Stripped Bare

Well, your votes on my livejournal survey determined I put out another SB chapter as opposed to finishing my belated Christmas one shot. So…here it is! I hope you enjoy it.

XXXXX

Stripped Bare – Chapter 18

To say that Kakashi felt like dirt was an understatement. He felt lower than dirt. Once again he had failed someone important to him, but this time it wasn’t because he lacked the strength to protect them. This time it was simply because he couldn’t keep it in his pants.

After screwing Sakura senseless in the bathroom the night before, he had searched for his contact, for the one vital link to the yellow eyed man he was nearly positive was the culprit. He had combed the entire club multiple times, but the willowy man in the oversized jacket was nowhere to be seen. Having already been serviced by Sakura, he had apparently left upon seeing no sign of Kakashi afterward, taking with him the opportunity to schedule a meeting with the shinobi the Copy nin believed to be the kidnapper.

The next morning he had gone back to the adult bookstore to ask the proprietor about the man, but the portly owner behind the counter had little information to provide. In a town like Fuzen Machi, it was often true that the less you knew about the people around you, the better, and so he had made it a policy to not get close to any of his customers, their relationship ending as soon as they made their purchases and walked out the door.

Sakura said she didn’t blame him, claiming she was just as much at fault for delaying him in the bathroom, but Kakashi still felt as if he had let her down. After all, he was a high level shinobi and shouldn’t be so easily swayed when on an important mission. His actions concerning Sakura were irrational, impractical, and he couldn’t figure out why he was acting so foolishly. He never should have slept with her in the first place, yet he could not bring himself to regret it, for the moments he spent exploring her tender body were some of the sweetest he had ever experienced.

He had waited at the club again the following night, hoping his long haired target might appear, but he never showed, leaving Kakashi without a plan once again. He had come so close to securing a meeting with their target, only to have the chance slip away at the last second because of his own damn irresponsibility. Now all he could do was watch and wait and hope to cross paths again with either the long haired man or the ninja with yellow eyes. He detested feeling so powerless, but he didn’t know what else to do, and not knowing made him even angrier. He was growing restless without a definitive plan.

Kakashi spent the night after that scouring the streets of the sinful city rather than lurking in the back of Wet Dreams. He went to every shady establishment he could find, searching the masses of rough, unsmiling faces for one of his two targets. Sakura was doing the same back at the club and they had both agreed it would be smart to comb a wider area at least for a night to see if it gave them better results.

Dawn was only a few hours off by the time Kakashi returned to his dingy motel room with nothing to show for his efforts. His discouragement drained the energy from him and he barely had the will to strip off his clothes and collapse onto the bed, not caring that he was completely naked under the sheet thrown haphazardly over his body. The normally secretive shinobi couldn’t even be bothered to cover his face.

He was exhausted, but sleep would not come. With nothing else to find solace in, he sat up, propped a pillow against the headboard and flipped open Icha Icha, not even needing to turn on the lamp as the neon blue and green light from the bookstore filtered in his window. He’d hardly read a page when he sensed a presence outside his door. Her presence.

She didn’t knock, instead using her chakra to easily pick the door’s flimsy lock. In his exhausted state, Kakashi hadn’t even bothered with the barrier he usually put on the door to keep out anyone not deterred by the simple lock. It appeared he really was getting sloppy lately. Who knew what else he might do in the future? Perhaps let his guard down completely?

“Any luck?” she asked as she locked the door behind her and padded into the room.

He shook his head.

“You?”

“None,” she sighed. “I didn’t give a lap dance all night so I could keep an eye out. They didn’t come.”

The long black coat she wore looked far too big, the sleeves swallowing up her hands completely. It looked like a man’s trench coat, but was probably just another hand-me-down article that circulated among the women at the club. There was a tear in the side and the once black fabric had faded to a slate gray, but it served its purpose in protecting her against the outside chill.

“I would have texted you tomorrow,” he said. “You didn’t have to come.”

She stepped into the light, the blue light making her hair shine purple. Kakashi noticed that the strands were still styled sleek and straight and she had not yet washed away the dark, smoky makeup around her eyes.

“I had to see you,” she whispered. “I didn’t want be alone tonight.”

Her eyes roved over him. Even though she could see he was fatigued, he still managed to look positively delicious. The pale sheet pooled around his waist low enough to show dangerous amounts of hipbone. His bared abdominals and pectorals were sculpted and lean, flexing slightly with every quiet breath. His handsome face was surprisingly bare, his mismatched gaze falling on her as his orange book lay open but forgotten in his lap. His silver hair was tinted a dazzling green-blue by the gaudy lights outside, and even his skin had taken on a soft, aqua hue. His mouth quirked into a smirk at her confession of wanting to be with him and the expression unleashed a dozen little butterflies in her stomach, the frantic fluttering of wings making her tingle.

“Won’t Dajaku get tired of you sneaking out all the time? If you keep doing this, you’re going to get caught.”

“I won’t get caught,” Sakura said with more confidence than she felt as she stepped forward, her fingers coming to the first button of her trench coat.

In all honesty, she very much agreed with him. If she kept sneaking out, it was only a matter of time before the girls noticed her unusual behavior. A smart kunoichi would have stayed in tonight, but for some reason, Sakura couldn’t seem to make smart choices regarding Kakashi anymore.

She unfastened the first button and then the next, small fingers working their way down her body until the garment parted and she shrugged out of it, letting it fall forgotten to the floor.

The Copy ninja was simultaneously aroused and amused at the sight before him. Sakura hadn’t yet changed out of the clothes she had performed in earlier that night. She was clad in a simple triangle top so small that the soft curves of her breasts were practically spilling out the sides, top and bottom. He wondered how it had stayed in place while she danced. The shorts she wore had a black stripe down either side seam, making the outfit look sporty and flashy, although they were so short that he suspected they did little to cover her ass. Four inch black heels and a lacy black garter completed the look, but the thing he found funny about her outfit was the fact that both the shorts and the top were…

“Orange,” he chuckled softly. “Naruto would be proud.”

Even in the tinted light, he could see the skimpy outfit was a color quit similar to the obnoxious jacket their blonde teammate always insisted on wearing.

“I know,” Sakura smiled back. “I thought the same thing. I wasn’t a fan but Dajaku insisted I wear it, even though it clashes horribly with my hair.”

“Then take it off and it won’t be a problem,” he replied, his voice dropping into a lower register that suggested he would be more than happy to do the task for her.

With a wry smile, she reached behind her and slowly tugged on the bows in the middle of her back and at the nape of her neck. The top slid free of her body, landing on the floor in a heap.

“Better?” she whispered seductively, quite aware that his eyes were glued to her newly exposed breasts.

“Oh yeah baby, much better.”

He silently beckoned to her, crooking a single index finger in a wordless command. She obeyed, moving toward him with catlike grace, even in her four inch heels. She didn’t bother removing them as she crawled onto the bed, her movements lithe and fluid as she straddled his thighs.

“Kakashi,” she whispered, her expression turning serious. “Make me forget for a while.

She leaned forward to press a chaste kisses to his neck, trailing them down his throat to his collarbone, her touches turning hungrier as she went.

“Forget?” he murmured, his hands encircling her waist before settling lightly on her hips.

“This mission, those girls who I can’t seem to help, this disgusting town, all of it, Kakashi. Help me forget it, just for a little while.”

Her voice held a pained edge to it, one that echoed what he felt. The pain of failure and helplessness, of having people that needed you and not being able to do anything to save them, and it broke his heart to hear her like that.

“Sakura,” he said softly. He wanted to tell her it wasn’t her fault that their mission had progressed so little. She was doing the very best that she could and he was proud of her for growing so much in such a short period of time. She was far stronger than she gave herself credit for and she shouldn’t berate herself for anything. If there was anyone to blame, it was him.

But before he could form the words on his tongue, slender fingers wrapped around his member, half hard and still covered by the sheets.

“Please,” she breathed, begged, as she began to pump him, her hand moving gentle and slow, feeling him harden as he sucked in his breath sharply.

She kissed down his chest and stomach, her skilled fingers ceasing their movement to pull the sheet away. Kakashi hardly had time to catch his breath before her mouth replaced her hand, tongue stroking the sensitive underside of his shaft as she encased him in wet heat.

His hands tangled helplessly in her hair as her lips slid down to his base, taking him fully as a hand began to play with the twin sacks beneath.

He groaned heatedly when she began to suck, her actions erasing his mind of all other thought. This mission had turned his innocent little Sakura into a sultry goddess, and the way she was pleasing him with her tongue and mouth should have been that of a woman who had far more experience than the cherry blossom before him.

He briefly wondered what Sakura would be like upon returning to Konoha. Could she turn off this newly developed sexual side? Would she be able to look at a man again and not immediately calculate what she could do to him to make him weak? He loved this side of her, but he had also admired the pure innocence she had once held. Their first time making love had been unforgettable, and he attributed much of that to the fact that he was able to see the real Sakura, not the character she had created for this mission. It was Sakura he craved, not Hana, but which one was in front of him now sucking his cock like her life depended on it? How much had those two personalities merged and how much of the real Sakura could be salvaged once all this was over? Kakashi wasn’t an idiot. He knew this experience had changed her forever, but he couldn’t help but wonder how much of her original sweetness could he keep intact.

Gently, he tugged on her hair, guiding her lips off of his member until she was blinking up at him with a confused look in her emerald eyes.

“Kakashi?”

“Shh,” he hushed, taking her hand in his and urging her to settle back against the pillow where he had just been lying. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her shorts and slid them down her legs until her heels and her garter were the only things left.

If she wanted to forget the club and her duty and her second identity, then she shouldn’t be the one doing all the work, and Kakashi was more than happy to take over.

He leaned in close to kiss her as he settled between her legs, his erect member bumping against feminine folds that had already grown slick and slippery with desire.

She moaned against his lips as his kissed her tenderly, keeping his movements soft and slow as opposed to the nearly frantic way she had been sucking him off. His actions seemed to calm her and soon there was no desperation behind her movements. It was only then that he pushed his hips forward and sunk into her to the hilt. She moaned and writhed as he made love to her softly, slowly, wanting their coupling to be different than the hot, raw sex they had shared in the club bathroom. Sakura didn’t need someone to fuck her right now, she needed someone to care, to hold her with a tenderness she wouldn’t find at the club, to treat her like a beautiful woman and not an object.

Kakashi would gladly do this for her any day, any time, he only wondered what would happen when they returned to Konoha and Sakura didn’t need his soft kisses anymore. He wondered if there would come a time when he would find himself no longer needing her touch, but honestly, he couldn’t imagine going back to a life without Sakura in it as she was now, naked and needy and so damn beautiful that his heart hurt from just looking at her.

As much as he wanted this mission to end, he found himself wishing to prolong their time away from Konoha. Going home meant returning to the way things were before, and he didn’t think he could go back to merely waving to the pink haired woman whenever their paths occasionally crossed.

Perhaps Kakashi Hatake really was an idiot because for every day he spent wrapped up in Sakura, it would be that much harder to walk away.

XXXXX

The sun had already risen by the time Sakura dressed and left for the club again. She knew she had stayed at Kakashi’s place far too long and she could only hope today would be a day when all the girls were sleeping soundly as opposed to being struck by the collective bought of insomnia that so many of them seemed susceptible to. She pushed open the double doors and sighed in relief when she saw that not even Juu or Dajaku seemed to be awake yet. She crept up the stairs and opened the door, thinking she was safe, only to find four sets of eyes pinned on her.

Tora, Jitsu, Kitsune and Misaki were all crammed onto the couch, their previously grim faces shifting to stunned expressions.

Shit. It looked like she was caught.

“Hana!” Misaki cried, launching herself off the couch and toward Sakura, wrapping her arms around her in a fierce hug. The kunoichi couldn’t understand what was said next, for sniffling sobs made the blonde’s words nearly unintelligible, and the fact that her face was buried in Sakura’s chest didn’t help.

“Where were you?!” Tora cried, jumping to her feet. “We were worried sick about you!”

Her cobalt eyes were flashing dangerously but Sakura could see that she too was close to tears.

“We thought that you had been the next, that you had been taken away,” Jitsu said quietly, her voice equally full of distress.

“I…well…” Sakura stuttered, not knowing what to do. She needed an explanation for being out all night but wasn’t prepared with a believable lie. She could tell them she had been out looking for Miyabi, but they would be furious at her for attempting to do something so dangerous on her own.

“Wait a minute,” Kitsune said, violet eyes narrowing as she took in Sakura’s appearance. “You’re still wearing what you performed in last night. You didn’t even change your shoes!”

Sakura looked down, finding that her stilettos were indeed still on her feet and the top of her coat had gaped open enough to reveal a bright orange strap. It would be hard to claim that she went tromping around looking for the kidnapper without changing into something more practical first.

A moment of silence passed as the dancers waited for Sakura to explain herself.

“Well…I was going to meet someone…” the kunoichi stalled, desperately trying to think of a believable lie.

“Dressed like that?” Tora scoffed. “There’s only one reason to meet someone dressed like that.”

Misaki gasped, eyes big and blue and Jitsu continued to look on quietly, pretty features still showing traces of worry.

Kitsune, on the other hand wore a knowing smirk.

“So, who is he?”

“W-what?” Sakura stuttered.

“He must be pretty amazing for you to risk sneaking out in the middle of the night to go see him. Did you meet him at the club?”

“I…well…”

The situation had gotten out of control so quickly that the pink haired woman couldn’t seem to keep up. These girls were smart and had seen right through her, but they still only knew part of the truth. For a second she considered coming clean and telling them about her true reasons for being at the club and about Kakashi’s relation to her. As tempting as it was, she knew she couldn’t reveal her true identity just yet. If word got out that she was really a Konoha shinobi, they’d never catch the kidnapper and Miyabi would be gone forever.

“Yes,” Sakura sighed, pretending they had guessed her secret entirely. “I met him at the club. I…I can’t get enough of him.”

Well, that last part was true at least.

“I knew it!” the red haired woman squealed, sounding quite delighted at the prospect of a late night rendezvous with a secret lover. “What does he look like? Is he good in bed?”

While Kitsune seemed delighted, Misaki seemed relieved. Jitsu relaxed a little but Tora, however, didn’t look happy at all.

“You were out sneaking around because of some guy? What if the kidnapper had found you alone while you were out? You could have been next Hana!”

Kitsune’s mirth fizzled out as the dark haired woman took a step forward with a raised hand and, for a moment, Sakura thought Tora meant to slap her out of anger and frustration. Her face was so full of hurt and worry that physical harm wasn’t necessary. Sakura felt absolutely awful for sneaking around and scaring everyone. What was worse was that she was lying about it, even now.

Tora dropped her hand wearily and instead, abruptly embraced the kunoichi in a fierce hug.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again, okay honey?” she whispered, her voice quivering as she choked back tears. “You don’t need to sneak around. I’m happy you found a man but for heaven’s sake, don’t go out alone.”

“I won’t. I’m sorry,” Sakura said earnestly. “I-I was just afraid of what Dajaku would say.”

It was all she could do not to wince at her own lie. It seemed every dishonest word she spoke gave way to ten more. Would she ever be able to be truthful with these girls?

“Don’t worry about him,” Kitsune said, joining in the hug by wrapping her arms around both women. Misaki and Jitsu followed until they were all engaged in one big group hug. “As long as you keep performing and giving private dances, I doubt he’ll care, although he wouldn’t want you wandering out there alone either.”

“I know,” Sakura replied. “I’ll have my man come meet me and walk me to wherever we go from now on.”

“Good,” Misaki sniffled, still trying to reign in the last of her tears despite the brightness in her voice. “Now that Hana-chan is home safe, let’s go make breakfast!”

Sakura smiled at the nickname. Misaki hadn’t called her that in a while. The blonde’s request for food was almost comical in light of what had just happened and it seemed to break the somber mood that had surrounded the group.

“That’s an excellent idea, honey,” Tora agreed. “I think we still have some eggs and bread left. I’ll make the toast.”

The five girls broke apart and Tora and Misaki led the way to the kitchen with Kitsune following close behind. Sakura was about to follow them when a slender hand around her wrist stopped her.

She found herself looking down into Jitsu’s warm, green eyes.

“Hana,” the shorter girl said seriously. “This new guy…are you serious about him?”

The question was so sudden that Sakura was taken aback. She found herself pondering Jitsu’s words because she hadn’t really addressed the depth of her feelings for her former teacher. Their intimate relationship was only supposed to last a night, to be nothing more than an educational experience, but somehow it had spiraled out of control and she found herself waiting breathlessly for the next time when they could be alone, like an addict waiting for the next fix. Sakura certainly lusted for Kakashi, loving the way he made her body feel, but was that all this was? In the more tender moments when he held her close and stroked her hair and pressed gentle kisses to her cheek, it was easy to believe that it was more than just lust, but was that what she wanted? Did she want more than physical affection from the man she had viewed as strictly her teacher before this mission began?

She should have found it an easy question to answer, to proclaim that she wanted Kakashi’s body and nothing more, and yet she stood stupefied, wondering what the hell she really wanted from all of this.

“I…I don’t know yet,” she answered honestly, surprised by her own words as they left her mouth.

Jitsu nodded in understanding.

“Well, whatever you do Hana, be careful. Don’t forget that few men view us as anything more than a good time, a plaything. I thought I had found someone too, someone who loved me and would save me from all this…but I was mistaken.”

Sakura remembered the painful story of Jitsu’s past, of the man who had run at the first sign of trouble and the baby she had been forced to give up.

“I’ll be careful,” Sakura promised, taking Jitsu’s hand in her own and giving it a squeeze. “I’m not going to fall head over heels that easily.”

Jitsu smiled, but her eyes retained sadness in their depths.

“That’s what I said too.”

Apparently having nothing more to say, Jitsu began to walk towards their make-shift kitchen, pulling Sakura with her. As the kunoichi began to follow, she suddenly felt a presence behind them and glanced over her shoulder to see Tsurenai standing half hidden in the hallway that led to her room. The cruel smirk on her lips told Sakura that she was quite amused by the whole situation, although she couldn’t be sure how much the star dancer had actually overheard.

Their eyes met for a moment, emerald staring down aqua, and then Tsurenai was gone, retreating back into her room, and Sakura as left wondering if she should be worried about what the purple haired woman had seen.

XXXXX

Kakashi wasn’t sure how long he had been sleeping after Sakura left, but he was slumbering soundly when the annoyingly cheerful sound of his cell phone cut through the haze of his dreams, jarring him back to wakefulness.

“Hello?” he rasped, fumbling the phone to his ear as he scrubbed a hand over his bare face. He was still completely naked, the sheet bunched haphazardly around his waist as his shinobi training clicked on, instantly making him alert and ready to take action.

“Hi…um, Kakashi?” came Sakura’s voice over the phone. She sounded nervous and slightly…embarrassed.

“Sakura, what is it?” the Copy nin asked, concerned by the trepidation in her voice and the fact she was calling him in the middle of the day.

"Well…you know how you said I’d get caught if I kept sneaking out to see you?"

Kakashi didn’t like where this was going.

“Yes,” he said warily.

“Well, the thing is, this morning when I came back to the club, I was kind of…caught.”

Kakashi was suddenly sitting bolt upright in bed.

“You what?!”

He could almost hear Sakura wince as she tried to calm him.

“Don’t worry, they don’t know we’re shinobi. They just think I’m involved in a fling and that’s why I’m sneaking out to see you.”

Kakashi frowned, for some reason disliking the thought that he was just a temporary source of fun even if it was just a story she had made up to keep their true identities hidden.

“How many saw you?” he asked.

“All of them, including Tsurenai.”

Kakashi sighed, closing his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. This was just perfect wasn’t it? Now the whole damn club knew she had been sneaking around.

“I know I was careless,” Sakura confessed.“But I think I patched things over ok, and this could actually end up working in out favor. We can see each other freely now after the club closes and nobody will suspect a thing.”

He supposed that was true, and maybe this really would work out for the best. Sakura could stay the night and they wouldn’t have to worry about her getting back to the club before anybody found her missing.

“I guess you’re right,” he relented. “But you’re damn lucky this slip up didn’t cost us. This could have been serious, Sakura.”

He had already made one major mistake that could have already cost them this mission. He didn’t need his partner adding to the mess.

“I know,” she replied sheepishly. “But something else good comes out of this too.”

“And what is that?” Kakashi asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“I can come over and take you out to lunch with last night’s earnings. Come pick me up in ten minutes ok?”

Before he could protest, there was a click as the connection was severed. Sakura had hung up and he had less than ten minutes to shower and make himself somewhat presentable. She was taking him out to lunch? What the hell inspired her to do that? He supposed if he was supposed to be her object of affection, it would make sense to do something like this. Even if it was under the guise of being mission related, Kakashi was still fully aware that Sakura had just asked him on a date. A part of him was strangely elated, but the other was pointing frantically to the alarm bells that were going off in his head. Sleeping with her was one thing, but now he was really going to start playing the part of something akin to Sakura’s boyfriend. Hadn’t he just been pondering this morning how he was going to detach himself from his former student once this assignment was completed? He found himself getting a little too comfortable with Sakura in his bed and now they were going on a date. If this kept up, it would be even harder when she walked away from him upon their return to Konoha.

But like a fool, Kakashi was going to go along with it anyway, and he knew it was just for their mission. Deep down, he actually liked the thought of being something more to Sakura than just a mission partner and a good lay, even if it was only temporary.

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, running a hand through unruly silver hair as he headed for the bathroom, feeling the chill of the room on his naked skin.

Perhaps Sakura was right. Maybe this would be good for their mission. After all, they could talk much more freely about the mission if they were able to be together. Kakashi nearly scoffed at his own thought. He knew damn well that the second they were out of a public place, the chances of their clothes coming off were very, very high.

He cranked on the shower and waited for the water to warm up before stepping under its rejuvenating spray.

At the very least, perhaps they could discuss mission details in the afterglow, after they had both had an orgasm or two…or three, and they were too exhausted to pounce on each other anymore.

Kakashi shook his head as the hot water coursed down his sculpted back and chest, knowing that that scenario was very unlikely.

XXXXX

In keeping with the atmosphere of a seedy town, Fuzen Machi offered a variety of equally seedy restaurants with seedy patrons inside. However, despite the run-down interior and unfriendly faces, the food served at the small, dingy restaurant the shinobi pair sat in was surprisingly good.

As they ate, Sakura recounted in detail how she had been caught by not one, but all the girls at the club. Kakashi had to admit, it could have ended much worse than it did.

When he had come to pick her up, he could see all their faces watching through the bars of the single upstairs window, giggling and waving to Sakura as she left. They really did think he was her love interest or fling or whatever she had classified him as, and he supposed it really did help their cause after all, considering he didn’t have to hide anymore.

Sakura had even dressed up a little for the occasion, foregoing the drab clothes she usually wore. In honor of the weather that was actually warmer than usual, she wore a flouncy little skirt that only came down to her mid thigh. It had probably been a vibrant green once but had since faded to a more pastel shade in places. On top she wore a soft gray long sleeved shirt that clung to her every curve, fastened buttons holding the material together from the neckline to below her sternum. She had on a pair of black high heels today as well, and since they were the newest looking part of her ensemble, he guessed they were a pair she usually performed in. She wore little make up and her hair fell around her face freely in its natural wave. This was the real Sakura, without any of the gimmicks she used at the club to doll herself up. Kakashi thought she was far more attractive like this, although he certainly didn’t mind looking at her while she performed.

They ate then left, intent to wander around the town as they talked to make it harder for an eavesdropper to pick up on their conversation. The streets, bustling with drab figures, hardly made for an ideal location for a romantic stroll, and neither did the lust filled eyes of several men that shamelessly stared at Sakura, but they would make the best of it. A purposeful glare from the tall ninja was all it took to get the perverted goons to look away. Sakura stayed close at Kakashi’s side as he bent low to whisper in her ear while they walked.

“I’ll be back at the club tonight to help you look for our targets.”

Sakura nodded.

“I feel like I shouldn’t even bother giving lap dances, because I know who I need to see to get more information. But I can’t stop or it will look suspicious and Dajaku will be upset.

Kakashi agreed. He had a feeling that the only reason the club owner had been tolerant of their failure for so long was because Sakura was making him a lot of money and attracting new men to Wet Dreams.

“But when we do find Yellow, I hope I’m ready,” Sakura murmured. “I hope I’ve learned enough from you that when I have to sleep with him for real, he’ll believe I’m experienced enough to do this for a living.”

Kakashi stiffened momentarily. They had been off Yellow’s trail for so long that the Copy nin had lost sight of what Sakura would have to do when she found him. She would have sex with another man, and the thought brought with it the familiar and unexplainable anger that always filled him when this topic arose.

Somehow in their wandering, they seemed to have gone directly to Kakashi’s motel, as if their feet had led them there without permission.

“It will be scary being with someone who isn’t you,” Sakura continued, intertwining her fingers with the taller man’s and giving his hand a squeeze. “But maybe it will be ok. Who knows? Maybe he’ll even be better than you.”

Her words came out in a giggle. She had to make light of this situation or she just might break down. She was still terrified to follow through with this particular part of the mission and every fiber of her being rebelled at the thought of letting a perfect stranger use her body. However, Kakashi only heard a carefree giggle and mocking tones as she contemplated enjoying a stranger’s touch more than his.

He wrenched his hand out from her grasp to fish his key out of his jacket pocket and opened the metal security door.

Sakura watched him stalk inside with confusion. She had just been kidding, and trying to make a difficult situation easier with a little humor. Apparently Kakashi hadn’t found it very funny.

“Hey, wait up! What’s the matter?” she asked, running after him, high heels clacking on the cement floor.

The silver haired man said nothing as he trudged up the stairs, knowing he was being irrational and that it was unfair to Sakura to vent his frustrations like this, but he couldn’t seem to help himself.

“Why are you taking this so personally?” she called after him, hints of anger creeping into her own voice. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I know,” Kakashi snapped irritably, his mood having turned from pleasant to sour at just the mention of Sakura sleeping with another.

“Then why are you being like this? You’re acting like a jealous boyfriend.”

The Copy nin froze in the middle of the hall, just a few doors from his room. Jealous? Is that what he was? He hadn’t really examined the irrational root of his emotions.

Sakura saw him stiffen and her eyes narrowed, thinking she had found the truth.

“Are you threatened by the thought of me being with another man and finding him better than you?” she pressed, her anger building. “That’s incredibly juvenile behavior, Kakashi. I thought you were better than that.”

Kakashi wheeled to face her, the eye not covered by his eye patch burning with dark anger.

“I have no worries about you finding someone better. I doubt you’d moan for anyone else the way you do for me.”

The words were out before his brain could register them. He sounded like an asshole and he knew it, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself.

Sakura looked at him in disbelief.

“That was arrogant, Kakashi. I thought men grew up eventually, but I guess not.”

He stared at her, stubbornly and angrily. Unfortunately, Sakura could be just as stubborn.

“Fine!” she cried, fed up with his antics. “Maybe he will be better than you. Maybe he’ll do things to me you haven’t even dreamed of and you’ll never be able to compare. Is that what you want to hear? If that did happen, maybe you’re stupid child-like behavior would have some validity. Maybe—ah!”

Her back hit the wall with a dull thud, cutting off her words, and she suddenly found herself pinned with Kakashi’s body pressed to hers. The concrete was cold and unyielding but she could feel Kakashi’s heat penetrate her clothes instantly. His uncovered eye showed anger, but hunger as well, and she wondered if maybe she had gone too far.

Something inside Kakashi had snapped as Sakura spoke those poisonous words. He knew she didn’t really doubt his abilities in bed, for he had proven his skill over and over again. But he wanted to dominate her, to leave her so breathless that she would remember him even while with another lover. He wanted her to crave his touch, to long for him and to think that no matter who she ended up with in the future, nobody would fulfill her the way he had.

“What the hell? Get off me Kakashi!”

She tried to push him away but he only moved closer, palms pressed to the wall on either side of her body, caging her in.

“You think you’ll find someone better?” he growled, his voice low and primal. “Well sweetie, I beg to differ.”

Sakura barely had time to register the shiver than ran down her spine from his words before he yanked down his scarf and fused his mouth to hers, his kiss hot and demanding and completely overpowering. Her mind was a whirlwind of confusion. Why was he so angry and why had that anger suddenly merged with lust? Although they hadn’t seen another guest in this building during their entire stay, this was still a somewhat public place and it was unheard of for Kakashi to uncover his face like this.

His hands were on her, frenzied and hungry, entangling in her hair to pull her into a deeper kiss before falling to her chest to squeeze her breasts roughly, extracting a startled cry which Kakashi eagerly swallowed.

He plundered her mouth, practically raping it despite Sakura’s feeble attempts to push him away. His hands fumbled open the buttons of her shirt until a simple black bra was exposed. Without breaking the kiss, he pulled the silky cups down, revealing soft flesh and pink nipples.

Sakura found herself trapped between the hard wall and Kakashi’s equally hard body, breath stolen away by what had to be the most aggressive kiss she’d ever had. His thigh was wedged firmly between her own, keeping her pinned and rubbing over her clothed sex, creating a delicious friction that soon awakened her own body’s needs. His hands found exposed nipples and soon began to pluck at them, making them harden instantly into tight, rosy buds. She squealed in indignation when he pulled on one roughly, trying to ignore the flash of pleasure that accompanied his actions, but her sounds of protest were muffled by his domineering mouth.

Despite her wriggling attempts to get away, Kakashi could tell he was affecting her. His sensitive nose was already picking up the scent of her arousal and he gave a feral smile against her lips. He pulled away abruptly, and tore the eye patch from his eye so he could fully appreciate the sight of her pressed against the wall, breathless, confused, angry and highly aroused. Her shirt gaped open where he had unbuttoned it and twin nipples peeked out over the cups of her bra. Her skirt had ridden up, exposing dangerous amounts of thigh and she was still wearing those sexy black high heels.

“You’re never going to find someone who can touch you better than I can,” he growled, his smile predatory and full of dark promise.

Without another word, he dropped to his knees in front of her, both hands reaching under her skirt to pull down her panties in one swift tug.

“Kakashi!” she gasped. “No! Not here!”

“Yes, here,” he smirked. “I can’t wait another second.”

The Copy nin slung one feminine leg over his shoulder, oblivious to the pair of lacy black panties still hanging off her ankle. His hands pulled her skirt up while pinning her hips to the wall, exposing her sweetest spot not only to himself, but anyone who might exit their room and find them in the hallway.

“Kakashi, stop. Let’s just go to your room,” she begged as he nuzzled tender pink folds, already damp with her desire. He inhaled her intoxicating scent and knew he couldn’t stop now if he wanted to. He was going to sex his little cherry blossom right here in the hall.

She cried out when he plunged his tongue into her unexpectedly, growling when he felt her sex contract sharply around the invading muscle. She tried to squirm away as he set up a steady rhythm, pushing his tongue in and out of her rapidly, but his hands on her hips and her unsteady position made more precarious by her heels kept her where he wanted her.

“Oh Kakashi! Oh…oh!” she moaned, even as her hands gripped his shoulders and tried to pull him away.

She tried to push him away with the leg over his shoulder, digging her stiletto into his back painfully. With a growl he had grabbed her thigh and pressed it outward until it was pinned against the wall, spreading her sex open even wider.

“Kakashi, stop. What if somebody sees?” she pleaded, knowing that they would have nowhere to run if someone emerged from their room.

The man between her thighs pulled away just long enough to smirk at her.

“I guess you better be quiet so you don’t attract attention.”

Their gaze met for just a moment, black and red watching liquid green, and then she was practically sobbing as he delved back in to her, tongue flicking over her swollen clit playfully before sliding back inside.

It was clear she was going to lose this battle as she began rocking her hips against him, back arching as he fucked her with his tongue, the wet muscle sliding in and out of her as deeply as it could go. Her standing leg was beginning to shake but he wouldn’t let her move, still pressing her firmly into the wall.

Never had he done something like this, something so irresponsible as being with a woman in a place where they could easily get caught, and on a mission no less! But there was something about this raw sexual hunger than had his blood boiling and he knew Sakura could feel it too. The excitement of possibly getting caught just served to make it hotter and the way she was bucking against him told him that, despite her protests, she was almost at her peak.

He abandoned her tight hole and wrapped his lips around her clit, sucking hungrily and savoring the sweet taste of her juices and the delicious moans he received in reply. Her hands left his shoulders and tangled in his hair as he devoured her like a starved man.

“Oh…Kakashi! Oh! I’m gonna…”

He chuckled against her sex and pulled away just long enough to utter words of encouragement.

“Yeah baby, that’s it. Say my name. Scream it when you cum.”

He began sucking at her with renewed fervor, cock throbbing in his pants as she moaned his name mindlessly, the syllables falling from her lips in breathy, broken cries.

She gushed warm fluid when she came, moaning his name and gripping his hair so hard she almost tore the silver strands out by the roots. His dark chuckle betrayed his smugness, licking up her juices like a cat with cream, but she was so wet that he couldn’t keep up with the liquid seeping from her sex and running down her thighs. It seemed he wasn’t the only one turned on by the possibility of being caught.

He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to have her.

Without warning, he straightened and jerked down the zipper of his pants. His erect member sprang free and he pumped it a few times in his calloused hand. He was so hard it hurt and he couldn’t wait to be inside her.

Sakura’s reflexes were dulled by the after glow of her orgasm, and she could do little to fight him as his hands grabbed her thighs and hoisted her up, pressing her against the wall as he aligned their hips.

Her eyes grew wide in understanding as she felt his manhood press against her drenched opening. He was going to have her right here, in this hallway even though his room was just a few feet away.

“Mmm, you’re soaked, Sakura,” he chuckled. “For someone who claimed they didn’t want to do it, you sure are wet.”

They both knew damn well she had enjoyed it and she bit her lip shyly, embarrassed at being so easily found out.

“See? You won’t find another man who will make you feel like I can. You’ll remember me no matter who you let fuck you.”

His words were crude, but made a renewed heat burn low in Sakura’s stomach. She whimpered as she felt him press forward, the tip of his arousal parting feminine folds.

“I had you first,” he whispered against her neck, his breath hot, but somehow making her shiver. “You are mine, even if another is inside of you. You’re mine!”

He slammed into her as he spoke the last word, impaling her deeply and extracting a pleasured cry. His hands squeezed her thighs hard, keeping her supported and she wrapped her legs around his hips when he began to move.

His thrusts were hard and fast as the animal in him took over, slamming into her tight, sopping heat and feeling her flex around his cock, gripping him like a velvet vice.

“When you’re fucking another man, you’ll remember me,” he rasped. “And you’ll wish it was me inside you instead of him.”

Sakura moaned long and low as she felt him fill her over and over again, knowing his words to be true. She couldn’t imagine anybody touching her the way Kakashi was.

“You’re mine,” he panted again against moist skin, his words almost drowning out the wet sound of her tight muscles suctioning him back inside when he tried to pull away.

She moaned again in agreement.

“Say it Sakura, say that you’re mine.”

“I’m yours,” she rasped hoarsely as he began to pick up the speed of his thrusting hips.

“Say my name,” he ordered.

“Kakashi, I’m yours! I’m only yours!”

Her voice spiraled into a scream as his pistoning length slammed into her mercilessly. Her arms tightened around his shoulders, fingernails digging into his skin as she felt her sex squeeze him tighter.

“Oh fuck!” he moaned.

Sakura shuddered against him as she reached her peak yet again, silky slick walls clamping down around him as she wailed his name. Kakashi couldn’t hold out against the way her body milked him or the passion in her voice and soon lost himself, exploding deep inside her in what had to be the most intense orgasm he’d ever had.

His fingers dug into soft flesh, no doubt bruising her, but she was too wrapped up in the pleasure to care. At last, his strength waned as he came down from his high and they both sunk to the floor, sweaty, disheveled and breathless.

The weight of what he had done and what he had said suddenly struck Kakashi as he watched her quiver helplessly, still recovering from her climax. He had made her proclaim that she was his alone when he had no business staking any claim on her at all. He wasn’t really a man who sought monogamous relationships, preferring strings of one night stands that lacked any sort of commitment, but it was painfully apparent that Sakura was a whole different story. Never had he been so enraged by the thought of a woman bedding a man besides himself. Never had he wanted to totally immerse himself in a woman’s world the way he did with her. He truly wanted to be with Sakura and explore whatever was developing between them, but at the same time, he was terrified to discover what those true feelings were.

She sniffled softly, finally raising her head to look at him with those captivating eyes and he could see she was confused and a little scared by his behavior. He didn’t blame her. He hadn’t acted any better than the men she danced for at the club.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice brimming with sincerity as he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle embrace, holding her close even as their bodies remained joined. “I didn’t mean to…I didn’t think…”

“I-I don’t want to sleep with him.”

He pulled away to look down at her. She looked so small and frail despite the fact that she was quite a formidable shinobi.

“I don’t want to do this Kakashi, but I have to. I don’t want a stranger touching me, being inside me. But I have to find Miyabi. I have to…”

Tears fell from her eyes, cutting wet trails down her cheeks and Kakashi was once again struck by that cursed feeling of helplessness as he held her without a clue as to what to do. All he could think of was to hold her close and let her cry, her tears soaking his shirt and jacket as she trembled in his arms. He hadn’t helped matters, instead making them worse as he had made her feel guilty about having to sleep with another man. This situation was spiraling out of control, growing steadily more chaotic since their first night together.

As he held her, stroking her back soothingly, he wondered if he was even in control at all anymore.

XXXXX

The girls had greeted Sakura upon her return, eager to learn all about her date with her new man, but right away they could sense that she was upset. Sakura had simply told them she had had an argument with him and didn’t want to talk about it. They respected her wishes and didn’t press the issue but she could tell they were still curious to learn what had happened.

The kunoichi had taken a long, hot shower, rinsing away the remains of sex with Kakashi and tried to clear her head and focus on the mission. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad sleeping with their yellow-eyed target. She only had to do it once and if she just put her mind in a different place, or even pretended it was Kakashi, perhaps she could make it bearable.

She hadn’t been able to focus clearly while he had been ravaging her against the wall, but she knew he had demanded she proclaim she was his, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. It could have been nothing more than words spoken in the heat of the moment, his testosterone levels and adrenaline heightened by the sex and the thought of her with another…but what if it was more than that? Did Kakashi really want her to be with him and only him, or was he really just threatened by the thought of another man showing her a better time than he had? Neither option seemed in character for her former teacher, and though she was eager to find out the meaning behind those words, trying to unravel the mystery did nothing more than make her head hurt. She would ask him what he had meant, even if she was afraid of his answer, but for now she had to focus on the mission, even if it meant another fruitless night of dancing without finding the targets she sought.

The last thing she felt like doing was applying copious amounts of makeup and fixing her hair, but it all came with the job. The art of transforming herself into a sultry vixen had lost some of its appeal after doing it night after night, but she made do, applying her makeup in various shades of pinks and purples to go with the pink outfit she was wearing. It was the very same one she had worn her first night working at Wet Dreams. She didn’t like wearing pink, figuring she already had to deal with her unusual hair color, but she couldn’t seem to make herself care that night. She curled her hair and slipped on black fishnet thigh highs and the same black heels she had worn during the day.

She was in no mood to play the seductress, but she had to do her best.

XXXXX

With the music blaring and the lights flashing, Sakura found it a little easier to slip into character. Her body seemed to operate on autopilot, her hips swaying and her hands wandering over her own body without much thought. A glance at the back of the room revealed that Kakashi was indeed at his usual spot at the bar, but his presence didn’t give her the thrill it normally did, their argument and coupling in his motel hallway still fresh in her mind.

The sex had been fantastic, no doubt about that, but his dominance and refusal to stop even when she had pleaded scared her a little. Kakashi was acting strangely, getting angry about things that shouldn’t have bothered him if their sexual relationship really was just for the sake of their mission. She needed to talk to him about it and ask him about his true feelings even though it scared her. It frightened her because it would mean examining her own feelings towards him.

She didn’t have time to ponder the topic further, for one song ended and another began, signaling it was time to remove her top.

She climbed up effortlessly onto the smooth, metal pole, hanging upside down with her legs wrapped around the pole to hold her secure. While suspended, she pulled the strings on her bikini top and let it fall to the floor, watching her enthusiastic audience cheer her on from a skewed perspective.

There sure were a lot of them there, men of all ages, all hair colors and all heights. She had even spotted a man who had hair the same color as her own, although he had practically shaved it off, leaving only a few centimeters of fuzz to betray he too was a natural pinkie.

She continued to scan the crowd, taking in her adoring fans when her eyes rested on a particular man. Unlike the others, he wasn’t waving money at her or hollering cat calls, but merely watching her quietly with a smirk on his lips, arms folded over his chest.

She focused in on him, still upside down, and his smirk deepened as if he knew she was watching him. Light colored hair. Clean shaven jaw, a broad forehead and sharp nose. Sakura gasped aloud and nearly fell from her pole when her eyes met his, and felt something cold clench in the pit of her stomach.

His eyes. His eyes were a near supernatural shade of yellow green.

It appeared that Sakura didn’t have to look anymore, for her target had come to her.

XXXXX

That’s all for now. The next update might be long in coming since I have a 15 page paper to write for one of my classes. Bleh!