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[Prologue]Sakura kept her eyes closed, even as she listened intently to the older male lying next to her on the soft bed. His arms wrapped around her from behind, and his nose was pressed into her spine. She could feel his breathing slowly beginning to grow calmer and more uniform, unlike the ragged, sharp breaths he had been taking before. Experimentally shifting slightly, she noted that he kept inhaling and exhaling at the same pace. Good, he was asleep.Quietly and smoothly, she freed herself from his grasp and rolled lightly off the king-sized mattress. Their clothes were scattered around the room, and so Sakura tiptoed across the floorboards, daintily picking up her underwear and bra, which had been strewn over the sofa lying in the corner.A cool breeze drifted across her naked skin, cooling the sweat still plastered on it. Shivering slightly, she looked up at the open window. It was a beautiful night tonight, with the moon casting a serene glow over everything in the room. She turned her gaze to the figure lying in the bed she had just left. Under the moonlight, his exposed skin glowed a angelic silver, matching his white hair. It highlighted his features just right, showing his delicately sculpted facial structure, and toned abdomen.Wistfully, Sakura sighed to herself. She wanted nothing more than to climb back into bed with the man, to sleep peacefully in his embrace and perhaps even have a repeat performance of what had happened just an hour ago, but she had work to do. Pulling on the slip of a dress she had been wearing before, the pink-haired young woman padded softly to the door of the room, stopping only to pick up her small backpack and sling it over her shoulder. She paused for a moment, casting a last glance back at the sleeping male on the bed before she continued down the hall.Fishing through her small backpack as she walked, Sakura's fingers finally found what she had been looking for. She pulled out a small black earpiece from the bag and clicked it online, practically stuffing it in her ear."Madara?" She asked quietly, glancing back down the hall to make sure no one else was awake. "Can you hear me?"A deep male voice came crackling back through the earpiece. "I can hear you, Sakura. Is Tobirama asleep?""He's asleep. I just left his bed and I'm in the hallway now," Sakura said."Good."There was a moment of silence, during which the only sound was her soft footsteps on the padded carpets of the large house she was in.Sakura frowned, despite knowing Madara couldn't see her. "Madara, why am I still sleeping with Tobirama? I've gotten you all of his and Hashirama's financial information, recent contacts, incriminating photos. Don't you have everything you need to stop him from being voted in as the next King?""I'd rather be safe than sorry," Madara responded, a hint of frost in his voice. "I need to be completely sure that the people will choose me as their King instead of him.""Are you sure that's all it is? Because to me it seems like it's personal," she said bitterly. "Don't tell me you're doing this because of Izuna.""Tobirama killed Izuna, but I'm not doing this because of that. I'm doing this for us," Madara protested. "Look, Sakura. You've never lived anything more than an illegal lifestyle. Once I'm King, you'll be Queen, and then we'll live happily ever after in a gilded palace."Sakura didn't respond for a moment, but then laughed dryly. "Alright, then. What do you want me to do this time? More photos?"The man on the other side of their connection didn't laugh as well. "I need you to kill Hashirama."She didn't even pause. "No. No way, Madara. You said you weren't making this personal, but you are.""It's not personal. I just need to be sure."Her voice grew slightly louder as she spoke back through her earpiece. "Yes it is personal. Tobirama took your brother, and now you want to take his!""Please just trust me. I know what I'm doing," Madara said calmingly.Sakura ran a hand through her long pink hair, unconsciously trying to make herself appear more presentable. "I know you do, but…""I love you."She let out a long sigh, knowing there was no way she wouldn't eventually give in. "Just… have a getaway car ready outside.""I will," Madara said, his voice coming in a last, comforting rumble, before he ended the transmission.Sakura rubbed her eyes tiredly, as she removed the earpiece from her ear and dropped it back in her backpack. Madara was an ass sometimes, but was also her partner. They'd been working together in the illegal arts for at least four years now, ever since that night he had caught her red-handed. She chuckled to herself as she travelled further down the hallway, her right hand trailing along the wall. Madara was right, she would need to trust him.Carefully placing one foot in front of the other, Sakura kept silently walking. There were no windows in the narrow space, the only light coming from the cracks beneath doors, but she didn't need her vision, having already noted down where Hashirama's bedroom was in her previous visits. It was exactly 7 rooms down from Tobirama's; close enough that they could still reach each other, but far enough away that the multiple walls provided soundproofing for whatever the two brothers decided to do each night.Reaching her destination, she soundlessly cracked open the door and slipped inside. In here, there was finally enough light for her to be able to see the sleeping figure on the bed. Hashirama slept much like his younger brother, the sheets bunched up at his waist, and his upper body exposed to the night air. Where Tobirama's hair was a stark white though, Hashirama's warm brown locks were spread all over his pillow.Moving through the shadows of the room like a wraith, Sakura soon found herself standing at the foot of his bed. She swung her backpack off one shoulder, so that she could hold it in front of her, and with her left hand she drew out a pistol. The cold metal gleamed in the moonlight, and her finger rested lightly on the trigger. She knew she should just pull it and be done with everything, but the young woman hesitated.Sakura pointed the barrel straight at Hashirama's brain, knowing that she could aim just as well with her left hand as her right. Her fingers itched on the trigger, but still she held herself back. Could she really do this? Kill a man who had no connection to her in cold blood?"Sakura. Put your hands in the air and drop the gun, or I'll splatter your brains over the wall," Tobirama snarled from behind her.For some insane reason, Sakura felt relieved for a split second.She chuckled. "That would be a hassle for the housekeeper, wouldn't it," she said, unclenching the muscles of her left hand to let the pistol drop to the floor with a loud clatter."Hands above your head," Tobirama ordered coldly. "And now spin around to face me, slowly."Sakura did as he had told her to, uncurling both hands to show her empty palms to Tobirama."Good." He reached out with the hand not pointing a gun at her head, and grabbed her bicep tightly. Yanking her harshly towards him, so that she stood flush in front of him, her back against his chest, he led her out of his brother's bedroom. Sakura almost chuckled softly, realizing what an odd mimicry this was of the way they had been sleeping before. There difference being, of course, the cold metal barrel of a gun pressing into the back of her skull.Surprisingly enough, Hashirama hadn't even stirred throughout the whole exchange, and still rested peacefully in his bed. If not for the slow rise and fall of his chest, Sakura might even have convinced herself that she had succeeded in her mission."So how'd you know what I was going to do?" Sakura asked casually, as if this was just a normal meeting for them.Tobirama didn't respond, and she rolled her eyes. "C'mon, don't you wanna gloat?""I've woken up a few times now, to notice you were missing from my bed, only to be back in the morning," Tobirama said emotionlessly. "I never really trusted you, so I pretended to fall asleep tonight.""Oh, my skills are degrading then. I definitely thought you were asleep," Sakura mused."I overheard you saying something about it being personal. That I had taken someone's brother, and that they wanted to kill mine.""Mhm," Sakura said, nodding in agreement. "I shouldn't have lost my temper."Tobirama continued to march her through the large mansion, and simply pressed the gun tighter against her head. "You won't even get a trial. You're going straight to jail."Sakura didn't show any signs of being upset. "Meh. It's only two years, less if my friend gets me out sooner."The white-haired man holding her snorted gracefully. "Attempted murder will keep you in prison for a lot longer than two years.""I'm 17 actually.""Of course you would've lied about that as well. A minor, huh," Tobirama snarled. "Who's your powerful friend then?"By now, they had reached the lobby of the building, and already Sakura could hear sirens wailing outside. She wondered when Tobirama had called them, considering his two hands had never left his gun and her arm."Madara Uchiha! You might know him," Sakura answered brightly.She could feel Tobirama's hand instinctively clench harder around her upper arm when she mentioned the man."Madara Uchiha has no power to help you," he stated coldly. "And I'm disgusted that I just slept with one of his whores."Sakura didn't react to his insult, instead smiling happily, even as they reached a waiting police car and the officer opened the door for them. "He can when he's the King!"Tobirama froze for a single moment, before he swore loudly and pushed her into the police car, climbing in beside her.He gripped her arm even harder, and Sakura knew it would leave a bruise. "What did you do? What did you find, you little bitch?""Hmm, not much," Sakura responded, grinning. "Only all of your financial information and enough incriminating photos to ensure both of you will never receive any type of government position."Tobirama's eyes flared, their crimson colour becoming even darker as he stared at the young woman sitting next to him."Why?" He demanded. "Hashirama would've made a good King. Madara will only use the power for his own gain."Sakura winced as Tobirama dug his hand into her skin even deeper, but in a sing-song voice said, "but Madara loooves me!"The white-haired man sitting in the car with her was unnaturally serious as he replied, "Madara doesn't love anyone."The ride to the only prison in Konoha wasn't a very long one, mostly due to the fact that it was located smack-dab in the middle of the capital city. Prisoners from all over the nation were sent to the prison, Sakura knew, and supposedly no one had ever managed to escape the secure facility. She spent the entire drive whistling gaily, knowing that Madara would get her out anyways. Because he was Madara Uchiha, and once he was King he would have the legal power to clear her of any and all crimes.As the police officer finally pulled up next to a tall, barbed wire fence, and gestured for the two of them to get out, Sakura examined what would be her home for at least the next few weeks.It was a drab, concrete building in the middle of the large, fenced off field, and on the outside seemed about the size of an average house. However, Sakura knew that almost all of the prison was located underground, which had spawned its nickname of 'the pit'. The cells were completely modernized, and arranged about a hundred per floor. Supposedly, the floor you were put on indicated the severity of your crime, with the lowest floor reserved for only the worst criminals. Strangely enough, it sparked Sakura's excitement, and she found herself wondering what floor she would be assigned to.Tobirama nudged her in the back, having moved his pistol from her skull to behind her heart. "Move."She acquiesced, strolling through the only opening in the fence and into the open, grassy area of the prison compound. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed a sign hanging on a portion of the fence, reading 'Warning: High Voltage Electric Wire'. Sakura huffed in disbelief. She doubted anyone stupid enough to touch the fence would receive a simple, small little shock.Two police officers came to surround her on both sides, with Tobirama still behind her, and like that, she was paraded across the large field and into the entrance of the prison facility."Hey! You there, get this girl a prison uniform," one of her officers yelled to a nearby worker in the building.The man who he had called to, grumbled, but produced a bright orange jumpsuit from within a large basket of clothes.Sakura shook her head in horror and sighed loudly. "That is going to clash so badly with my hair. Do you guys have any other colours?"The police officer to her right rolled his eyes and stuffed the jumpsuit in her face. "Put it on.""Here?" Sakura asked, looking around the large space they were in. It seemed the aboveground portion of the prison building had no walls or dividers at all, and was just a single, spacious room. They were in the corner of the room closest to the door, surrounded by baskets filled with prison uniforms. In the other corners, she could see a mugshot station, a desk, and a single spiraling staircase, most likely leading down to 'the pit'. It wasn't necessarily crowded, but there were still a good amount of people, both soon-to-be inmates and uniformed officers.Tobirama finally removed his hand from her arm, and looked around as well. "I don't see why not," he said mockingly.Grumbling, Sakura grabbed the offered clothing, and shrugged away from the gun still pointed at her back. Not caring for modesty in the slightest, she slipped out of the green nightclub dress she had been wearing, and stood there half-naked, covered only by her underwear and bra.Behind her, she could practically feel Tobirama's red eyes burning into her skin, and so she took her time stepping into the orange jumpsuit. Almost teasingly, she pulled it over her exposed skin, inch-by-inch.Suddenly Sakura frowned, looking down at her bare feet. "Hey, can I get a pair of shoes?"A pair of plain, white sneakers was shoved into her face. The pink-haired girl smiled sweetly. "Thanks."Her bicep, still sore from Tobirama's harsh grip, was suddenly encased once again. She stumbled, as the man pushed her towards the mugshot station she had seen earlier. As she protested futilely, Tobirama shoved his pistol back against her head. The two officers on either side of her ignored them.All too soon, Sakura was holding an ugly, cardboard sign, and a photographer was snapping a picture of her. She smiled straight at the camera, determined to at least look nice in her mugshot, even if her jumpsuit was atrocious."Done," the photographer announced. The two police officers grabbed her, with one holding her wrists together behind her back, and the other steering her by the shoulders towards the corner of the room which contained the spiral staircase."Wait! Wait!" Sakura yelled, struggling with her feet to stop their movement. As her captors paused momentarily, she turned her head to look at Tobirama, who was standing by the door, watching as she got taken away.She blew a kiss towards the white-haired man. "I had a good time with you," she called back. He didn't respond, but Sakura thought she saw a glimpse of hurt pass through his eyes.They continued towards the staircase, and within moments she was being forced down the steps, one at a time. Sakura turned back a last time, but Tobirama was out of sight.As the three of them reached the bottom of the staircase, and a view opened up before them, Sakura couldn't help but be impressed. The prison had been aptly nicknamed, since it really seemed like a pit.They were currently standing at the upper level, but from here she could see how every single level was shaped almost like a donut, each one stacked on top of the one below. The prison cells lined the walls of every floor in a large circle, and as she was marched towards the edge of the platform they were currently on and into an elevator, she looked down. The center of the prison center was a seemingly bottomless pit, with elevators lining the edge."Which floor are we going to?" Sakura asked the officers beside her, as the elevator started to clunkily move downwards.The police officer to her right didn't respond, but the other one did after a few moments. "We just got orders from someone to put you on the lowest level of the pit."She frowned thoughtfully. A single attempted murder by a minor shouldn't've been enough to land her in the lowest levels, which were mostly reserved for mass murderers and terrorists. She was just a thief, an extraordinarily good thief, but a thief nonetheless. Perhaps it was due to Tobirama and Hashirama's influence?Her emerald green eyes carefully studied the two guards next to her. They both had silky black hair and black eyes, their uniforms pristine and unwrinkled, which signified officers of a relatively high class."Just out of curiosity," she asked, "are you two part of the Uchiha family?"The two taller males looked down at her. "Yes," the one on the left answered.Sakura almost breathed a sigh of relief, and she smiled happily. "Did Madara send you to get me out of prison?"Her guards didn't respond, still staring unreadably down at her. She cocked her head. "Well?"The one on the right slowly licked his lips before finally speaking up. "Madara sent us to make sure you stay in prison."Blood rushed to her head in that moment, and Sakura's eyes widened. She kicked out at one of the guards, while attempting to knock the other one over as she leaned all her weight back into him. The man who had just spoken reacted instantly though, catching her around the waist and throwing her over his shoulder before her kick could even land. The elevator doors slid open, and she was carried out.The guard carrying her, the one who had said that Madara had betrayed her, walked painfully slowly. Futilely, she tried to aim a punch at his head, but he caught it with his free hand."Madara didn't say anything about making sure you stayed unharmed, so I strongly recommend you stop fighting little girl," he snarled coldly, even as he twisted her wrist painfully. Sakura winced.The other guard who wasn't carrying her, pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked a cell door."She can go in with the bomber," he said, nodding at the opened cell. Unceremoniously, Sakura was bodily tossed onto the hard, metal floor of the prison cell, and she heard the door being locked behind her.Her side hurt from the impact, but she rushed towards the door of the cell. Holding onto the bars with both hands, she looked out at the two Uchiha police officers."Tell Madara," she hissed. "To go fuck himself."They left wordlessly, not acknowledging her, and Sakura slumped to the floor, resigning herself to the fact that she was in prison. She was in prison because Madara fucking Uchiha had betrayed her. She wasn't sure how, or why, but he had, and now her freedom had been taken away."I fucking hate Uchiha bastards," she muttered to herself. "Especially hot ones, who work with you for four years, and then selfishly leave you to rot in a jail. This is all so that he doesn't risk me exposing him, isn't it? I got caught, and now he needs me to be left in a jail cell for a few years so that the public knows nothing of what he's done."From further in the cell, she heard someone laugh. "Is that how you got here? I must say, I hate the Uchiha too."Spinning around to face the stranger, Sakura realized this must be the 'bomber' her guards had been talking about. She laughed out loud, he looked like a girl. The man was about the same age as her, but his hair was a long, pretty blond, worn half-up and half-down. His eyes were a pretty blue, and for just a moment, she was reminded of a young girl she had known many, many years ago."You're the bomber?" She asked."Deidara, at your service," he said, mockingly bowing, as he stood up to move nearer to her. Sakura stood up as well."So what did you bomb?"He smirked. "Nothing much, just half of Iwagakure."Sakura whistled. Iwagakure was a large country to the west of Konoha, and she knew it was well known for being the most militaristic of the five nations which made up the Allied Nations. They undoubtedly had many, many anti-terrorism protocols in place."Impressive," she complimented. "How'd you get caught?"Deidara nodded at her. "An Uchiha caught me. Uchiha Itachi. Hate his guts."Sakura raised an eyebrow. "He must be talented. How come I've never heard of him? I've met most of the high-ranking Uchiha by now."The blond rolled his eyes. "He used to work for Madara Uchiha - the guy you were ranting about - but then supposedly some big, horrible thing happened, and he ran away. Went criminal."She chuckled. "Most of the Uchiha would technically be criminals by now if they didn't have so much influence in the government," she said, rolling her eyes. "How long have you been here?"Deidara seemed to think about it for a moment. "Half a year, or something like that. I get out in another 18 months. I was a minor when I bombed the place, which is why I fled from Iwagakure to Konohagakure. Prison sentence here is easy on minors."Sakura nodded pensively, and then spoke with finality. "Well, then. Since I'm going to have to see your face anyways for the next year and a half… go away. I need time to think."The young man grumbled but walked to the other side of the cell. "Trust me, you'll have more than enough time to think."Sakura settled herself down for a long - a very, very long - wait.
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[Chapter 1]“Alright, you’re free to go,” the officer said carelessly, handing her a small bag. Sakura raised an eyebrow at it.“All your previous belongings,” he explained, already turning away to go help someone else. She smirked and took the bag, opening it to find only the slutty, green dress she had come into the prison with. Well that just wouldn’t do.The pink-haired young woman whistled a nameless melody as she strolled out of the building and into the sunlight. She was free again. It had been two years, two long years, filled with hundreds of different emotions, but she was finally free again. She flashed a peace sign to the guard standing unmoving by the only opening in the fence, and he scowled darkly back. She stood before him for a few moments as he checked her credentials, and Sakura humorously realized that this was the guard she had made a fool of a few weeks after her prison sentence had begun. Well, she mused, it was really his own fault, for not paying better attention to the high-security prisoner he was guarding. She smiled sweetly at him before continuing on happily to the prison compound’s parking lot.Looking around, Sakura quickly noted down every car parked around her, before her eyes finally caught sight of a Lamborghini tucked away in the corner of the lot. She grinned widely. That would do perfectly.The car was a sleek silver, and had a conveniently left open retractable-hood. The owner really should’ve known better than to leave such an obvious little prize like that unattended in a prison parking lot of all places. Humming to herself as she climbed over the locked doors and into the car, Sakura yanked on a corner of the dashboard, watching with satisfaction as it tore off as easily as a band-aid. She’d been taught how to hot-wire cars when she was four, for goodness sake, it was like second nature by now. Her deft fingers unwrapped the plastic coverings of two of the wires and crossed them over each other. Perfect, that would short-circuit the security system of the car.Sakura allowed herself a single moment to bask in satisfaction for a job well done, before she shifted the car into rear mode, and pressed the pedal to the floor. Time to fly. The tires of her new car squeaked against the asphalt as she made several dangerous turns out of the parking lot and onto the nearby highway.The wind rustled her hair as she drove. It was about mid-back length by now, much longer than it had been when she entered the prison. Removing one hand from the steering wheel to run it through her locks, Sakura decided that she first thing she really needed to invest in was better shampoo. The prison had only offered harsh, chemical bars of soap for the inmates to wash themselves with, and it really didn’t do much for the softness of a girl’s hair. She sighed as she turned off the highway and into one of the richer districts of Konoha. Not that she had much time to be vain, there was still so much to do.With one hand on the steering wheel, the pink-haired girl pulled a relatively new phone from under her bra. She’d stolen it earlier from the unobservant police officer who had released her, and there really had been no better place to hide it. She stared down in distaste at the green nightclub dress she was wearing. Why couldn’t they offer dresses with pockets?Shaking off her wandering thoughts, Sakura quickly typed in a phone number with her right hand and hit ‘dial’.After a few moments the call went through, and a voice picked up.“Hello. This is the voicemail of Kakashi Hatake, please leave a message at the beep,” a male’s voice drawled.Sakura rolled her eyes. “Kakashi, I know you’re there.”Despite his eccentric personality, Sakura knew Kakashi was probably the best information-dealer in the entire five-nations. He traded secrets with a skill Sakura had never seen before, and he was always intimately aware of practically every single illegal act happening at the moment.“Beep,” Kakashi responded, mimicking the sound of an answering machine.“Kakashi,” she whined. “I need to meet up with you.”The man sighed loudly, and she could hear the rustling of papers in the background. “Alright. I’ll be free next Friday at noon. Does that work for you?”The stoplight in front of her turned green, and Sakura drove past the intersection, turning into a large mall parking lot. “Well actually, I’m already here. How does two-pm today sound?”“No. Nope. Not happening. I have plans for today, Sakura!”“Like what? Watching porn?” “You say that like it’s a bad thing! I’ll have you know, porn is very informative,” Kakashi said.“Well I just drove all the way up here to see you, and I won’t be very happy if you turn me down. You of all people should know that I’m not a very pleasant person when I’m unhappy,” she responded, letting just the tiniest bit of frost leak into her otherwise joking words.There was a moment of tense silence, before Sakura practically heard the silver-haired man on the other side of the connection drooping in exasperation. “Fine. But only because you’re my favourite pink-haired brat. I’ll see you at two in the usual place.”“Great!” She ended the call, and climbed out of her stolen car. She didn’t bother closing the door, knowing that if someone stole it then she’d just steal an even nicer one. There was that classy Mercedes-Benz near the entrance of the parking lot she’d seen when she’d drove in. It would do.The inside of the mall was expensively decorated, with marble floors and classical music drifting from the loudspeakers. There were displays lining every shop wall, with most of them consisting of lavish fur coats and shimmering pieces of jewelry. Sakura walked slowly across the main floor, feeling out of place in her slutty green dress, compared to the classily dressed shoppers around her. Judging by what time she had been let out of the prison, it was about one right now, which gave her plenty of time before her meeting with Kakashi. He had an annoying tendency to be at least two hours late to every single meeting, and over the years Sakura had grown used to it. Perhaps her first order of business should be to get a few nice pieces of clothing. She’d always loved expensive things, afterall.There was a charming jewelry shop on the second floor of the mall, and Sakura strolled inside, ignoring the odd looks she was getting from everyone around her.The thing about shoplifting, was that it all relied on your confidence. In the end, it didn’t matter how quickly or smoothly you could slide an item into your pockets, or how well you had planned for every situation. When stealing an item, it always came down to if you looked guilty or not. Oh, and of course making the store attendant like you. Sakura was very good at that part.“Hello, can I help you ma’am?” A male worker asked, as she walked up to him.She smiled politely, and eyed his neatly ironed tie and shirt. He was definitely new on the job, no person who worked at a mall every day of the week for at least ten hours would spend so much effort to make themselves appear presentable every morning. That would definitely work in her favour. “Actually, I’d like to try on that beautiful ring over there,” she said, pointing to one of the extravagant rings behind a glass display. “The one with the large diamond on it.”“Of course. I’ll get it for you.” He reached over, and retrieving a key from one of his pant pockets, opened the case. He took out the one she had pointed at and held it up for her. “This one?” “Oh yes! You don’t mind if I try it on do you?” Sakura smiled brightly at him.The worker bit his lip. “Um, actually ma’am our store has a policy which prevents shoppers from wearing any of our pieces. So that they don’t get dirtied.”She pretended to look disappointed. “Oh, that’s annoying. You see, I came here with my fiance, and we’re looking to find the perfect rings. It looks perfect, but I just want to make sure it fits, you know?”Sakura could practically see the indecision in the attendant's eyes. Let her try on the ring and break store policy on his very first day of work, or possibly ruin a wedding and happy marriage?“Well… that is quite a special occasion. I suppose I could let you try it on just this once,” he said hesitantly.She squealed and leaned over the glass display to wrap her arms around the worker. He blushed, and she supposed it was mostly due to the dress she was currently wearing. “Thank you so much, that’s wonderful!”Sakura slipped the ring onto her fourth finger, marvelling at how it glimmered in the light. “How does it look?” She asked the male across from her.“I-I th-think it looks gre-great,” he stammered, still blushing.“I’ll be right back! I need to show this to my fiance,” she said brightly. The worker nodded mutely, and so Sakura skipped away, having no plans at all to come back.She wandered the mall for the next few hours in a similar style, stealing expensive articles of clothing right under the noses of the oblivious employees. By four pm, two hours after her scheduled meeting with Kakashi was supposed to have happened, Sakura was decked out luxuriously. She wore a metallic silver versace dress, with a handcrafted leather jacket over it. Her feet were covered by heeled, black platform boots, and on her ears hung the most obnoxious possible 24-karat gold earrings.Which is why nearby shoppers were probably quite surprised when Sakura strode into a small porn shop at the very back of the mall. It was the type of place any respectably wealthy person would never dare enter, and especially in a high-end mall like this one, the shoppers avoided it like the plague. Which, of course, only made it all the more perfect for Kakashi to work from.She peered around the aisles filled with books and dvds, and seeing no one else in the store, apart from a plastic mannequin behind the counter, she picked up a book. With boredom, and possibly the slightest hint of curiosity, she slowly flipped through the pages. It was titled “Icha Icha Paradise”, and while it really was mostly smut, there was a tiny bit of plot if you squinted. Sakura kept reading, casually leaning against one of the bookshelves.“Up in the security units, word was buzzing around for at least a year that one of the inmates almost managed to escape ‘the pit’. I assume that was your doing, seeing as how you have absolutely no patience?” A male voice drawled from behind her.Sakura smiled sweetly and set down the book she had been looking at, intentionally placing it in the wrong spot on the shelf.The man peering down at her had a mass of gravity-defying silver hair, which while most certainly not natural, also didn’t look gelled. One of his eyes was covered by an eyepatch, but the faint traces of a scar could be seen from behind it. Kakashi was an odd man, both appearance and personality-wise.She looked down at her watch -- another stolen artifact -- and chuckled a bit as she met Kakashi’s gaze. “You’re only three hours late. You must be excited to see me.”The silver-haired man gave her only an eye-crinkle in return. “Of course not, I just want to hear what your master plan is,” he said lightly.Sakura shrugged. “Why would you even assume I have one.”“I heard about the Madara thing. I’m sorry,” Kakashi said, ignoring her previous words. Suddenly, he seemed awfully serious.“Whatever. We were partners. I helped him and he didn’t help me when I needed it. He stole my money and ran away,” Sakura replied nonchalantly.As she shifted her weight off of the bookshelf behind her, Kakashi looked at her calculatingly. “Except I heard that perhaps you were also something more than partners.”She rolled her eyes. “You know everything, don’t you. Well since you showed up so early, I’ll tell you my master plan for revenge. I’m going to steal his money and run away.”Kakashi laughed, and slung an arm over her shoulder, guiding her deeper into the shop. They walked through a few more aisles, each one getting more and more explicit, before finally stopping in front of an average looking collection of videos. He pulled a specific dvd off the shelf, and suddenly an intense whirring sound filled the shop. The bookshelf disappeared to reveal a cozy room, with two armchairs across from each other and a blazing fireplace at the side.“Isn’t the fireplace a bit cliche?” Sakura asked, rolling her eyes.Kakashi shrugged, gesturing to one of the armchairs as he made the bookshelf close behind them. Sakura sat down. “I find it makes my clients less hesitant to tell me their deepest secrets.”He sat down in the pillowed chair across from her. For a few moments, there was only silence and the crackling of the fireplace as the two examined each other.“Alright,” Kakashi said, breaking the tenseness. “What do you want to know, and what will you tell me?”“I want to know where Itachi Uchiha is,” Sakura said curtly. “And I’ll tell you what exactly I’m planning to do in exchange.”The silver-haired man across from her blinked a few times. “You want to know where Itachi Uchiha is? What makes you think I even know that.”She didn’t bother responding, simply raising an eyebrow at him.“Ok fine, perhaps I have some ideas,” he admitted. “But it doesn’t matter. What you’re offering me isn’t enough. Sakura tilted her head. “Why?” “There’s simply no money in it for me,” Kakashi explained. “Policy demands that I’m sworn to secrecy on all plans that I hear, so I definitely can’t sell the information to anyone else, which eliminates the main income of my business. I’ve had other come in and describe their plans to me, but even then it’s because they’re paying me to help them spot any weaknesses or potential problems. And I don’t believe you need anyone to do that for you…”“I don’t,” Sakura admitted. “I’ve been thinking and rethinking through all the steps for two years.”Kakashi nodded and tightened his lips. “Well? So what other information will you give me in exchange?”She tilted her head challengingly. “I really can’t give you anything more, except the fact that Tobirama wears silk underwear.”“Not good enough,” Kakashi replied immediately, rolling his eyes. “Although it would make a great plot for the next Icha Icha.”Sakura examined him for a long moment, before standing up from the armchair. “Alright, Kakashi. I’ll just find Itachi on my own then,” she said, leisurely starting to walk towards the door.The bookshelves were just within reach when Kakashi finally called out after her.“Fuck, Sakura,” he swore loudly. “I’m too curious about how exactly you’re going to take Madara’s money, and what the hell Itachi Uchiha has to do with it.”Sakura smiled, knowing Kakashi couldn’t see, with her back to him. She turned on her heel and walked back to the armchair, plopping down.“The Sharingan Gala. You know, the one that Uchiha host every ten years?” “Of course I know it, it’s the biggest event of the decade,” Kakashi responded. “Get to the point.”“Well, Madara is hosting it at the palace this year, since he got voted in as King,” she said. “And on display, are going to be the Uchiha’s precious Sharingan Eyes gem collection. Amaterasu, Susanoo, Tsukuyomi, Izanagi, Izanami, Tengai Shinsei, Kamui, Kotoamatsukami, Kagutsuchi, and Mangekyou. The ten blood jewels.”The silver-haired man laughed. “You don’t actually believe Madara is going to put his clan’s most precious items out on display, do you? They’re going to be locked up safe in a vault somewhere.”“Of course,” Sakura replied, nodding. “But I know Madara. He has a close group of powerful friends. He will want to show off the real gems to them, meaning he will be keeping them close by. Definitely somewhere within the palace.”“Alright. But you haven’t explained how you’re going to get them,” Kakashi said.She grinned. “This is the fun part.”He stared at her blankly.“I’m going to get a team together, and we’re going to enter the palace, disguised as party-goers. It’s the perfect opportunity right?”Kakashi frowned. “Ok, look, Sakura. I believe that you and whoever you recruit will be able to enter unnoticed, and get to the gems through whatever genius tricks you choose to use. I even think that you’ll be able to get into whatever vault they’re being kept in, you’re good at that. But it doesn’t explain how you’ll be able to get out. There will be security measures, unavoidable ones. The palace will be on lockdown within minutes, you won’t be able to get out.”“No, we won’t be trying to escape. They’re going to let us out,” Sakura said, her eyes glittering with mischief. “They’re going to think we’ve already stolen the blood jewels and gotten out, sending them rushing out to chase after false leads. While in reality, we’re still in the palace.”Kakashi leaned closer. “How are you going to do that?”Sakura smiled sweetly and leaned back in her armchair, relaxing with one hand on the armrest. “Where is Itachi Uchiha?”The silver-haired man across from her slumped dejectedly. “That answer was not satisfying at all. If anything, my curiosity is even greater now.”“Kakashi. Where’s Itachi?” Sakura asked again.“Fine,” Kakashi said grumpily. “After Itachi ran away from Madara and the clan, everyone assumed he fled the country or something, while in reality he stayed in the city, right under their noses. Itachi now owns a nightclub called ‘Akatsuki’, along with this guy named Kisame.”Sakura nodded and stood up from her chair, striding across the room. “Thank you, Kakashi,” she called back, as she exited the little porn shop in the corner of the mall.Around five minutes later she was standing at a busy intersection, waving down a taxi. One almost instantly pulled up next to her, and she smoothly opened the door, sliding in. “To the Akatsuki Nightclub,” she told the driver.
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[Chapter 3]The music thrummed beneath her feet as Sakura entered the relatively large nightclub, and each beat of the drum resonated deep within her. Colourful strobe lights were the only source of illumination out on the dance floor, shining down on bodies meshed against each other. It was going to be a nightmare to find Itachi here.Sakura sighed, and edged her way around the many people who had chosen to come here tonight. The taxi ride hadn’t been extremely lengthy, but it had been long enough that the sun had long set by the time she arrived. Sakura walked up to the bar stretched along one corner of the nightclub and took a seat at one of the barstools.“What can I get you tonight?” The bartender asked, noticing her almost immediately and approaching. His skin was an odd shade of blue under the coloured lights, and with his high cheekbones and gelled hair, he almost reminded Sakura of a shark. This was only reinforced when he smiled at her to reveal pointed teeth.“Two martinis and the location of one Itachi Uchiha, please,” she replied, smiling back at him.Shark man didn’t drop his smile as he instantly retrieved two clean glasses. “Never heard of him.”Sakura watched him pour alcohol with more grace than she would’ve thought possible from the large man. “What’s your name?”“Kisame.”“Well see here, Kisame,” she said slowly, looking him directly in the eye. “I just got out of prison, and today has not been a great day. Now trust me, when I say I would much rather be out there on the dance floor, finding someone to have sex with, but I’m not. I’m here for business, and I would like to see Itachi Uchiha, or whatever you call him here.”The shark-man chuckled, and for a moment Sakura was offended by how lightly he took her words. She was used to people feeling threatened by her, despite her relatively innocent physical appearance. “We call him Raven. He’s out there somewhere on the floor,” Kisame told her, gesturing widely to the mass of moving bodies. “Good luck finding him.” He handed her the two drinks she had ordered.Sakura nodded, already scanning the dark setting with emerald green eyes. “Just a piece of advice, you’ll most likely find him wherever the most females are gathered,” Kisame added. She laughed dryly and turned towards the writhing sea of dancers, a drink in each hand.It wasn’t easy navigating the mass of bodies while keeping the martinis from spilling, but somehow Sakura managed, working her way to where she saw the most amount of scantily clad girls. Indeed as Kisame had hinted, she found Itachi right in the center, swaying lazily as multiple females danced around and against him.She didn’t think there was any possible safe path to reach him, so Sakura stayed where she stood, calmly waiting for Itachi to spot her. Eventually, he seemed to notice someone watching him intently, and dark onyx eyes met green.Languidly, the Uchiha made his way towards her, leaving most of his female entourage behind.“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you here before,” Itachi said smoothly, as he looked down at her. “First time?”Sakura wordlessly handed him one of the glasses while smirking slightly up at him. “First time,” she repeated. “I’d love for someone to show me around.”Itachi took a delicate sip of the martini she had handed him. “I’m Raven. There’s not much to know. Just that this is probably the best place in the city to get laid,” he replied with a matching smirk. She delicately raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? I’m not sure I believe you.”The music kept pounding around them and there were bodies pushing from every side, but for some reason Sakura felt like her and Itachi were the last two people left in the world. Everyone around them faded, and the two of them were the only ones who truly mattered. Itachi moved closer and ran his hand up her arm so that it rested on the back of her neck. He pulled her towards him, and Sakura found herself flush against his chest. She placed her hands on his shoulders.Gently, Itachi guided them through the masses towards one of the nearby curtained alcoves. “Curtains?” Sakura asked under her breath. “Seems a bit risky. Anyone could mistakenly walk in.”“All our customers know not to enter a closed alcove. Not that the drunk ones don’t sometimes forget, but even that usually just results in a threesome or the like,” Itachi said lowly, his voice slightly rumbling.She spun around and shoved him into an open alcove, before moving in after him and closing the curtain behind her. It turned out to be a small room, occupied by a rather luxurious couch right in the middle and little else. The floor was soft beneath her feet, and looking down Sakura saw a soft carpet covering the ground. “Must be a hassle to keep clean,” Sakura noted.Itachi sunk onto the couch and leaned back into it. “Probably,” he said non committedly. He gestured for Sakura to join him, and she did with a chuckle. Itachi leaned in, inhaling her scent. For a moment Sakura just wanted to ride it out, to have sex with this handsome stranger, but she’d come here for business after all. She moved her lips to Itachi’s ear. “Uchiha,” she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. Immediately the atmosphere was broken, and Itachi threw her off his lap in a single, smooth motion. She hit the ground painfully and rolled to reduce the impact. Itachi pressed his foot down onto her chest, limiting her movement.“What do you want?” He hissed. “Did Madara send you to kill me?”Sakura rolled her eyes. “You must’ve been really absent from the underground circuit for a while if you don’t know who I am. My name is Sakura.”“I’ve never met you, but I’m not that absent that I haven’t heard your name,” Itachi said. “You’re Madara’s partner. So? Have you come to kill me?”She sighed. “Was. I was Madara’s partner, at least before he put me in jail.”The pressure on her chest lessened slightly. “What happened?” Itachi asked.“I helped him win the election for King, but I knew too much, so he made sure I was caught and sent to jail. He needed a scapegoat, and I guess our partnership didn’t mean much,” she said expressionlessly, holding all her emotions back.The Uchiha above her narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, as his mind instantly processed the information. “You want revenge. What are you going to do?”Sakura gestured to the foot that was still holding her down, and Itachi removed it. She stood up off the floor and straightened out her dress. “I’m going to steal the ten Uchiha blood jewels right from under Madara’s nose.”Itachi showed no outward emotion, but Sakura thought she could see a glint of interest in his eyes. “Why?” He asked, his head tilted.She blinked a few times. “Why?” She repeated, confused. “For revenge mostly, I suppose. The money too, we can sell each of them on the black market for a fortune. An added bonus is that Madara would lose the support of the Uchiha clan, having lost their most precious treasure, and at the very least would be removed from his position as clan head. Is that enough of a reason for you?”“And what if I want more than that?” Itachi said quietly. “What if I want to see him off the throne as well? What if I want him dead?”Sakura looked up at him seriously. “We both know being voted in as the King is a lifetime position, granted immunity from all national laws. Madara cannot be executed for crimes, no matter how major, and he will not lose the crown for as long as he lives. What you want is murder.”“I know that,” Itachi said, agreeing emotionlessly. “I am not a murderer, Uchiha. I am a thief,” she replied, a bit of venom behind her words. “And I am asking for your help to steal, not to kill. Am I wasting my time?”There was a moment of silence, before Itachi nodded at her. “You are not. Tell me more.”Sakura opened her mouth, but then looked around. The curtain was cracked slightly open, and provided no soundproofing between the alcove and the rest of the nightclub. “Not here,” she said firmly.“Alright,” he agreed, offering an arm out for her. “I have a hotel room we can go to.”She smiled. “Perfect.” The pair walked out the door of the nightclub arm in arm, followed only by a whistle from Kisame, along with a promise to keep things running for the night.The taxi ride to the upscale hotel Itachi had booked a room at was silent, the only sound coming from the driver’s occasional sniffling. Both backseat occupants gazed out of the misted windows of the cab, covered in water tracks from the light drizzle outside.The car pulled up right outside the main lobby of the hotel soon enough, and Itachi held the door open while Sakura stepped past him. Together they made their way across the room to the receptionist’s desk.“One room for the night, please,” Itachi said politely, although not bothering with pleasantries.“Alright,” the lady behind the table smiled back at them, setting down the phone she had been talking into and opening up tabs on her computer. “Will that be one bed or two?”Itachi glanced sideways at Sakura and she looked down at the receptionist. “One will be fine,” she answered with a nod of her head.A few clicks of the keyboard. “Great. Whose name can I put this under?”“Futaki Eizan,” Itachi said without hesitation. He pulled out a leather wallet from within his coat and slipped out the ID card.The receptionist examined it for a moment before smiling up at the Uchiha “Credit or debit?”He took out a relatively plain bank card.A few moments later there was a ‘beep’ from the machine and the lady gave it back to him. “I hope you enjoy your stay,” she said, handing over a key card. Within moments, she was back on the phone, chatting away with an unknown person.Sakura nudged Itachi as they entered the elevator together, and raised an eyebrow. “Is the name ‘Raven’ only for the club?”“Maybe,” he replied non-committedly. His black eyes glinted momentarily as he met her own. “Well Sakura, this is certainly not a cheap hotel, so your plan better be worth it.”The elevator came to a stop at one of the top floors. “It will be,” she promised.The duo stepped out of the doors and paced down the hallway, soon finding the room they had been given for the night. Itachi slotted the key card into the door, and with a click it unlocked.“Ladies first,” he said with a mocking bow, holding the door open for Sakura.She waltzed into the room, and had to let out a smile. It was the very definition of luxury, with a huge canopy bed in the middle, decorated with plush pillows and lace curtains hanging around it. On one wall hung a piece of art, which Sakura estimated was probably worth more than half the room itself, and even what she could see of the private bathroom was lavish. “It’s one of my favourite hotels,” Itachi said, as he walked in as well and shut the door behind them. “They also happen to respect the secrecy of their clients immensely.”Sakura didn’t reply and instead practically ran over to the bed, drawing open one of the curtains and diving onto the large mattress. She let out a blissful sigh.“I forgot how much I missed a soft bed in prison,” she said wistfully, patting the bed in a gesture for Itachi to join her.He raised an eyebrow, but dutifully made his way over, lying down beside her. Sakura rolled over and tangled her body on top of his.Itachi chuckled. “I thought we weren’t having sex, just talking about your masterplan,” he said, amused.She smirked. “Who says we can’t do both.”