i have nothing to offer this new year and this past holiday seasons (really, nothing for the past few weeks now even though i promised some lmao i am sorry) but i wanna thank everyone who still follows my journey into writing for sasusaku. hope i can still give you fics that stir your emotions and make you feel things. happy holidays everyone and happy 2022!!! please take care of yourselves always ♥️
since i have no new year fic, here’s my last year’s piece hehehe love u all!!
I missed Sasuke’s birthday last year, but I won’t do that again in 2020.
I wrote a new fic in collab with @sorceressmyr again 💕 (thank you for all your help beta’ing this story!) So, there will be some art later! 😉
Here’s the blurb:
Title: The Perfect Gift
Summary: He never thought he’d turn twenty, or that he’d enjoy celebrating his birthday ever again. If every year he gets a gift like this one though, Sasuke won’t mind putting up with the festivities. [Blank Period]
Rated: M/E [Smutfic]
Romance/Some Humour/Light Angst
*More info in the fic.
Companion piece for “Birthday Girl” 🌸 (not a necessary read).
Summary: Two months after his redemption journey, Sasuke is back to Konoha and Sakura couldn’t be more happy about them spending a lot of time together. However, things take a hard turn when Sakura is assigned a special mission and she has to hide it from the rest of Team 7. Everything comes spiraling down when Sasuke finds out exactly what she has to do.
Tags: hard rated m, blank period, kinda AU-ish
Author’s notes: Please read, thank you!
Hello sasusaku fandom, it’s me ya girl, back after so many years to join the fandom once more. I have been missing this couple dearly and after going through a lot of fanarts, I stumbled upon my favorite girl and biggest inspiration strawberrycreampiefluff. She had made a mini doujinshi years ago, and I wanted to create a story about it so badly. So, I contracted her, got her blessings and created this mini monster fic you will read below (which she will hopefully recreate into a full fanart comic when she finds time - love you girl! - please support my friend’s art, it’s amazing!). This is a collab between us sort of. The first chapter is like a prologue - introduction to get the gist of things. This takes place after the last, but before sasusaku travels, kind of an alternate way of how sasusaku got together. I tried to keep the characters as close to canon as possible and this my first official full chaptered fic, so please be kind and leave comments and likes to show your opinion and support.
You can also read it on fanfiction and Ao3.
Next chapter
“Act one: Different mission objectives”
Haruno Sakura walks briskly towards the Hokage tower, her high-heeled shinobi sandals clanking against the pavement as she makes her presence known to the people who pass by. A few heads turn around, mostly males, to stare at her. She is known as one of the most beautiful women – if not the most – in Konoha. As the Fifth’s apprentice, she is working at the hospital as the top chief and she is well respected by shinobi villages all around the world for her talent in medical jutsu.
Sakura is currently dressed her hospital clothes, because her shift at the hospital just ended. She is wearing a button up white shirt that’s left slightly unbuttoned when it reaches her chest, a short black skirt and her white medical robe on top. She is heading to meet Tsunade who just asked for her to be present at her office immediately. The pink haired girl already knows what that means and what it entails.
It is a new mission.
That has to be it. It has been months since the last one, and her working hard as a medical ninja limited her chances of being sent into one. She is more than ready for it. However, she has a feeling this is only the start of bad news. Knowing her teacher, it has to be a special kind of mission. Being called so suddenly like that also gives her the heads up to guess the genre of it.
It must be a flower mission.
Yes, flower, Sakura thinks and nods to herself after waving at some people who greet her.
Flower mission is a term for female ninjas only. It is a code for a seduction mission.
Going and especially accepting a seduction mission is a big step for shinobi women. It is a very sensitive topic and it needs to be handled delicately and in secrecy. It is a powerful weapon which when used correctly, the mission will be done easily or quickly depending on the execution.
The three-man team pattern has most young girls create bonds or worse falling in love and it makes them attached in one way or another to their male teammates. That is why most ninja women have a difficulty seducing another man. The life of a ninja is usually short; you never know what could happen and the kunoichis value the idea of love. Still though, a woman’s power is strong and every kunoichi succeeds efficiently in their own little style.
The moment Sakura comes into the office, Tsunade’s head snaps up. The two women hold eye-contact for a few seconds before the younger medic closes the door behind her with a soft thud.
No one else is in the room, so Sakura guesses that whatever the fifth Hokage is about to tell her must be something of importance. She makes her way into the room and with elegant movements sits down on the chair that is positioned right in front of the desk. There are no formalities between apprentice and teacher when no one is around to watch, and since Tsunade made no sign to stop her, she also speaks first.
“Tsunade-sama, you called me.” It is not a question, but it is not a mere observation either.
The older woman sighs and puts her folded hands beneath her chin. Her eyes close for a moment and then she lifts her head upwards, giving Sakura a fond and soft look like a proud mother would give to her grown up child. A blonde strand escapes from her well-made and low ponytail and her red manicured fingers come forth to tag it back to place. An elegant move, and there is no wonder where Sakura took her beautiful ways from.
“Yes, I did,” Tsunade pauses for a second and then hastily continues, going straight to the point. There is no time for pleasantries. “I have a new mission for you.”
There is no surprise on Sakura’s face and Tsunade cannot tell if she already knew what her intentions are or she has simply masked her face with a facade of indifference. A true kunoichi right there, but then again…it could be the influence of a certain brooding male.
Before Sakura could ask more, Tsunade beat her into it and answers to her unspoken question. “It is a seduction mission.”
This time the girl reacts instantly and she blinks profusely, pink eyelashes fanning rosy cheeks repeatedly. “A-ah,” Sakura lets out a squeaky response, knowing the consequences of such mission.
So I was right! It is a flower mission, she thinks and curses mentally. Here come the arising problems and she has not even started yet.
“I know, but believe me, I have no choice,” Tsunade put her palms atop of the desk and she pushes her chair back slightly, “This mission is specifically made for you.”
The woman knows what she is doing to her student right now, but seriously the girl is one of the best out there. Her exotic looks and endless beauty draws men like magnets to her. Besides, with her alluring ways and witty personality, she can bend even iron willed males, for example, Sasuke Uchiha.
Sakura has already made a list of problems at the back of her mind and her inner self screams in horror.
This is her first official seduction mission. How the hell is she supposed to break the news to rest of Team 7? She cannot straight go up to them and tell them. Naruto will surely react instantly and whine about it until the next decade. She has a feeling Kakashi, being trained under Tsunade, might already know something about this mission and that leaves her with one last important person to tell.
The man her heart yearns for.
After coming back from his redemption journey, Sasuke was a changed man. He was everything she had hoped for. Some parts of his character still remained the same that go back to his genin days, but she saw a new side of him that has been hidden for years, buried deep within all the hatred he harbored for most of his life. The last Uchiha has always been a cool character with a calculating thought process. The difference now was that he was free from the hatred and sins that plagued most of his life.
That is where the healing took place – right at this heart.
While he was away he helped many people during his journey across all the lands. That in return helped him find himself. He learned to love himself again and he stopped being angry at the world. He saw life from a different perspective and by the time he returned the storm inside his mind was calm once more.
Sakura’s heart flourished when he came back two months ago.
The two have been spending time together more than ever. They hang out after Sakura’s shifts at the hospital during the day either alone or with the rest of Team 7, sometimes including Sai. Other days, when their schedules are not so busy, Naruto comes and collects each one of them so they can have dinner at Ichiraku just the three of them. On special occasions, when the Hokage in training feels extra giddy, he will bring Hinata along and they will have something akin to double dates as he likes to call them.
It is an unspoken secret that the relationship between Sasuke and Sakura is a complicated one. They are at the stage where sometimes they act like they are together or other times they are on the verge of being in a relationship. Sakura knows what she is feeling that is for sure. The pure, unwavering love she feels for him is rooted deep within her and grows everyday as she watches him be happier and calmer before her eyes. They have had their moments of intimacy together before. Instances where they became close - she remembers those intense feelings they shared through eye contact and hushed whispers when they were left alone.
The first one was after the war when Sasuke was in prison. The first time he expressed his feelings towards what had happened between them all those years. All the wrong and the ugly parts of himself he wanted to distinguish himself from.
In those quiet moments in the dark where he could not see, his eyes sealed like the criminal he was, he told her the truth. He trusted her now to reveal the ugly truth of Konoha and its elders. He divulged all the hardships his brother, Itachi Uchiha, had to endure to bring peace to the world. In a whisper, he confessed all about his clan like a dirty secret -like he was the sinner and she was the priest. And like the true healer she was, Sakura helped him see the good in him that she knew was still there and gave him disclosure. He accepted her kind words once more with a simple nod and a quiet thank you. But for Sakura, at the current time, it was more than enough. She saw the change in him. It was a small start but she would accept it. The young woman had endured harder things in the past after all.
Later that night, when she cried angry tears at the unfairness of the world, because now she knew finally about the Uchiha massacre, she knew all of them had to endure something hard in their lives and learn to live with it. But god if it did not hurt her that he was the one left suffering the most. And she just wished, she hoped, her love was enough to heal that part of himself that was trying to recover.
The second one was when he left for his redemption journey. While they had spend a few moments together before he left, nothing compares to that single experience. She knew she had to wait for him again, but this time it was not a tear jerking moment with her heart lurching in her throat. No, this time, it was her mind buzzing with all the implications his fingers left on her forehead and the fond look he was giving her.
The third one was when the Konoha 12 had their first night all together again. Of course Naruto had a hand in organizing once again. That little rascal, Sakura had thought then fondly. This guy was always trying his best to bring people together and he was doing a damn good job at it. The fact that he was able to persuade Sasuke into an outing like that was a feat itself.
Everything was going smoothly until the drinks started pouring in. Shots after shots of sake had Sakura feeling pleasantly tipsy that night, but she was not the only with that effect of alcohol on her. Somehow everyone had more than a little in their system and that did not exclude the moody male of Team 7. He was acting normal alright, Sakura would have told you, she was sure of it. But then, Ino Yamanaka, her notorious best friend was dragging her along the dance floor and she could not help but feel a hot stare at the back of her head. Goosebumps arising on her skin had her on edge. She knew then he was blatantly staring at her and he was not trying to hide it in the slightest. It was like then everyone knew what going on and her axis had sifted on its head. She could not fathom this would be the place where Sasuke would lose all his inhibitions, much less with everyone watching in anticipation his next moves. Naruto on the other hand, unbeknownst to her, was throwing just the right comments here and there, making Sasuke see Sakura from a different perspective. About time, if you had asked Naruto; he watched Sasuke analyze Sakura dancing as if she was a riddle ready to be solved.
Sasuke, at the hot age of twenty, was now a young man and finding a woman attractive was the natural course of life. However, for him these new profound feelings confused him. He did not know what he was feeling and all he wanted to do now was stare at Sakura until his eyes tired themselves out. He was ready to activate his sharingan just so he could commit that image to his memory.
That feeling in his chest was starting to bother him though and suddenly he felt all the stares on him from the intense chakra he was producing. Looking around he felt second hand embarrassment for himself, his ears getting red. Getting a shot of sake from the nearby table, Sasuke gulped down its contents and got ready to leave his position at the bar. He could not handle to keep his emotions in check any longer and this was bad. He was not ready to admit to himself what he was feeling and trying to suppress it any longer could do more harm than good. Better he left the situation right now before he put him and Sakura in a compromising position he was not ready to handle yet.
Right at that moment, Sakura decided to turn around, her dress sticking to her like a vice from all the sweat her intense dancing had caused. One look at Sasuke had time freezing. They held an intense eye contact for a few seconds, and her heart fluttered in her chest. She saw the change in him, she has seen that look before when other men had stared her way in the past. It was then she knew, tonight had been something more to him even though nothing has transpired between them yet. Maybe Sasuke was not ready to acknowledge these feelings yet, but Sakura had hope that this was the start of something new between them.
Feeling bold she started to approach him, confident in herself and brave enough thanks to the alcohol she had consumed. The moment she moved, she saw him flatter in his steps. He was about to leave and escape. The fearless Sasuke Uchiha was scared of what was transpiring between them, but she was not about to let him have his chance to escape this time. Sakura saw his jaw clenching and his hand flattering at his side from its place at the bar stool. He stared at her unblinkingly, waiting for her next move like they were about to have a fight at the training grounds.
Sakura then approached the bar like she owned the place and opened her mouth to say the most simple words known to existence.
“Hey, Sasuke”, she greeted in a whoosh, a breathless exclamation. She leaned against the bar stool and waited for the inevitable dismissal of denial.
Sakura found herself surprised however when he went rigid and leaned forward his towering body over her like he was about to whisper a dirty secret in her ear.
“You are different from the last time I remember you,” He confessed hotly, his mouth near her neck. If it was not for the obvious fact that she knew him well, any other person would have thought he was drunkenly leaning on her, but Sakura is not anybody and she understands this the way of him hiding his emotions from showing on his face in the shadows her neck provides.
What a weird way of seeking comfort from his own shyness, Sakura thought.
She idly recalled then that they were not in fact alone and Naruto was right behind them. When he started making obscene signs with his hands Sakura felt herself flush from head to toe, but the murderous glint in her eyes was apparently enough to stop Naruto’s crudeness.
“Eh, Sasuke-kun, what do you mean?”, she asked hesitantly, her hand raising and resting on Sasuke’s back in a sense of comfort. The soft material of his black shirt damp against her palm.
They were almost approaching the stage of hugging right in front of everybody.
Before they could complete the hug though, Sasuke’s head turned to the left, his cheek almost brushing against Sakura’s. The pink haired girl shyly turned her head slightly towards his direction, their faces almost touching. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the effect he still had on her and damn him if he he did not thrive on it.
He could think of all the nice things he could say to her, now it was the perfect time to take a step closer to approaching the inevitable connection they have. But his mind had other plans when the words slipped out of his mouth. In a teasing manner he was only capable of, he smirked and said, “More annoying than ever.”
He was sure she must have caught on his teasing by now. Using bitter words of the past to heal their wounds by putting another meaning to it. She was a smart woman and she could understand his actions better than anyone.
Sasuke knew she had caught on when he felt her fist punch lightly his stomach as if to punish him for insulting her.
“That is not a very nice way of complimenting someone, Sasuke-kun,” she whispered angrily, facing him completely. Any traces of wonder were gone from her emerald eyes replaced with mirth and she continued, smiling menacingly at him, “I thought I taught you better than that.”
“Hm,” Sasuke hummed in response and stood straight once again, looking down at her.
By now they had become a spectacle to their friends, the black haired male could feel Naruto almost bristling with excitement from behind him and he was not about to disappoint his friend who has been pestering him to get on with his feelings already.
“I guess we should spend more time together so I can get better at it.”
The double meaning behind his words was evident.
Sasuke Uchiha then patted Sakura Haruno’s head like it was the most natural thing in the world to do and smiled down at her gently.
His female teammate took a big breath through her nose, rosy cheeks glowing, and crossed her arms across her chest. She had him where she wanted him.
“Damn right we should!”
That was one week ago from her current position at the Hokage office. Just when she was making a great progress with seducing Sasuke, she has to go and approach another man for a mission. Talk about making matters weird between them. The worst part is the fact that she has to tell him. She wonders what his reaction is going to be considering they are not together yet. Is he going to act jealous or indifferent?
Who is she kidding? He is just going to glare her with this stupid scary look he gives in assassination missions to terrify people off the moment the words come out of her mouth and that is it.
“I haven’t finished yet,” Tsunade literally saw the thoughts displayed across Sakura’s face. It is like her life passed before her eyes, and her skin got a tad paler.
“Of course there is more,” the pink haired girl mumbles sadly while looking down, but the Hokage lets it slide.
“You will have back-up,” Tsunade says and sees with the corner of her eye Sakura sucking in a breath, “the rest of Team 7 will be with you,” and then next thing she knows the girl is chocking on air.
“W-what?” Sakura coughed out, giving her teacher a desperate look.
She feels like she is the center of the world and it is slowly closing up on her. Life suddenly looks less appealing, because good old Team 7 is back on track again with Sakura’s first seduction mission as a head start.
“Tsunade-sama, please tell me you are joking.” The pink haired medic grabs the sides of the armchair and hopes it does not break and crumble along with her composure.
The young woman also hopes her teacher is having some kind of twisted pleasure out of this because she is certainly not feeling happy with the news.
Tsunade wants to reprimand her student for losing her temper, but she understands what the girl is going through and also knows she in no better position to talk when it comes to matters like this. Still though, ears and eyes are everywhere and they must keep a low profile when in the Hokage’s office.
“Sakura,” The curvy female looks at her seriously, “Team 7 will be the back-up of this mission and that’s final.”
I am doing it for your sake, Tsunade wants to say but keeps quiet instead.
Somehow, Sakura understands where her teacher is coming from. This will be a test for both sides. It is a test for her that is for sure. A test for patience, a test for her relationship, a test for her seduction abilities both on the target and Sasuke, because let’s be honest, who is going to calm down the last Uchiha other than her?
Sakura closes her eyes, takes a calming breath through her mouth and then controls the pattern as taught by Ino’s yoga lessons. She could do it this.
The young female opens her pretty green eyes once again and then stares at Tsunade straight in eye, a determined expression on her face. The will of fire is practically seeping through her and her fiery temper is burning up again but for another cause.
“That’s the spirit,” Tsunade says proudly and hands her the scroll that has been lying on the wooden desk the whole time. “This is your target, Misty Jade.”
The first thing Sakura does when she steps into the house is to check for a specific chakra signature around the area. Sasuke pays frequent visits to her house nowadays you would think he lived in there, having keys and all, but alas.
She lets out a long sigh of relief, glad that she did not detect Sasuke’s compelling presence. Thank heavens, cost is clear. The twenty year old girl suspects that the males of Team 7 had already been called to Tsunade’s office, the second she was out of the vicinity. She mentally praises her teacher and then she decides to prepare for battle. The kunoichi briefly wonders how the hell she is supposed to deal with this. She has no clue how to handle this.
Sakura runs upstairs, heading straight to the bedroom. She slams the door open, scroll still in hand, and starts rummaging through her things in order to pack. After a few minutes of checking everything, she put all the necessary items in her mission bag. From medical supplies to energy pills to scrolls to clothes to a sleeping bag and lastly to the money she will need for the seduction necessities she has to buy. Finally finished, she sits down on the bed, crumpling the blue silky sheets in the process. Then, Sakura unrolls the scroll and reads.
Mission #B039 Type: B-rank Specialist: F (female)
Stage: Pre Place: Village hidden in the Waterfalls
Target: Misao Takashi
Gender: Male
Age: 25 years old
Characteristics: Red hair, blue eyes and relatively tall.
Efficiency: Messenger
Information: Misao Takashi is an important messenger between two feud lords that control and lead illegal product transportations. Your mission is to seduce said messenger that has in his possession a folder with contract papers which contain info for the next meet up and also a pair of keys. This is the part one of the main ANBU mission that will follow after you succeed. Mission includes back-up. Good luck.
The kunoichi falls back on the bed with a flop, thinking how she should approach the mission. She idly scratches her scalp and tosses her body around from side to side, her long pink locks sprawled across the bed sheets moving along with her. Sakura knows what the village hidden in the Waterfalls is known for. And if her guesses are right, a guy like him would go to a special kind of place. The men of Team 7 will also go there.
“This is just great!” Sakura shouts even though no one is in the room.
She stares up at ceiling, her mind thinking of all the possibilities and scenarios. The pink haired girl knows what to do to succeed in this mission, however hiding from Sasuke is the main problem.
With huff she stands up and starts pacing around the room while babbling nonsense and muttering profanities out loud, until the idea hits her.
“Of course,” Sakura jumps on the bed, “Tsunade-shishou is the solution!”
She lies down, calm once again, and grabs a nearby pillow, squeezing it close to her chest. The warmth it provides calms her for a second, but she resists the urge to snuggle it closer. The girl can already imagine the Uchiha’s frown when she will tell him that she will be staying at Tsunade’s for a few days in order to work on some papers that have to do with the hospital.
Sakura just hopes he will believe it for her sake and for the sake of this mission.
❤︎
“It’s dirty and disgusting in here,” Sasuke mutters angrily, sitting uncomfortably on the animal print armchair, “Why do we even have to do this?”
The hot pink, soft and furry material irritates him even more as his elbow barely glides on it, making it difficult for him to nurse his drink. It is too warm, too velvety.
The last Uchiha almost growls out of sheer annoyance. This mission is far too low for his standards. He cannot believe he allowed himself to be dragged in here. His pride is hurt goddammit. Yes, he may be a man, but he has never set foot in a pleasure house. Or as his best friend and ex-sensei like to call it: a strip club.
The atmosphere is suffocating him, the lights are too dim. All kinds of different and hypnotizing aromas assault his senses, making his clear mind drunk and hazy. He cannot tell if it is his alcoholic beverage that is making him feel this way or it is the misty cloud of seduction and pleasure filled nights that surround this place.
The men of Team 7 have been assigned on a mission just yesterday as a backup to an ANBU specialist. Sasuke was definitely not pleased with the news, but he could not go against the fifth Hokage’s orders as much he wanted to, so he mildly complained until he was shushed by Tsunade. So, here they are today, in the place that their target and the other shinobi are supposed to be. Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki and Kakashi Hatake, being expert ninjas, have already detected the target sitting in the middle of the area, near the front. And now they have to wait. If something goes wrong, only then they are allowed to interfere.
“Focus, Sasuke.” Kakashi says calmly, a white hospital mask covering his face instead of his usual ninja attire. “A mission is a mission.”
The grey haired shinobi is collected as always, and Sasuke cannot help but scowl.
As if the ridiculous place is not enough problems, they were also forced to wear formal clothes. Supposedly, they are ordinary men looking for some fun and not ninjas who are capable of killing anyone in the room within seconds. Thus, the men of Team 7 have to make it believable by dressing up fancily to blend in with crowd and to stay undistinguished.
“Well, it’s not that bad in here.” Naruto tells them with a foxy grin on his face, clearly excited to be in a place like this. A slight blush is covering his cheeks since he has been consuming a few portions of alcohol for an hour now. The blond is pleasantly tipsy and happier than usual.
“Shut up Naruto,” Sasuke turns to his left and addresses his best friend, “If Hinata found out you’re here, she would dump you.”
Sasuke is very irritated, and that results to more insults and jibs than normal. He crosses his legs, right ankle meeting left knee, just to move and do something out of spite.
“T-That’s not true!” The man immediately tries to explain, “I told her it was a mission and she was okay with it!”
Naruto’s face visibly falls, and he looks at Sasuke with his puppy dog eyes. However, before the blonde could set off, being an emotional drunk and all, Sasuke just looks at other side, ready to ignore the impending whining.
Is he even allowed to be drinking on such mission? Kakashi better do something, Sasuke thinks, complaining inside his head instead.
“Don’t fight.” Their teacher interrupts, knowing how those two are and how bad they can get when Sakura is not around to stop them.
He has even given them just enough freedom, permitting them to drink, because he knows they are the back-up of this mission and not the main person. Kakashi strongly believes that intervention will not be needed, considering this an efficient ANBU specialist sent by the Hokage herself.
So, Kakashi just sits relaxed, waits and enjoys the show.
The oldest member of Team 7 is wearing a dark grey button-up shirt, the collar slightly open and a pair of black trousers. Naruto has a similar style, except he sports a nice pair of jeans with a light blue button-up shirt that makes his gorgeous eyes stand out more. Sasuke opts for a more classic style though, completing his look with black trousers, a white button-up shirt (with the first button undone) and an onyx suit jacket to top it off.
It is an extraordinary night today since the place is filled to the brim with men of all ages and from different villages, plus, the interior design of the club is full of pretty decorations. As the shining neon letters say outside on the wooden board above the club’s name, Hustler’s Ho, it promises a night of busty tricks and naughty chicks, and of course a special guest. Sasuke didn’t pay attention to the name, it is useless information anyways.
The waitresses are all beautiful women holding silver trays with glitter and fruity scented oils applied on their bodies and every time they move under the low dimmed lights to serve the customers, their smooth skins sparkle teasingly. The atmosphere is thick with cigarette smoke, but despite that, the room somehow smells good because of the enticing scents that come off from all the perfume the females of the club have put on.
Red velvet curtains hang from the ceiling at the left side of the club and make up for entrances to the changing rooms, while the bar and the bathrooms are at the right side of it. In the center of the room is the stage where the lights shine the most since the ceiling has a lot of spotlights in all kinds of colors there. The rest of the huge area is only provided with low dimmed lights and that makes the dancers at the stage stand out more. The walls are painted a dark pink color and it gives the room a sense of obscurity and raw sexuality.
Great amount of money gets thrown at the stage as the ladies entertain the crowd with their dancing skills either on the poles or on the floor. Excited shouts of more can be heard even from where the members of Team 7 are seated at the back of the club. The dancers are barely dressed in Sasuke’s opinion; too much skin is bared for the eyes to feast. He averts his eyes, a light blush dusting his cheeks.
A dark blonde girl is currently dancing, her back turned to the pole, her hands up in the air touching the steel above her head. She is moving her lower half sexily in fluid left and right motions, her hips rolling expertly. The girl is wearing purple lingerie with her hair up in a high ponytail, and money is stuck in all kind of places from the men who put it there. She keeps it professional, but her face still expresses the hidden erotic feelings she wants to convey.
Then, all of a sudden, the music slowly quiets down and a deep male voice comes from the speakers. “Thank you dear, you were amazing as always! Please, grab your money and clear the stage.”
Sasuke silently scoffs and rolls his eyes at this. He should really stop drinking, the alcohol is making him show his irritation and that is not a good thing when on a mission. He has to keep his face impassive, bring forth a cold facade. Especially when in that said mission, Sakura is not there to calm him down and Naruto only breathes to make it worse for him with his antics. Of course, Kakashi is nonchalant as always.
The crowd gets almost completely silent, only a few murmurs can be heard now, and the unknown voice continues. “Only today, we have a special guest dancing…”
Without warning, a swift sound gains the attention of everyone inside the room. It is a whoosh of air fluttering against hard yet soft and velvet material that signals that the curtains have just been opened. The whispers get a tad bit louder at this, but get lost when the raspy voice resonates through the room once again. “Now, gentlemen, prepare to meet tonight’s special guest, a beauty and an exotic flower among the ladies…”
The sound came from the left side of the club, near the back. Heels clanking against the floor in a steady rhythm and elegant manner are the only thing that can be heard. The steps are light and slow paced. It has a nice ring to it, the continuous clicking is pleasant to the ears and everyone is holding their breath in anticipation. The males of Team 7 hear loud gasps, watching as men are getting blown away by the mere sight of this special guest. Heads are turned, all the attention clearly diverted behind. The pace has a unique air of confidence that no one can quite put their finger on. The woman has a stealthy and powerful walking. A soft tune starts playing as an intro while the woman comes closer and closer to the stage.
The dancer narrows the distance between her and the stage as she takes painfully slow steps towards it or so it seems to the eager men. The shadow that still hovers near the area where Team 7 is –thanks to the somber and tricky lighting– hides her, until finally, a curvy form starts to appear as she comes forth to where the light is. Her silver, almost dark gray, stilettos are the first things that show. A few agonizingly and torturous seconds later, long legs and fair smooth skin come into view.
Naruto reacts first, an exclamation leaving his lips. It is not a sharp inhalation of amazement, but it is a loud gasp of shock. His blue eyes widen and there are hazy no more. Cold sweat forms on his forehead, and he is feeling like someone threw cold water on him to wake him up and bring him back to the harsh reality. It is definitely not an easy feat to astound the ninja who is known as the best at surprising people.
The voice resonates through the room once again and the male starts praising the newcomer dancer, “An exotic babe, outstanding with high class skills.” The announcement is over, and the music gets steadily louder while the special guest is one step away from the stage.
She just stands still with her back on the cheering crowd for a few seconds as if to bewitch the already elated men with her beauty. The young woman is posing sensually and it compliments her already perfect body. She is captivating in every sense. Her legs are long and toned while her tights are voluptuous and her rear is curvy. Her waist is slight bent and it makes her behind stand out even more. Her back sparkles teasingly thanks to the glittery substance that has been applied on her skin everywhere on her body. She lifts her left hand up to course it through her silky long locks while her right one is resting on her inner tight in a provocative pose.
That unmistakable pink hair belongs only to one person.
Kakashi feels his mouth hanging open inside his mask. This event took a very fast turn for the worst and he does not like the ending result at all. She is the last person he could think of going up there if you had asked him about it. He closes his eyes and hums quietly awaiting for the impeding doom waiting to happen.
Sasuke reacts not a second too late and his breath hitches. A flash of light blinds him and he blinks his eyes twice in response. The lighting must be playing tricks on him, because there is no fucking way this is Sakura ready to go up there. He freezes and his face goes rigid. His calculating yet beautiful onyx eyes widen and his naturally pouty lips part slightly in shock. A wave of cool air passes by him –probably someone activated a fan to create more special effects for such a unique guest– and it makes his soft black hair flutter in the wind. An intoxicating scent fills his senses and clouds every ounce of rationality within him.
The special guest goes up the stage, turns around and Sasuke can breathe no more.
“Please welcome, Misty Jade!”
Sasuke Uchiha, for the first time in years, sees red.
He might have become interested in her without noticing.
She was different, of course, she had pink hair and big and lively green eyes. But she was petite, and she carried herself a little behind the usual group. That’s not how he noticed her.
He noticed her when he bumped into her after running back home from his training with his older brother. Somewhere during his trip back home, a group of loud girls had spotted him and decided to chase after him. He was not pleased at all with the idea of dealing with a bunch of loud girls.
But turning around the corner, he seemed to be unable to avoid clashing with one.
Not loud intentionally, but loud because she didn’t expect to bump into someone either.
Shushing her by moving his hand towards her mouth on reflex, he pulled the girl away from view and waited for the footsteps of the group to fade.
Not noticing the way those big and lively eyes stared in awe at the cute boy holding her hostage.
She clutched her hands tight towards her chest as she felt her heart quicken its beats. She had never seen the young Uchiha so close before, and he hadn’t even glanced back at her that much.
But then he did, and her air caught up. He stared a few seconds, she seemed to start to heat up and he wondered if she would be alright after removing his small hand from her face.
She simply blinked, he simply raised one of his eyebrows.
“Sorry” he said shortly, quickly avoiding her curious eyes and directing his own towards the floor, he had heard something falling when they clashed.
Sakura was slowly brought back to present when she heard him speak. Her eyes following the boy as he picked up what had fallen from her arms.
“Is this your book?” he heard him ask, and she gasped as she took the item from his hand.
“Yes, thank you Sasuke-kun” she spoke at last, although letting him know she knew his name before even introducing himself, which made him realize he didn’t know hers.
“Um, what was your name?” smart, Sasuke, he thought. That would made her think he had known of her instead of being the only one who does not know his classmates’ names.
“Sakura, Sakura Haruno” she had calmed down her heartbeats but the blush was now threatening to reveal how embarrassed she was of speaking with him. She was feeling self-conscious since a while now, but the boy in front of her had suddenly had something attracting his attention as a new presence neared them.
“I see, so, Sakura, please come with me” Sakura’s eyes widened once more as she felt herself being mangled around by the boy.
Soon after she noticed too, footsteps and giggles echoing in the narrow passageway both Sasuke and her exited through the other side. She supposed Sasuke-kun surely disliked attention but she also couldn’t help but feel a little giddy inside seeing as she was the one stuck with him by choice.
Because, he could have just left her there, couldn’t he?
Glancing at the boy leading their way, she noticed his focused gaze as he continued to hold her small wrist.
She averted her eyes to avoid dwelling into it and becoming red faced. In the process, noticing the small path she used to follow towards the small lake. A small corner in which she used to read peacefully. Without really intending to do so, she stopped and made Sasuke be pulled back.
“Wha—”
“Here, they never come here” she said as she took the role now and lead him towards the grown path of grass, greenery reaching to the height of their small chests, shadowed by really bushy and green trees surrounding the area.
Sasuke was skeptical, since what he really wished was a way to return back home, but he figured he still had time before his curfew and those girls would surely find something else to entertain themselves in short time.
He let himself be guided by Sakura, somehow curious about this secret passage and the way this girl seemed to know her way around the area. She blended so naturally between the greenery and bright natural colors, her hair glowing and flowing with the natural light and air of the summer day.
He was still the one holding onto her, she simply led the way seemingly unaffected by his touch and he suddenly felt self-conscious. Why was he holding on to a girl?
He couldn’t dwell much into that detail because the second right after he heard her telling him they had arrived.
Looking up he saw the small cave a few steps afar from them, beneath a really old tree leaning towards the luminous lake. He let go of her and she run towards her hideaway. Book in hand, she left a trace of her small feet on the soft dirt ground. Completely out of sight of everything up hill, she smiled back at him when she had taken a seat under the small gap the cave allowed for a tiny person like her, and maybe also him.
Compared to his first impression, she was now glowing; surrounded by this soothing and natural atmosphere, she was even flipping the pages of her book now at ease. He blinked a few times, taking in the surroundings because one can’t simply be too cautious. But, after noticing they were really down hill and at a blind sight from up, he approached once more.
Sakura seemed to be expectant of his thoughts about her secret spot, so she was staring at him with an excited smile. He decided to ignore her bright eyes and instead distract himself from the uncalled heat that had started to burn in his ears by looking at the book she was flipping through.
“What is your book about?”
“It’s a story book. My dad brought it from one of his trips to Iron” she took the bait and instead continued to excitedly tell him all about the book that held so much history about the Iron country. She also told him about how his father liked to collect different storybooks for her, all from different places and she enjoyed adventure stories the most. How the hero saved the citizens, how he battled many enemies, his special techniques, and some jutsus were even thought through the book. That particular point picked the boy’s interest.
“That is really cool, have you learned it?”
“Oh” Sasuke watched how Sakura’s radiant light gradually faded “well I don’t have anyone to practice it with, my friends don’t seem that interested in books and the likes”.
“Why not?” this time Sasuke burrowed his brow, he could never understand girls. So far, Sakura seemed much different from the rest. Sure, she was petite and seemed just as fragile; but she was also curious and brilliant. And he kind of liked it, she was easy to be with, interesting even.
“Well, they like making themselves look prettier and cooler”.
“What is so cool about fixing hair and giggling all the time? I think you are cooler” before he could help himself, he spoke his mind. He was a little absent recalling the times his brother came home from a mission and told him about his adventures. He enjoyed that, and he was glad he had found someone that enjoyed and admired the same things like him.
The wind blew letting the trees make a fresh lullaby as it caressed their blushing faces, having realized the secret thoughts that had been shared without noticing.
In the peaceful hideaway of summer memories, both of them had found a partner who would have their backs.
So, because everything is on fire, I offer up arranged words for your entertainment in the hope of receiving small positive regards.
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The first letter had come from Suna. Not surprising really with how closely they and the Leaf had become over time. But over months requests started to pour in from the other Allied villages, as well as civillian villages from nearly every country. Hospitals and Med-Nin asking advice, researchers wanting to collaborate, doctors seeking news on new techniques.
The rest of Team 7 had only heard about this, of course, about a month ago when Ino had apparently let it slip while scolding Naruto for some behavior on his latest trip to the hospital. At the next team meal Naruto and Kakashi had nearly interrogated her: How long had she been getting these requests? Who were they from? What did they want? What did that mean? What had she said?
He'd smiled as she tried to answer all of their questions pride swelling in his chest.
When he'd returned after the war he'd been relieved to learn that some things hadn't changed in that Naruto and Sakura were still as talkative, caring, and unstoppably optimistic as ever. They had insisted on setting up time to spend together even if only for a meal or two a month around busy schedules. On one of the first nights it was just he and Sakura he had been happy and slightly awed to find that Sakura was a depth of good conversation.
As a gennin, talking to Sakura outside of life and death strategizing had been grating at best, but those "conversations" had mostly consisted of Sakura trying to fill his silence with enough words for the both of them. He figured out long ago that when Sakura was nervous she babbled about whatever popped into her head, as opposed to himself who had the tendency to clam up.
Now, Sakura wasn't trying to impress anyone and he wasn't trying to push everyone away so they were able to begin to mend and build their broken bond. She always had something new to discuss from current political information between the villages to genjutsu scenarios. It was thrilling to watch her speak with passion and excitement about medicine or her research. Sasuke had found reson to renew his studies of the sciences to have topics or questions for the next time he saw her.
When he had left to travel she had asked to go with him. Had he not anticipated her request he might have agreed, but he'd thought a long time about how he wanted to see the world for himself with no ulterior motives, to find out who he really was after years of being led astray.
She had been disappointed but understood. She always understood.
When he'd returned to the village he'd sought her out before being sure that he'd made the decision to do so. She's been so plainly excited, grinning from ear to ear, and had rushed to embrace him. They had never held eachother for so long outside of battle. Physical contact to convey positive emotions wasn't something Sasuke was terribly comfortable with, and to her credit Sakura had grown to respect that as much as someone as open with their displays as her could. None of their friends were around and anyone else who might have been nearby faded from their attention.
Sakura had wrapped her arms around his middle and given a good squeeze. Holding on for just a little longer than one of her usual Sasuke hugs and had begun to loosen her hold when Sasuke had surprised them both by sliding his hand from the back of her opposite shoulder to the back of her head.
Their difference in height had increaed since he'd left Sasuke'd noted with some pride before using the advantage to tuck her head under his chin. He'd felt her hands rise to grasp at the cloth over his shoulder blades as he pressed his hand and face into her hair. Heart pounding he'd been relieved to feel what had remained of his homesickness even after passing through the village gates finally vanish.
After his second return they'd quickly fallen into a pattern of spending nearly all their free time together. They studied old texts and wrote out ideas they had that might help Kakashi. They practiced Genjutsu and Ninjutsu techniques, and worked out new Taijutsu combinations. Sakura taught him some basic healing jutsu (or as she joked how not to lose any more limbs if she happened to not be around) and Sasuke taught her how to use and care for his hawks.
They had been that way for the last six months until Team seven had found out about her requests. After that meal Sakura had by no means retreated from him or anyone else, but he had noticed she seemed to have less free time then before.
Three nights ago, at their monthly team dinner, she'd told them why.
She had thought about what they had said, about the letters she had been getting, and about how she'd always wanted to travel and see the world but due to her responsibilities never got the chance outside of missions. So she had decided to travel and meet the people who had correspond with her, to see the world for herself.
When she'd first talked about the letters Sasuke had admittedly been the slightest bit hurt that she'd never mentioned them to him but not the least bit surprised. Sakura didn't draw much attention to her achievements, and what decent doctor wouldn't want to have contact with one of the foremost experts in their field. But when she'd said she was leaving, would be traveling the world for an indeterminate amount of time he felt like one of the stars he used to navigate the night sky was disappearing.
He understood, of course.
He understood more than most that Sakura deserved to explore and define herself beyond the village walls. The world was a beatiful place that people deserved to see for themselves. And above all she would be helping people, what Sasuke had long determined in his mind as her one true calling.
She had been working with Shizune and Kakashi to shift her workload to others who could handle some of her duties in her absence.
She would be leaving by the end of the week.
Naruto, and surprisingly Sai, had been been terribly happy to hear of her decision. Sasuke had tried his best to be encouraging through his shock. Kakashi sat with his eye crinkling with a wash of fatherly pride before Naruto began to fret over her safety. Yes, the world could be a dangerous place, Sasuke agreed, but Sakura was more than capable. Sasuke was more worried about what he would do once she left.
This was just another way in which Sakura exuded strength while he was weak. How many times had she had to watch him walk away from the light, away from their home, away from whatever possibilities there might be for them? While he couldn't stand the idea of watching her walk out of his life, even just for a while.
For years now she had been waiting; for him to return, to be ready, to bridge the distance that still lay between them. She was content to be his friend and support but he knew he didn't just want friendship when he thought about this place without her and knew it wasn't home.
That's what had led him to her door less than two days before she planned to depart. He didn't think he was strong enough to face an unknown amount of time without her. It was up to him to bridge the distance and let her know that. But it had still taken him days to work himself up to it, plus he'd been outside her apartment for half an hour shifting his weight from foot to foot with his hand baried at the bottom of his pocket.
He thought he was probably going to have to work on that.
He knocked and waited. Soon enough he heard her stepping across the wooden floor to answer. Her curious expression jumping to a beaming smile as she opened the door.
"Sasuke-kun! Hey, come on in! I wasn't expecting anyone this late, but I'm glad you're here! I was going to track you down tomorrow so this saves some time. I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about the terrain and weather patterns in some of the places you said you'd traveled? Oh, I'll be right back."
She disappeared down the hallway to her bedroom leaving him to close the door and slip off his sandles. As he took a few steps inside the apartment he took in the disarray. Tomes, open scrolls, and loose paper were spread across every surface they could be. Clothing, piled according to a mystery system, had taken over the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. And a large map and openned letters covered her small dinning table.
Sasuke had seen what happened when Sakura got carried away with research, but this was a bit...amplified.
As he took it all in Sakura returned with what looked like more letters.
"Okay, so, Dr. Ironi said that the best way to travel in that area of Iwa in the Fall was to go along the North side of the .....
Sasuke?"
"Huh? Yeah, that's the best way to go."
"Are you okay?"
Sasuke was pretty sure he wasn't with his heart hammering and his stomach fluttering. He couldn't seem to maintain eye contact with her and his hand had retreated into his pocket.
"I, uh, I wanted to ask you something, too." Sasuke managed before he needed to swallow.
Sakura's interest was piqued and she waited quietly as he mulled his lips together.
Sasuke cleared his throat. "I was wondering...Sakura... would you take me with you?"
He chanced a glance up and took in Sakura's shell-shocked expression. His ears were on fire and his mouth was completely dry. He couldn't stop his eyes from meeting hers every few seconds to watch her emotions play out across her face.
After a few moments he saw she had resolved to an answer. He was almost certain, and all his evidence, oointed to her agreeing but that didn't make him any less nervous at the possibility she would say no.
Their eyes met again and Sakura took a few steps forward until they were standing directly in front of each other. She licked her lips and took a breath before answering.
"On one condition."
Sasuke's breath caught as Sakura raised her right hand between them, his eyes falling shut as the her pointer and middle finger connected with the center of his forehead.
"Tell me what this means."
Sasuke breathed a shaky sigh, relieved and met her eyes.
