously…she knew he was just the same. Besides, there was that one underlying mission requirement.

"Maybe we could go grab a bite to eat?" He shrugged.

"Whatever."

Sasuke and Sakura were required to act the part of a couple to further the mission. They were going to have to have sex. Now they were a couple before. This mission was supposed to be easy. Despite their break-up, they were used to each other romantically, so getting back into a role that they've already visited should've lowered its difficulty exceedingly. But Sasuke and Sakura failed horribly in the one aspect that made them a couple. Sex. Now if they would've done it when they were supposed to, this mission wouldn't make her nervous. But she wasn't a virgin. Sex wasn't necessarily the problem anymore. It was probably the 'who' she was going to have to do the act with. So, of course, asking Sasuke whether or not he was still in love with her would ruin whatever platonic relationship they had. Because, what if he was? If he admitted that then maybe he wasn't the same Sasuke as before. And that would make her think. If Ren's sweet words could make her fall in love and have sex with him, then the sex would definitely make her fall in love with Sasuke. And Kami knew that would complicate things to the extreme. She quickly decided she'd rather not know.

"Um…" Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Hm?" She perked up, a surprised expression on her face as she was pulled out of her thoughts. For a second she panicked, worrying that he's read her mind.

"So do you want to shower before we go or the throw-up smell is fine for you…?" She frowned at his sarcasm but on the inside was relieved. She rose, sauntering toward the bathroom.

"Now I know I've told you this countless times before, so this shouldn't be anything short of a friendly reminder." He heard a sweet voice followed by Sakura's head and bare shoulders peek from behind the door.

"Hm?" He grunted noncommittally, his eyes closed and his arms folded behind his head.

"I'll let this morning go, but we've talked about your hands being detached if I find them someplace I don't like. Let's not have a repeat of this." She finished, her voice still sweet but with an edge to it. His eyes opened. After a minute he nodded his head, trying to act indifferent.

"Yeah, sure." The door to the bathroom was closed again and he heard the water running.

Because they both knew what happened the last time Sakura found Sasuke's hands someplace she didn't like.

---

"Private or public?" She asked as he led her hand in hand through the crowd of people mulling about the village square. Once they were able to get close to each other again, he whispered "Private" in her ear. It was close enough that she felt his lips on her temple, something that sent jitters down her spine. Something that shouldn't have.

"Are you cold?" He caught her shiver. She wrapped her arms around her barely clothed chest. "Well, no one told you to walk out like that." She frowned at his lack of consideration. It was always hot in Yugakure. Always. They had two seasons year round, and that was Spring and Summer. So there was no such thing as 'cold' in this Village. But there was cool, and that's what she was. The sun was shining, very annoyingly if she might add, and she felt the heat from its beams of light, but there was also that breeze blowing every few seconds that reminded her just how cool she was. "Maybe next time you'll consider the weather, yeah?" She found herself grumbling "jerk" under her breath. She was just playing her role. Not wearing much was in the job description. The weather doesn't exactly fit in. "The least you could've done is put a sweater on." She definitely doesn't remember seeing "Put on a conservative sweater if it's cold out," in the small print. Besides, it was nowhere near cold out, just a slight breeze. What made her shiver was his proximity. "I really don't appreciate my nipples out for Yugakure to see." Through all of her inner-mumbling, though, she had to admit he was right. Her tank-top was low cut and very loose. The sides of her breasts could be seen through the sleeves of her top, and whenever there was a breeze, or Sasuke did that, it was like headlights beaming from her chest. She still frowned.

"My nipples, Sasuke. Mine." He ignored her.

"At least you had the decency to put some stockings on—"

"Leggings—" She muttered.

"Although, I still don't approve. You got my ass all out for Yugakure's show and tell." She huffed.

"My ass, Sasuke. Mine." She said through gritted teeth.

"Your toes look nice, by the way." She looked down to her cerulean blue toes peeking from her flip-flops.

"Oh, so I can have custody over my toes?" She grumbled sarcastically.

"Yes. Toes are…I tolerate them." She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? Just tolerate?" He shot her a warning glare and she broke into laughter. "I seem to remember you more than just tolerating my toes—"

"Sakura." He said in a tone of finality that didn't stop her laughter but at least got her to move on from the subject.

"To each their own," She finally said in a serious tone, as the remnants of a smile still played on her lips. He turned and looked at her, a scowl on his features, as they rounded the corner and he pointed to a small restaurant in the distance. It was right beside an ally, and the people she did see that looked interested in the strip it was located on, walked right past it. She nodded and Sasuke took her hand once again as they started toward the restaurant.

"Do you think I'll be recognized here?" He held the door open for her and then walked through. He paused, taking inventory of the place.

"They shouldn't, but Yugakure is a dirty, dirty place. So you'd never know." Sakura bit her lip as she saw table after table filled with families, some with couples, and the counter was filled with customers. The place was bustling with happy waiters and the sound of babies crying and little kids running around their family's tables.

"Kami…" She breathed. Sasuke must've noticed her nervousness because he gently pushed her forward with a hand at the small of her back.

"Come on, Haruka." She stopped against his urging.

"There's another place we can find, I'm sure—"

"Table for two, please. Something secluded." Sakura frowned as Sasuke, a few feet to the left of her, conversed with a waiter.

"We have a window seat if that's okay with you two." Sasuke smiled.

"Perfect." The waiter nodded and led Sasuke toward the back. Sakura reluctantly followed. A child brushed past her legs and she jumped, grabbing ahold of Sasuke's hand. He looked back with his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Here you are," The waiter gestured out to their window booth. "Someone will be along to further assist you shortly."

"Thank-you." Sasuke answered with a curt nod. The waiter turned and walked away. Sasuke waited until Sakura slid into her side of the booth before he got situated. He noticed how still and quiet she was. "What's wrong?" She blinked rapidly, snapping out her thoughts.

"Uh…"

"You wanted private, right?" She sighed.

"Yes, but—"

"And I think this is as private as public gets." She nodded.

"I know, but—"

"We're a power couple, but we're also just a couple. We don't always have to go to the most expensive—"

"Sasuke, I know our role." She finally interrupted him. "It's just…it's the kids." She exhaled shakily. "I guess it's just a female thing." He pursed his lips, still confused. His silence urged her to continue. "I mean…I do want kids one day…I think. But with my profession…" She sighed again. "I can't bring a child into this world while I face the prospect of death every day." She left his gaze and looked outside the window instead, the Village bustling at the peak of the morning. "The kids don't scare me. I guess it's the idea of the kids…" Sasuke let out a "Hn." "What?"

"I've never seen you so out of your skin about anything, let alone children." He said with a shrug as she frowned. A different waiter approached their table just as Sakura opened her mouth to retort.

"How can I help you this morning?" Sakura blinked a few times and realized she hasn't looked at her menu. She turned back to Sasuke to see his nose buried behind the folded laminate. This made her frown. He hummed in thought, a knowing smile on his face, and let the menu slap down on the wooden table.

"I'll have Okayu and Tamagoyaki please." The waiter pulled a notepad out from inside of his apron.

"And to drink?" Sasuke placed a finger on his chin and clicked his tounge, ignoring the glares coming from across the table.

"Coffee. Black." The waiter nodded and scribbled something on the pad before turning to Sakura. Her jaw was clenched and her hands were fisted in her lap. She was fuming. The waiter took a step back.

"Miss?" She didn't turn to acknowledge him, instead, continued to stare daggers at Sasuke as he held a laugh back.

"She'll have the same. With jasmine tea." Sasuke managed between laughs. The waiter nodded slowly and walked away. Sasuke let his control go and his amusement flowed freely throughout their secluded corner. She continued to seethe with anger.

"Why the hell—" She started.

"What?" He said amusedly with his arms outstretch. "I did no wrong." She scowled.

"You—"

"Ah?" He leaned closer.

"You…"

"Hm?" She huffed. "If you wanted me to remind you to read instead of rant, you could've said something."

"I hate you so much." She growled. He chuckled.

"Right." They sat in silence for a few minutes as Sakura observed the village from the window. She seemed interested in the different atmosphere of Yugakure. He then folded his hands atop the table and sighed. "Sakura, look." She turned away from the window.

"Hm?" Her anger already subsided. He pursed his lips.

"About last night…" Her eyebrows furrowed as her expression quickly turned to one filled with confusion.

"Last night?" He blinked.

"Yeah, about the whole—" The waiter was quick to return with their order. He removed their food and drinks from its platter and placed it down in front of them. With a nod he turned and left.

Without a second thought, Sakura gulped down a swig of her tea and proceeded to gobble down her creamed grain. Sasuke looked on in horror as Sakura made no regards to cleanliness, or even basic table manners, while she ate in front of him. His eyes widened further as a piece of rice fell on his cheek.

"Sakura?" He heard a loud 'clang' as her utensils were dropped into what was left of her breakfast and it was pushed away from her. She folded her hands. "What the hell…?" She sighed, propping her elbow up on the table and sitting her chin upon her upturned hand.

"Sorry… I forgot who I was with." The shocked expression remained on his face.

"Who do you eat like that with? Pigs?" He exclaimed. She rolled her eyes.

"No, Baka." She pouted as a feeling of longing overtook her. "Kakashi eats really fast, and he has a really big appetite. If I feel like eating, I have to eat it fast." It was Sasuke's turn to roll his eyes.

"Kakashi has had a really bad influence on you, you know that right?" She scoffed.

"You think?" He paused.

"Are you guys alright now?" She bit her lip in thought.

"I mean, I think so…We were on good terms before we ported but I never know with Kakashi." She shook her head. "I doubt there's anything left for him to badger me about since the interrogation kind of bore all." Sasuke frowned, specifically remembering their interrogation and how hers and Kakashi's must've been ten times worse. He thought back to their encounters after the interrogation and remembered they didn't seem to be on bad terms during the debrief. He just hoped they were alright for the sake of their mission. He sighed, using his hands to crack his neck, when he noticed a boy in a booth across the room staring at Sakura. His instinctive Sharingan almost activated but then he remembered where he was.

"Sakura, don't look now, but—" She was eating her breakfast a lot more ladylike when she looked up.

"What?" She answered with a mouthful of food. He ignored that part and continued.

"There's a boy to your left—" Her head immediately whipped to the left as she locked eyes with the boy who was staring at her. His eyes widened and he looked away. "Sakura, what the hell don't you understand about 'don't look now?'" He said exasperatedly. Sakura turned back to Sasuke.

"Why does he look so creepy?" She exclaimed with widened eyes. "How long was he staring at me?" He rolled his eyes.

"I recognized it about a minute ago. Could've found out a little more if you knew how to be subtle." He muttered. Her mouth formed an 'o.' She folded her arms across her chest in frustration.

"Oh please. Subtlety is my specialty." She finished with a frown as he chuckled.

"I think you're a little off the mark there, Haruka." Her frown ran deeper. "Besides, your natural hair color is pink. If that's subtle, I must be a master of disguise."

"You know what—" He started to laugh. "For your information, I'm—"

"Uh, H-Haruka Tan?" The boy that was previously staring at her approached their table. The smile was wiped off of Sasuke's features.

"I'm sorry, is there something you need?" He asked icily, looking up at him. He froze in fright. Upon closer inspection, the boy was no older than 18 and lanky in build. He continued to stare at him and watched beads of sweat drip down his temple. Sakura looked to Sasuke, then back up at the boy. She smiled.

"Yes, that's me." The boy immediately relaxed, giving her a cheesy grin before a shaking hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Sakura stared at his hand.

"I-I was wondering—Well, I just wanted to know if you could—"

"Spit it out, boy." Sasuke commanded. The boy quickly unfolded his piece of paper and for a split second Sasuke's eyes widened.

"I-I wanted to know if you could autograph this for me. I'm a huge fan." The boy said while digging his hands in his pockets again. He pulled out a pen and placed it onto of the picture. Sakura bit her lip and stole a glance at Sasuke. His lips were folded together as he continued to look back and forth between the boy and the picture in front of them. To any outsider, he was playing his role perfectly. To Sakura, he was seething. She could see he was barely keeping his anger from uncapping. She sighed.

"Sure—"

"So, you just keep this picture around with you wherever you go?" He bit out. The boy rolled his eyes.

"No, of course not." Sasuke folded his arms across his chest. "I have many others. I switch it up every other week." She watched his hands fist. "But I have to admit this is one of my favorites—" Sakura's reflexes moved fast as Sasuke unfolded his arms. She placed a hand on his outstretched forearm and used her other hand to pull the slightly crumpled piece of paper toward her. She picked up the pen and scribbled 'Haruka Tan' across the photo and finished the signature with a heart. The boy blushed. "This means so much to me." He grabbed the paper and held it against his chest. She held out the pen for him. "Thank-you so much." Sakura nodded and smiled as the boy grabbed the pen and quickly moved back to his booth. He slapped some bills down and left. She slowly removed her hand from his arm and waited with baited breath for him to say something. Her teeth found its way to her bottom lip again as she wavered under his gaze. His lips were set in a grim line and his expression seemed to get even more strained.

She didn't know why he was mad.

She didn't want to say he had no reason to feel how he felt, but he should've assumed this would pop up sooner or later. She didn't want to say anything, to tell the truth, because any words that came out of her mouth would be nothing above a whisper. She didn't bother trying to find her voice either. She would rather wait until Sasuke fully expressed the reason why he felt the way that he did, and maybe then she could find her voice, along with a suitable answer that wouldn't get her yelled at.

"So you're telling me…" Her heart clenched as he finally spoke, his words spoken through gritted teeth. "Horny men all over the world have continuous access to various pictures of your tits and pussy?" He wasn't at all loud, and nothing on his face would indicate to anyone else if they were watching them that he was yelling. Yet his words made her jump slightly, and still continued to echo throughout her ears. Her mouth opened in surprise, and then with furrowed eyebrows it shut again. She blinked, opening her mouth once again but failed to find the right words.

What was she supposed to say to that?

He was treating her as if she were a real prostitute, as if she took nude pictures for fun. Like the whole 'Haruka Tan' alias was her idea and her idea alone. It was a mission for Kami's sake. An Anbu mission at that! Did he want her to turn it down and not complete her sponsorship? Did he think she had a choice? Did Sasuke honestly believe she had a say? So her anger flared as well. Oh, it flared quickly. Unlike him, she had a justified reason to be angry. Her nails dug into the skin of her palms as her fingers formed fists. The corners of her mouth tugged downward as her eyes narrowed.

"Do you know—"

"Are you fucking serious?!" She exclaimed. She was loud. He was taken aback by her outburst but quickly recovered.

"Yeah I'm fucking serious!" He was loud right back. Her eyes filled with disbelief searched his.

"Do you truly believe I had a fucking say on whether or not I wanted to pose naked? Do you really believe I could just say "No thanks" and be on my way?"

"When has it ever been a requirement?" Her eyes narrowed at his ignorance.

"Do you even hear what you're saying right now?"

"You went around—"

"Shut-up!" She yelled. He was taken back yet again. "I'm Anbu, dammit!" This she said in a harsh whisper. "There were specialty areas I had to clear." She finished through gritted teeth. "I'm not just a regular ninja! You are!" She did it. She pulled the authority card with him. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "There's some things you might not understand, 'cause in Anbu, there's no such thing as a 'choice' or 'say,' you do what you're told to do, and there's no ifs, ands, or buts! If you can't handle that then your ass shouldn't have requested a sponsorship!" She huffed. "I don't even know why the hell you're upset about this! You've seen me naked before—people have seen me naked before. People will see me naked again. This isn't anything new." His lips formed a straight line. She knew he knew she was right, hence his silence. He wasn't going to say anything because he was fuming, and that's just who he was. "This is just you being the insecure bastard that you are. So when you regain your senses and remember that that was a mission, that this is just a mission, find me." And with that, she scooted out the booth and stomped angrily through the restaurant, ignoring the various stares and whispers, and pushed through the doors back onto the street.

The bastard.

It felt good to be outside of that restaurant, away from the suffocating air, and the stares, and the intensity of her and Sasuke's argument. Oh, so what they were in public. Of course that was the worst place they could've argued, especially since the details of their argument didn't exactly pertain to the lives of Sai and Haruka, but again, so what? Sasuke was being a bastard again, a selfish, insecure bastard. She's told him about their mission. He knew she was prostitute, he knew she was a stripper. And all Sasuke sees are strippers! What stripper did he know dressed modestly? Or dressed at all? Honestly! He could be so overbearing, she thought to herself, stomping throughout the village aimlessly. The breeze hit her again and she crossed her arms.

Her anger and her stomping was making her tired. It was Sasuke's fault. She could've stayed in bed this morning, sleeping off a horrible night she barely remembered. She would go back and lie down, but then again, she didn't even know her way around the village, let alone the way back to the hotel from the stupid restaurant located in what looked like the bowels of Yugakure. This made her even angrier, if that was possible, because now she was stuck wandering aimlessly throughout unknown territory. And what of Sasuke? She doubted that he would leave his breakfast untouched. But after that? If he went back to the hotel and she wasn't there, well…he'd be fine for a couple of hours she supposed, assuming she was blowing off her anger and that she would find her way back. But Sakura didn't even know where she was going, let alone the hotel name. She had only an image to go off of, and that wouldn't help one bit. So when Sasuke went to look for her and found she wasn't with Yuuki, he'd panic and call Naruto. And then Naruto would have to use his Sage mode to find her, which could or could not blow their cover, who knows? She didn't. And then to make matters worse, she remembered Yuuki was supposed to come and pick her up and have Terumi take her shopping, but how could he do that when Sakura wasn't even at the hotel? Then Yuuki would think that she was blowing him off, damaging their building relationship, and setting the mission back. When another breeze chilled her body, she realized she was so fed up with everything, with her aimless walking, and Sasuke, and just everything, that she stopped paying attention to trying to weave through the throng of villagers mulling about, and instead focused on kicking every pebble that came in contact with the wrath of her foot. She tried to multitask the weaving with the kicking, although she didn't expect someone to cut the corner so sharply, someone who paid just about as much attention to their conversation as Sakura was to her new pebble kicking game, which she might add, had the pebbles going a pretty considerable distance—anyway, she was so fed up with the horrible start to her day—

"The lineup would have to change, you know, to accommodate—"

"Eeek!" She exclaimed. She was in the middle of launching a pebble toward some unlucky village-goer's eyeball, one leg high up in the air as she watched the pebble soar higher than intended, way higher ('too much air' she thought to herself), and while she was balancing on one leg admiring her accidental handiwork, someone so caught up in their conversation cut the corner from her right. Now her right leg, just showing how much Kami favored her, happened to be the leg that she was left balancing on. Now the bastard who was trying to bank to her left clearly miscalculated where Sakura was going and tried to move beside her instead of past her, which again, because of her good luck, happened to be her balancing leg. 'Damn those broad shoulders' Her last thought as her last leg slipped up on her. She felt both of her feet off of the ground for a moment, expecting a quick and painful landing on her ass, which she quickly braced herself for. She briefly thought about the injury to her pelvis and how every fall afterward had been that much worse. She would probably tear up at the pain but she didn't think it would be the mind-numbing, excruciating pain she was use to when it came to her pelvis. She didn't know where she could find ice, but she knew it would be somewhere nearby, hot ass village—

She immediately pursed her lips, noticing that it was Yuuki who almost caused her a world of pain, and also Yuuki who had his arm around her waist, literally saving her ass. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus on Yuuki hovering above her. She wished she had the energy to produce a smile, but her fed up-ness still lingered. She sighed and placed a hand over her forehead, noticing Yuuki's furrowed eyebrows and worried expression.

"Are you alright, Haruka?" Yuuki asked, propping her to an upright angle, allowing her to stand on her own two feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to be a little more aware of where I'm going." He chuckled.

"And where your pebbles are going, too." She blushed in embarrassment.

"Ah," She said with a sheepish smile.

"Haruka!" Terumi appeared and Sakura smiled at the woman.

"Hey," Sakura turned and nodded at the taller blonde. Terumi beamed at her.

"We'd thought you skipped out on shopping today because the receptionist remembered seeing you leaving with Sai-san already." She raised an eyebrow at the honorific added to his name. "But I'm so glad you could make it. I just know you're going to love it here!" The blond rambled on about the idea of shopping with the same excitement another blond she knew would. Actually, now that she thought about it, the resemblance between Terumi and Ino was kind of unnerving. They were both busty blondes with blue eyes who loved shopping and had a peculiar taste in clothing, hence, the lack thereof Terumi was sporting right now. She just hoped Ino wasn't a stripper as well, although that would explain a lot. "Are you ready?" Sakura blinked, jumping out of her thoughts.

"Sure," She shrugged.

"Come on girls!" Terumi called with a wave. They finally stepped forward, their whispers being hushed as one of them moved closer to Sakura.

"Are you the Haruka Tan?" Sakura smiled sheepishly, rubbing her shoulder.

"I don't know, I'm not really sure which Haruka Tan you're looking for…" The girl eyed her. If Sakura didn't have the experience that she did, the menacing glare from her black, cat-like eyes might've scared her.

"Asami." Yuuki called. She never took her eyes off of Sakura.

"What." She spat.

"Real deal." He finished. The last thing Sakura remembers is the girl's eyes widening like saucers before Sakura was stumbling back, her breathing constricted by the arms tightly wrapped around her, and the brown curly hair tickling her nostrils. After what Sakura counted as 20 seconds, Asami pulled back. Sakura took this chance to breathe.

"I can't believe it's you! Here! In Yugakure!"

"Yes, in the flesh." Sakura smiled again.

"I can't believe—" Asami started again, but frowned once she realized she had already said this. "What are you doing here?" Sakura shrugged.

"In between moves, I guess." She brightened.

"How long will you be here?"

"I don't know, Sai told me a month—"

"Sasaki Sai? Sai-san's here too?!" Her frown returned as Sasuke's honorific reappeared. The girl rambled on but Sakura got pretty lost. She forgot how Sasuke wasn't really a part of her last mission, and mostly no one would know that he was her "boyfriend." Explaining her surprise at a mega-millionaire CEO being in a village that's lost its former glory. Asami continued to rant about how great Yugakure was, something probably straight from Yuuki's mouth, and the amazing stripper opportunities, also from Yuuki, she assumed. Even though Sakura never saw stripping as an opportunity, but anyway. Then Sakura heard some snippets about how beautiful she was—she blushed at this—and that she's seen her tapes. At this point she was tempted to ask "sex tapes or dancing tapes?" But she didn't have the energy to interrupt her. When she heard the words "amazing dancer," Sakura was relieved. Although knowing this village, they've probably seen the sex tapes, too. Which she's heard were pretty good. She'd felt like patting herself on the back but she remembered that her gesture should be extended to her Shishou, who of course wouldn't get anything but the best porn stars to act for Sakura.

"Asami, please. That's enough." Yuuki begged. "The other girls would like a chance too." He waved them over as Asami pouted. "And please, only handshakes for the rest of you." He finished with a playful smile. She watched three other girls materialize from behind Yuuki. "Haruka, this is Fumiko, Hana, and Kiyomi." As they came forward, Sakura noticed immediately how she lacked in comparison. Height and bust-wise at least. These girls were amazons, and the heels they chose to wear didn't make it any better. They all looked the same type of beautiful, more or less. She's found a pattern with Yuuki, at least. Busty, beautifully exotic amazons. The only immediate difference Sakura noticed was the hair color. She didn't have much time to dwell on it, though, because Yuuki was ushering her along.

"I'm sorry about my girls. They're…excitable." Sakura shrugged.

"It wasn't a problem." And it wasn't. Sakura didn't really know the effects of her three month mission in Snow. Of course she knew she built a name for herself, and by her standards she thought herself to be a pretty decent dancer. Although she never thought to use the words "amazing" and "graceful" if you could even use those words with pole dancing. She scoffed to herself. She also never thought about the press and publicity she would receive from those shots, or the tapes, or even the devastation from the incident with the Ambassador and her disappearance. Her alias wasn't killed off, but she never thought she would need to use it ever again. To see that she was pretty famous, especially to be a stripper, and that people wanted her autograph, even if it was a horny 18 year old boy it was somebody, and it was pretty overwhelming.

The five amazons chattered away in front of Yuuki and Sakura, the latest gossip and fashion trends leaving their lips as they walked.

"So," Yuuki interrupted her thoughts. She looked up at him with raised eyebrows. "Do you like it here?" He finished unsurely, gauging her reaction.

"It's been a day and a half, but sure." She laughed. "Mei showed me around a little and we did lunch. But she told me there was a lot that she wanted to show me that wasn't a part of the traveler's itinerary."

"Maybe after you agree to dance for me on Saturday you two could hang out." He said smoothly. She smiled.

"That was so slick of you." He shrugged.

"You said it yourself. I'm straightforward." He turned his attention from the path in front of him to her gaze. "Remember, I'll do anything for something I want." His voice was low, suggesting a double meaning. She blinked.

"Or someone," She added.

"Or someone." He repeated. "By the way, how well did you fare with your drink last night?" She rolled her eyes.

"Horrible, you called it." She groaned.

"Told you," He said, laughing. "What happened?"

"I passed out and threw up. Again." He shook his head.

"I'm definitely walking you in next time."

"We'll see," She hummed, folding her hands behind her back as she looked onward. "So, where are these oh so exclusive boutiques?"

"I wouldn't necessarily call them boutiques," He answered with a smile. She frowned.

"Then what are they?"

"Exclusive," He added, the knowing smile still on his face. She challenged him.

"Not really." He raised his eyebrows.

"Oh?" She shrugged.

"Well, I'll be shopping there right? Not so exclusive." He frowned.

"Only if you dance for me…" He said slowly.

"Wrong again. I'm going shopping right now aren't I?" She said smugly. He pursed his lips.

"Because you're planning to dance for me." She wagged a finger at him.

"Or, I'm planning to use you to get to your "boutique," and still not dance for you." She winked at him. His mouth opened in mock surprise, then it closed, a smirk on his lips.

"Misses Tan, I assure you. After seeing my "boutique" you might want to reconsider the duration of your visit." He finished smugly, pointing up ahead to a large, brick building surrounded by a strip of other large, brick buildings. They looked pretty rundown from the outside. But once Yuuki opened the large steel door, her train of thought did a complete 180. Along with a few flips and turns.

"Oh," She breathed in pleasure.

"Oh indeed." Yuuki said, satisfied with her reaction as he stood behind her. There were clothes all around her. All of them weren't even trampy, she noticed from her first inspection. There were some pretty decent clothes in the bunch. Perfect to accommodate her.

"Kami," She breathed again, looking up to see two more floors above her, filled with various stores held off by glass railing. He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Welcome to my exclusive boutiques." He whispered low in her ear, his lips brushing against her cheek. "Go crazy."

---

"You know, I'd be a lot more satisfied if I could actually purchase the clothes I liked." She pouted.

"Yeah, well our agreement still holds. You dance for me, you shop. Until then…enjoy the view from the windows." He chuckled. "Besides, I wouldn't want to take any chances, what with you planning to shop and run away." She frowned, turning away from him.

"It was a joke..." She muttered underneath her breath. "You being mean isn't pushing anything in your favor, Yuuki. I thought you needed me." He stopped and turned to looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed.

"No." Her heart clenched. Shit. "I don't need you. You see, I could get any woman in this village to dance for me if I needed them. That wouldn't be a problem, and of course it would save me a lot more trouble." She bit her bottom lip. "But I want you. And I'd do anything to get you." He looked away from a shocked Sakura and continued walking. She scurried to catch up with him.

"Why did you call it a boutique in the first place? That is definitely not a boutique." She grumbled once she fell back in step with him. He shrugged.

"Dramatic effect." She frowned. He pursed his lips in thought. "If you don't mind me asking, Haruka," He waited for her to look up at him. "You and Sai-san, are you alright?" Her lips formed a grim line.

"That's a good question." She whispered. The muscles in her face clenched as she thought back to this morning.

"When I came back to the lounge he was returning as well. When I left, he was still there. I meant to ask you earlier if he made it back alright." No wonder Sasuke's dreams were so vivid, She thought. It had to have been a long time that Sasuke spent at the lounge if the owner left before him. She briefly wondered how many girls he was with…that made her even more upset. "And the receptionist told us you left with him this morning, and I found you alone, upsetting every rock and pebble that dared to be in your path." He finished with a chuckle. She sighed.

"We're not." He blinked.

"I'm sorry?" She pressed her lips together.

"Alright, that is." She ran the rude comments he made on her mission requirements the night before, and the even ruder comments he made this morning over and over again.

"Oh…" He started hesitantly. "I'm so—"

"Don't be. We'll be fine. We always are." She whispered, reassuring him with a small smile. She crossed her arms as another breeze came. He stopped again.

"This is you, right?" She turned and looked where he was pointing.

"Oh, right." She smiled and scratched the back of her head. "Still new here. I only know my way from the lounge." She reasoned. He smiled.

"Perfect. That makes it easier for you to make the trip tonight. Around 8." She pursed her lips in amusement.

"Slick." She said.

"Straight-forward," He corrected, pointing a finger at her. She rolled her eyes. They approached the glass doors and she stopped in front of them just as the doorman pulled them open. She turned around and faced him.

"You really don't have to walk me up, you know."

"I know,"

"And I'm not drunk." She pointed out.

"Clearly."

"I can—"

"Haruka, I don't take no for an answer. Go." She sighed and turned around. She walked across the carpet she got a little too familiar with the previous night. Yuuki greeted the receptionist, also the same woman from last night. Her greeting was sweet until her eyes fell on Sakura. They stopped in front of the elevator as Yuuki pressed the button. The doors immediately opened and they stepped inside. Yuuki's finger hesitated.

"13?"

"13." He pressed the button and the doors closed.

"I'm glad you're sure this time." She punched his arm playfully. It wasn't long before the doors were opening again. Sakura stepped out and took a few steps until she was in front of her door, Yuuki right behind her. Too close, actually. She knocked. Yuuki bent low to her ear. "I would really like it if you danced for me, Haruka." His voice was deep and his words were slow. She felt his breath fan against her cheek as he dragged out her name. She opened her mouth to say something just as the door opened. Yuuki straightened. Sasuke greeted him with a cold look. His expression didn't change when he looked down at her.

"Haru, I've been looking everywhere for you." He said in a voice that made her really doubt that he was. She pushed past him into the room and turned around.

"I'll see you tonight, Yuuki." She called out, her arms folded across her chest. He smiled.

"Of course." Sasuke stood at the door.

"Don't hold your breath." He bit out before shutting it. "Where the hell did you go?" He questioned her. She walked through the doors that separated the bedroom from the living room. He followed her.

"None of your damn business." She spat.

"Are you serious?" He said with narrowed eyes, crossing his arms.

"Are you?" He frowned.

"Sakura—" She whipped around and faced him, her eyes narrowed.

"Don't you say anything to me." She growled, pointing a finger at him. "What you suggested last night and this morning was insulting and downright disrespectful. You can't throw mission requirements back in my face like that, like I have control over them. You can't try and use them against me. Despite what you're suggesting, Sasuke, I'm not a whore! I'm a ninja." She threw him a menacing glare. He scoffed.

"So you have no problem with your ass naked pictures all over the world? How many people in Konoha have pictures of your ass plastered against their walls?" She threw her hands in the air.

"Now you're just acting fucking stupid." He was in front of her in a second.

"Do not go there, Sakura." She quickly pushed him out of her proximity.

"Then stop acting like a third-rate, wet behind the ears genin! Shishou controls the media, Sasuke! Do you honestly believe she'd let that run here? So a ninja of the hidden leaf would be associated with a stripper and have my cover blown? Haruka Tan doesn't exist in Konoha! Neither do any of the aliases created by the many ninja who have to go undercover." She pursed her lips. "You think I would actually solicit my body like this if I had a choice? You think that I would subject myself to face the prospect of humiliation and degradation every single time I walked outside of my home? That hurts, Sasuke." She placed her hands on her hips and turned. She blinked her glossy eyes and pressed her lips together. "Is that what I am to you?" She whispered. "I'm just a whore, right? I was your whore, Sasuke. Wasn't I?" She was escalating quickly. "It explains a lot. Especially why you got so mad at my body being over the world when I was the one who signed up for it. I'm your property, Sasuke? I'm your bitch—" He roughly grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Dammit, Sakura!" She jerked free and slapped her hand across his face. He recovered, only for her to slap him again. She stared at him, her eyes filled with surprise and anger.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" He reached for her again. "Don't fucking touch me." He sighed, his face still twisted in anger. "Get out, Sasuke!" He continued to stare at her. She pointed at the door. "I said get the hell out!" He held his hands up in surrender before turning around and walking through the door. He slammed them shut.

"You bastard!" She called out after him, her chest rising and falling frantically. Her hand flew to her mouth as tears pricked her eyes. She collapsed down onto the bed. "You bastard."

---

His finger danced around the edge of his glass as he sat staring blankly through the window across the room. He raised an eyebrow when he heard the knob to the bedroom door turn. She'd been in there for hours, anyway. He'd been waiting for hours.

Sakura burst through the doors wearing a black halter dress that was secured around her neck with a knot and left her back open. The dress was loose and rippled when she walked. It was short, as usual, and her black pumps were high, still usual. Sasuke rose, downing the rest of his wine before placing his glass down with a soft 'clang.' He himself wore a dark gray dress shirt and slacks. He smoothed his shirt into his belted pants and followed her out of the door.

"Where are you going, Sasuke?" She broke the silence. He closed the door behind them and moved quickly to the elevator because he knew she had no intention of waiting for him. He put a foot through the door and it reversed. He walked through.

"To the lounge, of course." He leaned over her and pressed the lobby button. Sakura's body was tense with anger, her lips pursed tightly and her nostrils flared, her hands holding still to her sides.

"Hm." The elevator door opened and Sakura moved through it quickly. "I don't think so." The sound of her heels were muffled by the carpet.

"Haruka, wait." Sasuke called, moving quickly to catch up with her after flashing the receptionist a smile, to which he saw a faint blush flash across her features, before jogging out of the door.

"Go back to the room, Sasuke." She said, her strut not missing any steps. "I can do the job by myself tonight." He frowned.

"And you know I'd be all for that, except for the fact that we're partners on this mission—" She suddenly stopped.

"No, not partners." She bit out, still not facing him. "Partners don't belittle each other or make disrespectful comments. Partners work together and trust one another." She whipped around. "So no, Sasuke. We're not partners, merely two people on a mission working individually toward a common objective. You do whatever you have to do to get there, and I'll do the same." She finished, her voice in a low growl. "I have a partner. I don't need you." She spat coldly. "So stay the hell out of my way." She turned back around and continued on her way. She felt a hand latch on to her wrist and she immediately tried to snatch it away.

"Don't touch me!" He held on tightly. The anger in her eyes matched his. He was getting fed up with her. It was taking everything in him to keep a lid on his temper.

"Look." He said through gritted teeth. "You don't like me, fine. But we will work together. And you will listen to me. Your personal feelings don't change the fact that I'm lead on this mission, Sakura." She tried in vain to snatch her wrist away again.

"What makes you lead on this mission? Your undercover experience? Your familiarity with this world? Your "ass naked pictures" on everyone's walls?" She said sharply. "This isn't the ninja world, Sasuke. We're fighting against strippers and CEOs, not S-class criminals. Until you know the difference between a G-string and a thong, I'll call the shots on this mission. I have no idea what made you think you were lead, but—" He tugged on her wrist and pulled her to him, the swell of her breast brushing against his dress shirt as her chest rose and fell in surprise.

"Until you learn how to keep your emotions and personal feelings in check like Anbu was supposed to teach you—" He paused slightly as the venom from his words sunk in. "I'll run lead. And I think waiting until you have direct orders from the Hokage to lead this mission, like I do, will also be a good idea. Are we clear, Sakura?" He finished in a cold, non-negotiable voice. She continued to blink in shock. "Now," He started, his voice fresh and relieved of anger. He moved his grip and locked his fingers with hers. He continued walking and forced her to do the same. He shifted slightly and whispered in her ear. "We're going to go in that lounge tonight, as a couple, as lovers, as partners—" He stressed. "And we're going to do what we have to do to reach that common objective." He finished, his voice with a hint of cheeriness. "I'll force you if I have to, but it'll go much smoother with your cooperation, Sakura-chan." Her lip quivered for a second before she bit down on it. They walked in silence for a few minutes as she pondered the familiarity of his tone. A tone that she's heard plenty of times before. The tone that put her in her place almost always, that made Sasuke alpha, that made her scared to argue or even oppose him after hearing it.

"I shouldn't be fazed, right?" Her voice was barely above a whisper when she decided to break the silence. "I mean, I've gone through two years of this—two years of you. I still made it out. And it's been worse," She looked up at him and waited for a response. He looked on, taking in the change of atmosphere as more people crowded around them. The night-life oriented village seemed to have gotten livelier in the blink of an eye. When Sakura figured he wasn't going to answer, she turned away from him. They were approaching the lounge. "So, I shouldn't be fazed, right?"

Sasuke didn't say anything as he held open the door for her. They moved through the throng of flailing bodies toward the tables near the back. Sasuke mechanically pulled out the bar stool and waited for Sakura to situate herself atop it before he pushed it in. He then sat down. Sakura tapped her manicured digits across the table. It wasn't long before she felt calloused fingers snake up her thigh. In one fluid movement she crossed her legs and turned from the table. She gave him a look out of the corner of her eyes.

"Haruka! And just when I thought you weren't going to make it." Her expression completely changed and a smile lit up her features as Yuuki came up beside her. "I thought my lungs were going to give out." He joked. Sakura shared his smile.

"Yeah, well, you still look a little blue." Sasuke quipped, a fake smile on his features. She threw him another look before turning back to Yuuki.

"Is Mei here? I'd really like to see her." He nodded.

"Mei's in her dressing room. She sent me to find you." Sakura lit up and Yuuki proceeded to help her down from her stool. Sasuke folded his hands underneath his chin and narrowed his eyes. Yuuki stopped. Sakura narrowed her eyes in challenge.

"I'd like to see her, Yuuki." Sakura said again through forced tones, her eyes never leaving Sasuke's. Yuuki switched his gaze from Sakura back to Sasuke.

"I can call someone to escort you there, Haruka." She pressed her lips together tightly and exhaled in a quick burst through her nose as Yuuki spoke to someone through an ear piece. She glanced back at Sasuke with narrowed eyes. He smirked. A burly man in a black suit appeared almost immediately. Yuuki nodded at her.

She huffed again before following the man past the tables in the back to a door that led to a hallway. This was no ordinary established strip club. It was clearly larger than it let on. She would never have guessed such a long back hallway existed from the outside. They went through another door labeled for the dancer's dressing rooms. The first door they came upon had "Mei" printed across it in block letters. The man in the suit rapped on the door twice.

"Come in," They heard from inside. He twisted the knob and held open the door for Sakura. She stepped inside the large room and immediately looked up. She wasn't surprised to see a reflection looking back at her. The sultry velvet red walls didn't surprise her either, or the large Victorian four-post bed in the middle of the room. Across from her was another large mirror with lights, and beside her an armoire. Upon closer inspection, Mei sat with her feet upon a chest on the edge of her bed. She was cloaked in a short silver robe and heels. She was mulling over papers and didn't look up when she came in.

"Misses Miyazaki?" The man said.

"Hm?" She continued to look at her papers. He cleared his throat.

"You have a visitor." She looked reluctant to avert her eyes but she did.

"Haruka!" She dropped her papers back on the bed and dashed for Sakura, enveloping her in a hug. "I'm so glad you could make it." She looked past Sakura. "Thank you, Hiro." He nodded and pulled the door closed. "Sorry, I didn't see you there." She walked back toward the bed and grabbed her papers.

"What are you looking at?" She asked as Mei organized them.

"Clients. This is my rotation for the night. At least for those who have paid already." She held out the papers for Sakura. "Here."

"This is…thorough." And illegal. She thought with widened eyes as she shuffled through her clients. The profiles of these men resembled a bingo book profile, detailing the name, age, and a picture of the man. But it went so much farther in terms of personal info, their known tendencies, and pertinent medical information including past and cleared reproductive diseases. A whole man's life was fit onto one sheet of paper, subject to any dancer's whim. "Is this legal?" Mei laughed.

"When you sign up as a client, you're releasing your records. Most men don't know this because they don't read, they just sign and pay. But this covers us in case a dancer refuses a client in the event that she doesn't want to catch something." She pointed to the papers in Sakura's hands. "A dancer has the full right to change the status of a client based on what's in their profile. For example, if a man has been treated for gonorrhea in the past, a dancer can refuse him sex, or refuse to see him at all. A refund will be issued of course, but they don't get their deposit back." Sakura handed her the papers. "When they sign up, they're also signing away to a list of rules and guidelines. Most of the stuff is common sense jargon. I'm sure I can bother you with the details later?" Sakura shrugged. Mei smiled back. "Worth a try." Sakura shifted.

"That's 12 men you got in your hands." Mei nodded. "How do you get through those when you have to dance?" She shrugged.

"The Kansai is very time oriented. It's a time for everything. Literally. During the day, it's a restaurant and bar, in the afternoon it becomes a place where press conferences are held, celebrity meet-and-greets—the whole media practically takes over. That's when you see the most cameras. Then at night, it's a club. This place comes alive." She outstretched her arms. "There's dancing, and drinks, and happy people—" She stopped, the smile still on her face. "Then at 9:30 the dancers come out. Each set doesn't last longer than 10 minutes. After a set you take care of your clients. After those you take care of the casual men. Regardless, of the time slots, you still might be here till 3." Under 10 minutes… Her sets in Snow were at least 15 minutes. But then again, this lounge was a different type of business.

"Much different from my strip club." Sakura whispered.

"Yuuki wants to make this safe for all girls." Mei said quietly, locking eyes with Sakura. "Anyway, enough of that stuff. I want you to enjoy yourself." She took a hold of Sakura's arm and dragged her in front of her armoire. "So, you can have the honors of picking out my outfit for tonight!"

---

"The money comes from all places, you see. I have my girls that dance and take care of clients and casuals, then I have my girls who don't dance and take care of the casuals. And then I have my girls who are strictly clients." Sasuke nodded, raising his glass of rice wine to his lips.

"Well, the money's there." Was his only comment. Yuuki waited, expecting more from him, but when he saw that Sasuke was too engrossed in his rice wine to say anymore, he picked up his glass as well. Sasuke watched him brighten and he turned around. His eyes narrowed.

"How was it?" Yuuki asked.

"Your dressing rooms are really nice. Roomy." She finished. His features lit up at her compliment.

"Thank-you. I put a lot of work into those rooms to make it more comfortable for the girls." She nodded.

"I can see that." Sasuke cleared his throat. She ignored him. "Mei asked me to help her pick an outfit for the night." He raised his eyebrows.

"Is that right?" She nodded as he frowned, clearly looking distressed.

"She never lets me anywhere near her closet." Sakura chuckled.

"With all due respect, Yuuki, I have reason to believe she values my fashion sense over yours." He pursed his lips.

"Oh really?"

"Clearly." She challenged him with a smile. "I—"

"Haruka." Sasuke interrupted. Yuuki looked over at him with raised eyebrows. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Sakura. Her lips tightened before she took a seat in one of the bar stools at their small table. Sasuke continued obliviously as he brought the glass to his lips again. Sakura stared onward as the upbeat music quieted and the stage brightened.

"When's the last time you watched someone dance, Haruka?" Yuuki whispered in her ear as the bass from the new music shook the lounge and illuminated her senses.

"Never." She whispered back.

"What?" He said, taken aback. She turned to him.

"Never. I don't watch other dancers. I just dance." Sasuke turned toward them with raised eyebrows. "I want to keep myself pure. Well, as pure as you can be doing what I do." Yuuki nodded in understanding.

"When was the last time—?"

"I felt like this?" She outstretched her arms and closed her eyes as the music vibrated through her. "The last time I danced. Right before—"

"Haruka!" Sasuke whispered harshly. She turned back and faced forward.

"I've stayed away from them because…" She pressed her lips together, looking forward. "Dancing got me raped." She said finally, her voice strained. "So I'm scared. I'm scared to dance. Being here reminds me of what I just can't do." The fast-paced music slowed down as she heard the cat-calls and whistles escalate. Then she watched as Mei threw the black fringed tube top that Sakura picked out into the audience. The men went wild as the music kicked up and Mei started dancing again, her chest jumping with every movement she made. She finally sauntered off of the stage and into the throng of men. Sakura pointed a finger to the stage as she looked at him. "If I choose to get on that stage…" She dropped her hand and closed her eyes. "What if I get off that platform and the same thing happens? I can't—"

"I won't let anything happen to you, Haruka. I promise." Yuuki interrupted her, his words so stern and sincere. She got over her initial shock and smiled, tapping a finger to her temple and held it up.

Sasuke was the one who noticed her first. At least a part of her. Sakura's nostrils flared in anger as Mei approached their table topless.

"Mei? What are you doing here?" Yuuki asked. She looked flustered, a thin layer of sweat was coated on her skin and parts of her long black hair stuck to it. Sakura noticed Hiro behind her, standing a little ways away keeping the men back.

"I didn't know if I would see Haruka again tonight. And I have a lot of clients to get through so don't wait up, Yuuki." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm waiting." He said decisively. She turned her attention back to Sakura.

"I want you to come with me tomorrow." Sakura furrowed her eyebrows.

"Where are we—" She shook her head.

"Just come with me, okay?" Sakura hummed and nodded.

"Sure." Mei nodded back in affirmation.

"I'll come by in the afternoon." She took a step in the direction of the table and planted a quick kiss on Yuuki's lips. "I've got to get back to work. I'll see you later, Sai-san." She bowed before going back into the crowd, immediately followed by noises of appreciation. Sakura glanced in Sasuke's direction as he watched Mei's retreating back. Her lips pressed together tightly. He must've felt her gaze because he turned around.

"We need to talk," She mouthed. He shook his head. She fumed. Then she changed immediately, placing a hand on her forehead.

"Kami…" She breathed. Yuuki turned away from the current dancer and looked at Sakura.

"Haruka?" He questioned, concern apparent in his voice. She looked at Sasuke from the corner of her eyes. Anger was coming off of him in waves. She continued.

"I don't feel so well—"

"What's wrong?" She placed a hand over her chest.

"I'm feeling a little faint." He placed a hand on her forehead. Sasuke straightened and glared.

"You're hot. I can—" He stood.

"I'll take her back to the hotel. She hasn't had a decent night's rest since she's been here, anyway." She shook her head at Sasuke.

"I know, but I promised Yuuki that I would come tonight and I really wanted to watch the dancers—"

"We have a room in the back that she can lie down in—" He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Yuuki hesitated, throwing Sakura a look.

"It's alright." Sasuke reassured.

"Are you sure?" He pestered. Sakura gave him a nod.

"Yes, we'll see you, Yuuki." Sakura turned back around and waved as Sasuke pushed her out. He moved her against the brick exterior of the lounge. "Take off your heels." He growled at her. She crossed her arms.

"You think I can't run in heels?"

"I think you're slow in heels." Sakura narrowed her eyes. "I'm moving fast, Sakura. I don't want you tripping in those things and risking us getting seen." She stomped a foot on the ground, taking a step toward him. He pushed her back against the wall.

"I can run in heels." She growled back. He grabbed her arm up forcefully before disappearing in the blink of an eye. They reappeared outside of the stairwell on their floor. Sakura proceeded to stomp to their room and Sasuke followed after her briskly, his hands fisted in his pockets. When they got to their door he nudged her aside before unlocking it. She walked in after him and slammed the door behind herself. He whipped around, his onyx eyes blazing.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? We're on a mission. We can't just take breaks to talk!" He yelled. She rolled her eyes.

"You knew what you were doing. We didn't have to take a "break" in the mission. You didn't want to talk to me, fine. I was going to continue on with the target and get some intel—"

"Intel? Oh really?" He scoffed before placing his hands on his hips.

"Yes, intel. That's what this mission requires me to do. I might have to use my lips, my breasts, hell, even my ass to get intel. But I'm going to continue doing what I have to do." He raised his eyebrows in challenge.

"By using chakra to heat your body up? Risking us getting caught by your carelessness for a few minutes alone with Yuuki?" He accused. "The two of you aren't even on that level yet and you're trying to rush things along—"

"How would you know that, Sasuke? How could you possibly know what "level" we're on? Yuuki is my target. If I want to try and rush things along, I will. It's my call—"

"Sakura, I am lead—"

"Lead my ass! You're jealous!" He jerked his head back.

"Jealous? Sakura, believe me—"

"So why did you run us home, huh?" She challenged. "For one, we could've walked. You're bright idea just as well could've ruined our mission had someone seen us disappear." She crossed her arms again. "So there's the act of you running us home, and then there's the reason behind it. Yuuki was going to take me to some room and have me lie down, but he wouldn't leave me alone, no, of course not. So like I said, you're jealous. You took my idea to further my relationship with my target and ran with it. Literally." His lips were set in a grim line as he stood glaring at her. "I'm sorry, any objections?" She moved to one of the armchairs in the living area. She sat and crossed her bare legs. "Now, let's talk." He raised his eyebrows.

"What could there possibly be to talk about?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Keep your eyes off of that woman, Sasuke. That is not your job." His mouth fell open in amusement.

"Are you serious?" He laughed. "Talk about jealousy." He didn't bother hiding his delight.

"We're on a mission, Sasuke. And we're supposed to be a couple. So all of that staying late with strippers? All of those dances after dark when you think no one's watching? All of that is getting back to me. You're ruining the reputation of our alias, and you'll ruin your setup with Yuuki if you continue letting your eyes wander over Kakashi's target. Let it—"

"So this is about me taking something of Kakashi's? Please, I want to hear more of this." He plopped down onto the couch opposite of her and laid his arms across the top of the plush surface. She's a stripper, Sakura. It doesn't matter who fucks her as long as she's getting fucked." Her eyes widened. "Now if you really want Kakashi to have her, then fine." He raised his hands in surrender. "I didn't know he had you doing his bidding, though." She leaned forward and pointed.

"That's not what this is so stop making it out to be that!" She yelled. "We all have roles! You know that!"

"Well, as a ninja, Sakura, I think you know roles get reversed more often than not." She slammed her fists against the arms of her chair.

"Unbelievable coming from you! Like your role—" He pointed at her.

"Don't go there. Why do you always have to go there?"

"You bring me there! You're making this mission hard for me, Sasuke—!"

"Really? Me? You're out here—"

"Doing what?! What have I done other than my mission?"

"Picking a fight with me! You want to start there?" Her head jerked back.

"How about we start with the disrespect that brought me there—" He rolled his eyes and she glowered. "Are you serious?" He shook his head.

"You overreacted. You caused a scene and stormed out of a restaurant for nothing." He mumbled. She raised her eyebrows.

"Really? You sat in my face and spat on the very thing you couldn't live without."

"And what's that?"

"Porn." She stated plainly as he leaned back against the couch.

"Hm. Touché."

"You entertain your little whores, and then you have the audacity to try and treat the target like one too!" He sighed heavily, placing his chin in his hand.

"The mission, in the plainest terms possible, is to fuck her to get her away from Yuuki, right? Now it shouldn't really matter who does the job. Between me and Kakashi, the old man is a little dried up, wouldn't you agree? I'd—" She shot up.

"You bastard! You can't even keep it in your pants!" He smirked.

"Well, baby, you have to give me a chance to pull it out first."

"You wouldn't dare." He stood, walking closer to her.

"I'm waiting on you, aren't I? I've always been waiting on you. Or would you rather get your feet wet with Yuuki first? Either way, I won't wait forever. And I damn sure am not waiting by myself." Sakura's anger boiled to the top and finally uncapped. She swung her fist from behind her and had it aimed for his face. He was there of course, his hand already over her fist as he overpowered her.

"What—" Her vision flashed behind her eyelids before being completely obstructed by the spinning of Sasuke's tomoe seals. She lurched forward as a sharp pain vibrated throughout her body. "What did you do to me?" She fell to her knees.

"I sealed off your chakra." Her eyes widened as weak arms desperately tried to hold her up.

"You—" She breathed. "You used your Sharingan on me? Why would you—" She continued on incredulously, her voice high pitched. "How could you?"

"You can't use your chakra on this mission, Sakura. Not even your strength. You could've gotten yourself caught tonight." Her chest continued to rise and fall heavily as she tried to gain control of her body.

"That's no excuse for what you did…Why?" He stood over her. He knew she hated that.

"Can you remember how much chakra you just gathered in your fist? No?" He didn't wait for her answer. "That's probably because you were too blinded by your anger." He paused. "You could've broken my cheekbone, or cracked my skull, just depending on where your fist would've connected. So I'm sorry if sealing your chakra was an extreme impulse when compared to my life." He moved past her. "You're right, Sakura. From now on, we're merely two people on a mission working toward a common objective. Tell the targets what you want. But this whole "couple" thing, won't work. So I'm out. I'll be sure to tell Lady Hokage come morning of my failure to carry out my part of the mission. You can go run back to the partner that you've missed so much. Good luck trying to run lead with him." Then she heard the door shut softly.

Sakura continued to breathe in short bursts. She was trying to force the chakra to flow throughout her body, but it was like trying to move water through stone. All of her chakra channels were sealed shut. She tried to think of what made him react like this. She tried desperately to isolate just what exactly caused him to abandon the mission, maybe even compromise it. She quickly and continuously came to the conclusion that it was her, no matter what way it was framed. Sasuke wasn't one to flaunt his emotions around. It was a lucky day if you got him to wholeheartedly crack a smile. He'll express his feelings, if necessary, and only then if it was extreme. But she's brought him to this point so many times within the past two days because of their disputes. It was a reach even getting him to argue with her. The fact that he stayed this long was a miracle of its own kind. So he bailed. And she can't say she blamed him. Sakura brought him to a point that he never went willingly. His emotional responses were different than everyone else's, in the way that he tends not to care. And even if he did, he refused to show it. Maybe it was because of his newly profound duty to the Village or his undying loyalty to her Shishou that he chose to stick it out this long.

She commended him of course.

The foreign feelings that she caused to invade and erupt from him by soliciting an argument lasted two whole days. He never lasted this long during their real relationship. He fought his tendencies and put up with Sakura, even going head to head with her in a yelling match. But sooner or later the stress that he could take would be used up, and she knew that there wasn't a lot he could take in the first place.

Sasuke didn't push things out or talk things through when it came to people. Even getting him to talk was hard enough. He was a quitter, and a settler. He would go, and he would run. Like he always did. Like he always would. And so he did. But just for the record, in case anyone wants to remember the point it all went wrong and why this mission was such a failure, she would remind them all that Haruno Sakura was behind its compromise.

---

There's no amount of apologies that I can give to you all for my going ghost, but I just want to thank-you so much for waiting! It's been a long hard year. I would continue to apologize profusely but I already made you all wait so long, I don't want to waste anymore of your time. The next chapter is already in the works so it'll be out of the oven a lot faster than this one. Thank-you so much for hanging in there and sticking with me. I hope you enjoyed!

-Keoo19