Shadowed Guardian

A/N: I apologize for the length of time it took for my update, but I was working on the plot line of this fic, and several of my others. I do hope that you find this was worth the wait. And to those who read but didn't review....I appreciate the time you took in reading my story! :)





Shadowed Guardian

Chapter 2: The Chase Is On



"....so you understand why I've brought you two in. Sakura's escapes have to end", the brunette angrily stated; picking up a clear, hexagonal-shaped shot glass Sakura's adopted father tossed back it's amber contents which flowed smoothly down his throat, "due to her circumstances and position in society. Her foolishness simply cannot be allowed. I will not any further disobedience! She must grow up, realize her responsibilities and act accordingly."



Kakashi and Genma stood there silently wishing to be anywhere but in that room listening to their employer's rant about his daughter's lack of honor and responsibility. Personally, they didn't care about the reasons behind their new assignment. The money was all that occupied their minds. Of course, now that they were being paid damn good money, in a way, they had to at least put forth the appearance that they cared.



"She is to be wed in a month to the youngest Uchiha, Sasuke. Until then she is your responsibility. I don't care what you do as long as you keep her in your sight at all times. Both of you. Am I clear?"



Nodding, Genma agreed quickly. Kakashi, on the other hand, inwardly fumed. He despised the Uchiha's and their so called company! They'd fooled the public as to their true nature and business deals, but he knew all too well the darker side which the sons, Itachi and Sasuke, operated on. Carefully keeping his facial expressions neutral, his mouth twitched somewhat in anger.



"So you're leaving the methods completely up to us with no interference from you. Correct? Nodding his head once, Dasei gave his assent, willingly, to Kakashi.



"Do what you have to. It's rather simple for a complicated problem, is it not?" Smugly grinning, the head of the Haruno Corporation guessed his two newest employees had just recieved dynamite in a small package. They'd find out quickly what he'd been dealing with all this time. It'd be a pleasure to watch his daughter go from enflamed and wild to tame and demure.



Genma spun the senbon hanging in his mouth from one to side to the other. "Sometime's simple solutions aren't all that simple, Haruno. We have very few rules. One: Follow our instructions. Exactly as given. We say nothing that doesn't have a purpose. Two: Don't interfere- no matter what happens. You could make the situation worse. Three: What we say goes, in regards to safety concerns." Gesturing towards his partner he said, "Kakashi, here, is one of the best you'll find. Anywhere. And so am I."



Amused, Dasei replied, "Is that so?" Allowing his eyes to sweep over Kakashi, Dasei mentally chuckled. He appeared lazy, without motivation. But then again, he'd caught his runaway daughter , incapacitating her for the whole night. That was an achievement no one else could claim. Maybe this man had more behind him than meets the eye. He'd find out and soon. He was sure.



"It is", he replied. "I know Kakashi appears to be slouchy and lazy, but it's all a facade. He's deadly, and so am I. Which brings me to another of our rules." Looking at the silver-haired man beside him, Genma mumbled, "Let's see...that brings us to....four. Right, Kakashi?"



"Maybe." Feeling the stare of his partner Kakashi relented, "Okay, fine. You're right." He sighed, bored with this inconsequential meeting; wishing he could take a certain orange book from his black leather jacket. He longed to read the printed pages instead of babysitting a spoiled-rotten, selfish, albeit beautiful, heiress. Truthfully, he had mixed feelings about this assignment. The confusion began the moment the young woman literally ran into him. Jade eyes wide in fear and anger; her petite, lithe body tensed to flee. Immediately, he discerned she was frightened of him, yet she'd shown tremendous courage. Sakura was the first female, outside of the ones he'd trained with, to strike him more than once and escape without retribution. So he'd thought it best to use his Sharingan against her to squash her rebellion and uncooperative attitude.



He remembered the ride home. Strands of pink hair fell haphazardly across her face as she slept unconsciously next to him. So delicate and fragile, unprepared for the life as Sasuke Uchiha's future wife. But then again, she had a nasty temper so maybe she'd give him hell instead of being meek and mild.



The instant he thought of her with Sasuke a small region in his chest panged him. Imagining her wrapped lovingly in his arms; kissing him, moaning under his touch kicked the strange ache up a notch. What the hell? I must remain emotionless. That is my job. Focus on the job, not the girl. Think of the money, your principals, he wryly thought. Focus. Slowly, but surely, the pain disappeared leaving him to concentrate on the conversation taking place between Genma and Dasei.



Smirking, Genma muttered, "Rule four: Do not lie to us. Ever. You lie to us and your life is forfeit. Are we clear?" Genma placed his hands on his hips observing the other man as he took in everthing mentioned. Two clients made that fatal mistake and when word got around, the consequences of lying to the sexy, dangerously dark duo, no one chanced to repeat it.



"I understand", he replied without blinking an eye. Coldly glaring at the two bodyguards he stated, "So...I take it we understand each other then." His tone left no room for argument. "Now then gentlemen, our meeting is concluded and I have another in the next few minutes. So if you'll excuse me."



Moving smoothly, swiftly toward the door, Genma and Kakashi were eager to finish this assignment. Something didn't feel right. Quietly, the Sharingan user pondered the information given and there seemed to be blanks, missing parts in the conversation. For instance, Sakura's father didn't tell him previously about her impending marriage or why she continued to run away. There was more than they were being told, he was certain. Kakashi's bull shit detector blaring loudly in his head, he paused, turning his head slightly to glance at Dasei, who smiled, inclining his head at the man's suspiciousness. The smile reminiscent of a cruel man, a scientist, who harbored a perverse love of snakes, cold and vicious.



Genma tugged on his forearm signaling their time to exit. Finally.



The door swung open admitting several men, noticeably the first two who entered, their mortal enemies, Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha. Both were dressed in tailored Armani suits. Itachi wore the color of night, of seduction...black. It's shape fit the elder Uchiha's frame and build to a tee. The younger of the two, Sasuke, preferred a dark blue color comparable to his cold nature. It fit him well, clinging to his perfect, muscular body; accentuating his height and gorgeous looks.



Strolling into the office the brothers passed Genma and Kakashi. Passing by them, the whole moment passed by as if wrapped in a slow motion warp. The pointed glares, passing back and forth, the hostile stances as they moved....the hate between them as palpable as the skin under their clothes.



"Kakashi. Genma." Itachi spoke with cultured calmness which reflected a portion of his upbringing. Calm. A smooth exterior to mirror his interior. Cold. A veritable ice storm. That was Itachi Uchiha in a nutshell. Rarely did the man get angry enough to loose his temper or raise his voice. His brother was similar in that respect.



"Itachi. Sasuke." The newly hired "babysitters" prounounced their names with a coolness to match the elder Uchiha's tone. Keeping tempers and violent tendencies leashed, Genma and Kakashi forced themselves to walk on until another spoke their names, frigid malevolence in his voice; a smug smirk stretched wide, Sasuke, hands in his pants pocket addressed them.



"And what brings you two here? Trying to force your way into high society?"



"You may have been born high class, Uchiha, but you have no perception of what "class" really means. Or do you need a demonstration since you're such an amateur?"



Throwing out an obvious barb, the handsome brunette, senbon lodged firmly between his teeth winked at his cohort. He loved riling Sasuke up as much as the next person, but the Uchiha wasn't their focus, their reason for being here. Sakura was their objective. Her and her alone. Genma had best remember that. Kakashi would make him remember if he had too, but he was positive his friend would keep everything in perspective.



Sasuke noticed Kakashi feigning aloofness. In order to get Genma back for his insult, he lashed out at Kakashi. "Stay away from Sakura, Kakashi. She's my wife-to-be and I won't have her associating, nor subjected to low-class citizens such as yourself." And glaring at Genma, he ordered, "And you keep your hands off her and out of her pants, you slut. I'll not have her defiled by the likes of you."



Trading glares once more, Kakashi ended the ocular stare-down by shoving Genma out the door and shutting it firmly behind them. "What an asshole", Genma fired off. "How the hell did his own mother stand him?"



"Don't know and don't care. He's not our responsibility. Sakura is." Thinking of her, he abruptly mused aloud, "Speaking of which, let's go see how our little blossom's doing this morning."



Xxxxxxxx



“Wake up, sunshine”, a male voice softly caroled in her ear.



Sakura, laying on her stomach; sleeping peacefully, heard the voice calling to her, ordering her to wake, but the veil of fog refused to lift from her head. All she wanted was sleep. The young heiress felt the remnants of a hangover but to her recollection she'd been stone cold sober.



The voice continued trying to wake her. The sound of his voice was sexy, yet irritating this early in the morning. “Come on, beautiful. Time to rise and shine.”



Without opening her eyes or cracking a smile, she snapped, “Fuck you! Let me sleep!”



“That's not very ladylike language, Sakura.”



Head pounding, dizziness ensuing, she snapped, “Like I give a shit! I'm tired and it's too early in the freaking morning for this! Damn”, she growled irritated, “can't even get any decent rest without people bugging the shit out of you!” Still flat on her stomach, she punched her pillow fluffing it's cottony contents back to her satisfaction.



Slipping back into the fuzzy world of dreams where she'd been rudely interrupted, she screamed when a hand grabbed hold of her wrist flipping her over on to her back. “What the hell do you think you're doing”, she screeched.



Fuming, green eyes angrily staring, chest heaving with fury at the man who'd jerked her around like a puppet on a string. “What is your problem?”



Jaw clenched tight she stared directly into a dark eye, his other covered with a black eye patch, his hair shining, glowing silver in the sun's bright rays. Sakura winced as she felt the pressure from Kakashi's firm, and still squeezing, grip. Refusing to cry out and let him know he was hurting her, her eyes narrowed spitefully.



“What do you want”, she hissed. Her chest rapidly moving up and down from the sudden expulsion of air.



An eyebrow lifted at the irate tones coming from her mouth. His own jaw and teeth clenched tightly enough to break bones, he spoke low and authoratively, “Now that we have your undivided, and conscious, attention we have some things to discuss.”



“I need to go to the bathroom first, if you don't mind.”



Kakashi didn't seem to care. His posture, and face, remained unyielding, harsh and his revealed eye intimated she didn't want to mess with him, but she was too pissed off to worry about it.



“That's kind of random and out of the blue, don't you think, Kakashi?” Senbon perched perfectly at the corner of his mouth, Genma smirked. “I think she's already planning her escape, don't you?”



Sakura flipped him off. “You're a prick, Genma. I said I had to go to the bathroom. What do you think I'm going to do?” Her face sad, she added, “There's nothing I could possibly do to hurt either of you, or escape.” Pausing, she willed a slight bit of moisture to gather in her eyes and fall over her lashes. “Please”, she begged, “I've really got to go and I'm starting to hurt!”



Kakashi and Genma just stared at her theatrics. Both of them already had her game figured out. She'd play her cards and whatever she held in her hand, but the young girl would learn never play with professionals who'd been at it much longer and knew a bullshitter when they saw one.



Eventually, her pleading looks won Genma over, or so it seemed. “Come on, Kakashi. What could going to the bathroom hurt?”



“Your pride”, he retorted. “You know what she's capable of”, he added pointedly. Coupled with Sakura's penetrating, sorrowful stare; Genma's power of persuasion tthey won him over. Throwing his free hand up, he warned Genma, “Don't blame me if anything happens to everything you hold precious. And if she tries anything...she'll remain incapacitated for the duration of this job.” His piercing, dark eye glared at her and asked, “You understand?”



She nodded, replying she understood completely. The painful grip on her wrist loosed as Kakashi indicated with a nod towards Genma that he was to escort her. “Don't even think about it, Sakura”, he warned her in foresight.



“I'll try”, she retorted. Storming in the direction of her bathroom, pink strands swinging under the forceful motion. No sound coming from behind her she turned to see if maybe this once they'd try to trust her. If that was their line of thought...they'd fail. Miserably. Promptly, she noticed Genma on her heels. Damn! Figures. It seems she'd underestimated them as men. Usually all she had to do was bat her eyelashes, give an innocent look and she was home free. But it seemed it wouldn't work. Not with these two. Her brain immediately went to scouring for another plan.



“So why do you want to runaway? Why would you want to leave all this, Sakura?”



Instead of answering she turned away, fists clenched tightly. He wouldn't understand. None of them would. She had to escape. She had to get away.



And why did this man so unfamiliar ask her such personal questions? Why would he care one way or another how she felt and what she wanted? Her father sure as hell didn't!



Genma's curiosity got the better of him, as usual. A beautiful girl who had everything and she wanted none of it. A total contradiction in terms. Girls like that turned him on. It was instinct. Pure, unequivocal, male instinct and a certain mating call rang loudly in his ears; there was just one problem, one fly in the ointment so to speak. Kakashi. He'd seen his best friend's eye flare at the disinterest and dislike Sakura had shown towards them. That and she was the first woman, to his knowledge, that wasn't frightened to death of the Sharingan user. A contradiction indeed. One that would bring about the fall of a cold, lonely Kakashi.



He sighed at the loss, but his friend needed her more than he did. Besides Genma reasoned, he wasn't through skimming the field yet. Ther was lots of time before he finally settled for the yoke choke, which was his way of addressing the revered marital state.



She ignored his questions, pushing them aside as any others she didn't want to answer or discuss. Standing outside the bathroom door, she said, “I'll be out in a minute.”



“Oh, no you don't sweet heart.” Genma grabbed her arms holding her still. “You're not going anywhere without me and that includes the bathroom.”



Enraged at his comment, she fumed, “You can't do that! I'm a girl, you're a guy. Do the logistics of it...the math, whatever, you can't go with me, you pervert! Besides, I'm not about to let a guy watch me pee!”



“You can and will”, he answered firmly. “No exceptions.”



Momentarily accepting this defeat, Sakura quickly returned to the drawing board. Her mind devised a devious way of slipping away.



Gently smiling, she took his hand tugging him into the bathroom with her. An eyebrow lifted in surprise at her change of mind. Genma willingly allowed her to pull him in all the while wondering what her tactic would be. At some point it always turned to sex or sex appeal. Women knew how to get what they wanted with their bodies, come hither eyes and lollipop lips. All women except his sister, Tenten. She was mostly hopeless in that department. That and as her brother, Genma didn't allow a lot of males around her unless they were geeky, shy or easily frightened.



Genma's trail of thought vanished the instant Sakura's lips touched his. His hands automatically fell to her hips holding her snugly against him. Her small hands slipped from his neck, sliding slowly, languidly down his firm chest, fingers massaging gently. Kakashi's gonna kill me, he thought, but what the hell, this is worth dying for.



Their breath, warm and eager, rushed out over the other's face. Genma knew this had to be stopped and now. This was wrong! His best friend wanted her and this would be a betrayal in the worst sense. No, this couldn't continue.



Just when he was ready to push her away, she pulled back and then released her fist in a powerful blow to his gut. What the fuck? Lifing her leg, she spun in a low kick knocking him to the floor. Taken by surprise would be saying it lightly! He'd dropped his guard and gotten his ass kicked for it as a result! Kakashi would never allow him to live it down. Never. His eyes bulged as he realized that the dangling, silver object in her hands so happened to be the metallic handcuff key. “Shit!”



Cockily, she grinned. “Bet you never saw that coming, did you?” Triumphantly she held the key over his head while unlocking the cuff. “Just remember...big dynamite comes in small packages”, she bragged before running out the door.



Kakashi's gonna kill me, he repeated. Or he's gonna laugh his ass off one. Genma's head dropped to the floor feeling the first wave of unconsciousness assail him.



_



The moment Genma's body hit the floor, Kakashi had been prepared and threw his contingency plan into action. There were no doubts in his mind that Genma had thoroughly underestimated the little femme fatale. She was always used to getting her way. But not this time. He heard her boasts; her feet lightly thudding against the carpet as she ran, he nimbly sprang into motion.



_



Dashing into the elevator she pushed the lobby floor button repeatedly; wishing the doors would hurry and close before Kakashi caught her. Chest rising and falling rapidly, attempting to catche her breath Sakura wondered how much time she'd have before being found.



The elevator dinged indicating her destination. The doors slowly spread bringing into view the world beyond it. Spotting her father's limo directly past the front doors, she made a visual sweep of the area around the check-in desk and the front entrance. Nothing. No one. Good. No Kakashi, Genma or any of her father's moron squard. Perfect.



Sprinting from the elevator; exiting through the front entrance, she hurriedly climbed into the sophisticated and overstated vehicle. Strange. The privacy window was already shut. Maybe her father had just vacated the car and left it that way. Who knew?



Leaning back into the comfortably plush seats, the doors automatically locked earning a puzzled look as she glanced around, Sakura didn't even know the driver's identity as he started the car and pulled easily into the slowly flowing traffic.



Smiling, Sakura relaxed. Whoever was driving must be familiar with her haunts as he pulled up outside Yamanaka's. Inwardly she cheered. She needed to talk to Ino so bad...hell she wanted all her friends along with a beer or something alcoholic.



The car gently rolled to a stop. Eager to see Ino she pulled on the handle. Nothing. Trying several more times her frustration mounted. What the hell was going on? Still jiggling the handle, to no avail, it was still locked. Apparently, her driver had overridden all the controls meaning to keep her inside. Damn!



Hearing unidentifiable voices outside the car stopping outside her door she swallowed nervously. Who was it? Not knowing was driving her nuts. Sakura wanted to see who had the balls to do something like this to her.



Suddenly, the sound of the driver's door opening caught her anxious attention. I hope someone's about to let me out, she thought. I feel just a little claustrophobic already. Not funny in the least. Her door swung open emitting no squeaks, no sound. A hand, strong and large appeared in her line of sight.



Sakura happily accepted the hand thrust into the vehicle, helping her from it's dark confines. Abruptly, a metal cuff slammed into place. Glancing up in dazed anger; peering into Kakashi's dark eye, she cried out,”Shit! What the hell?!” Disbelief rocked her voice that he'd found her so soon. What was he part blood hound or something?



Stonily glaring at his mischievous charge, Kakashi muttered darkly, “Two can play your little game, Sakura.”



Staring down at the cuff back on her wrist, weighing heavily on her skin, in the metaphorical sense, her loss of freedom struck her hard.



Kakashi barked an order to a person she hadn't even known was there. A brunette, senbon dancing between his lips in amusement, smirked and waved. “Did you miss us, Sakura?” He promptly received a death glare from the pink haired girl which he dismissed.



Huffing and hurling obscenities at the pair, Sakura found herself being shoved back into the car as she saw Genma enter the driver's seat. This is so unfair, she screamed inwardly. What have I done to deserve this level of punishment?



“You appreciate nothing you have. No matter what anyone does for you it goes unnoticed or easily dismissed. You care for no one but yourself and your present behavior only adds to our assessment and conclusions about you. Personally speaking...you've done everything you could to earn what we're”, indicating with his head, “Genma and I are, dishing out.”



Silver hair falling over his eye patch, mouth set in a thin, firmly pressed line as he answered her unspoken question. The cold inclinations of his tone kept her from saying anything further. Kakashi knew he was being cruel but she had to start learning that the world wasn't going to bow and fall to it's knees whenever her way was thwarted. Things, life, didn't work that way and they never would.



Knocking on the smoky, dark privacy glass, Kakashi signaled it was time to move. The black, sleek limo's engine started. It's smooth, metal form lurched forward easing back into traffic, scenery passing by quickly becoming unrecognizable.



A clicking, metal sound attracted her attention. Green eyes stared in horror as Kakashi slapped the opposite cuff to his sturdy, left wrist. Shit! How could she get away now? Her face paled. There was simply no way to escape from this man, she felt it in her heart. He was too good. Not to mention he couldn't be swayed by her numerous charms. Aunlike that emotional retard, Genma. He thought he was Kami's gift to women. This is what her intelligence and his actions told her. Well, she thought amused, he sure got his! Sakura could honestly admit she'd received tremendous satisfaction from knocking the man on his ass.The need to get away pounded in her head. The feeling of suffocation choked her. This oppresive feeling rocked her senses, her chest tight with emotion, yet unsure how to proceed with the human hound at her side.



“Forget it, Sakura”, he warned. “You won't enjoy the consequences. Genma and I, however, may enjoy them immensely.” Kakashi sat stiffly in the seat beside the aggravated girl. He felt she needed a damned good spanking to curb her tongue and attitude. Sakura, a contradtion in many ways. She'd probably say at some point that she wasn't frightened when her body language clearly stated the opposite.



Could the insufferable man read minds to? This situation was more than unfair! Adrenaline still coarsing through her she snapped, “I'm not afraid of you.” Her eyes flashed angrily, face flushed, her body tensed in anticipation.



Leaning against her while the pressure forced her back further into the soft seat, he asked, “No?” His eye glared mercilessly at the girl cringing unaware at his side. He felt a little playtime was in order. Maybe that would change her selfish views.



Sakura licked her lips, worried about the repercussions, watching as his face grew closer. He moved ever nearer until his mouth hovered by her left ear. His warm breath tickled her skin; excited her senses despite the fact that at this moment she loathed him. This man, Kakashi, was dangerous! Of that she had no doubt. The ominous feeling aimed at her agreed with her assessment that he wore power as others wore their own clothes.



“No. I'm not afraid of you”, she repeated, a slight vibration in her voice betraying her brave statement.



Kakashi leaned further over her slim, slightly shaking body. Dangerously close, hovering, his mouth no longer by her ear but mere inches from her slightly trembling lips. “No?” He paused, his arms crossed over his muscular chest, his seemingly hungry, angry gaze swept over her, devouring her as he said, “Well you should be.”



His words reached her but the meaning eluded her in it's cryptic verbal puzzle. Hormones wreaking havoc with her senses, Sakura built up the strength, and the desire to push him away. Shoving him from their close encounter she hissed, “You don't know what it's like, what my life is like! To have your freedom stolen from you! First, my father. Then Sasuke. And now....I've lost it again due to you two fruit loops!” Her breath came faster from her impassioned speech.



“Am I ever allowed to breathe- without restraint, without feeling someone's over my shoulder, without experiencing love? She cried out to him, begging her to hear her pain, her wish. But he stayed silent.



Her powerful, teary words stretched out, filling the void between them. “Will I ever be allowed a moment of true freedom, Kakashi? A moment where I'm not constantly followed and someone's always checking on my whereabouts and what I'm doing. Is that too much to ask?” Her anguished voice dropped to a whisper. “Tell me what it's like.”



“Tell you what what's like?”



“Tell me what it's like to be free! To make your own decisions and choices. Like where you live, the job you do, the friends you have, the food you eat and who you'll marry.” Wrapping her arms around her upper body as best she could, because of the cuff on her right wrist, she looked at him with such sad eyes, “Tell me what it's like to really live! And not just exist, nor live life the way someone else dictates. Please, Kakashi?”



At first he was going to turn her down, deflect her request, but after she'd talked about the type of decisions and choices to be made, and often taken for granted, he decided to tell her whatever she wished to know. And so Kakashi broke his rule about discussing personal information with a client. Had she not pleaded so emotionally and passionately for it he'd have refused immediately.



Sakura listened intently, her temper calming as she listened to the many things he talked about. Some important and meaningful and others stupid and mundane, but she listened because it was her decision, her freedom of choice. And now was her time to fully exercise it! His stories took her away and soon her eyes drooped from weariness.



Kakashi's eyes slid down to the now sleeping, temperamental heiress. Her head had fallen to his shoulder; her face so innocent in sleep, he couldn't help himself as several strands had fallen over her eyes, he brushed them away without a second thought.



Abruptly his cell phone rang shattering the silence. He only hoped it wouldn't wake her with it's loud , ringing tone. Reaching into his black leather jacket, he retrieved the annoying object from one of his pockets. Flipping it open he answered, “Kakashi here.”



“She's here with me, sir.” Sighing in impatience at the voice on the other end he calmly explained their actions and their plans. “So you see we haven't kidnapped her. In fact, we're taking her for some survival training. She'll need it after she's married to Uchiha.”



Sakura slowly stirred at his side, his head tilted downwards to glance at her. For now, she was still fast asleep. Good. Relaxing a little, Kakashi kept his guard up. That was one thing he rarely let down for anyone or anything and it was always a really good reason when he did.



At first, Sakura's father was against them taking her out into the wilderness but after what the silver haired man said about Sasuke he readily agreed.



“When, sir? We'll have her back in about a week. Until then we'll speak only when she's asleep or away from the cabin.” Kakashi gave him prearranged times to call and requested that outside of those it was to be emergency only. “Yes, sir, we'll take good care of her, I promise. I understand.”



Kakashi closed his phone staring at it for a moment. For some strange and odd reason he felt as if this was a betrayal to the easy peace he'd acquired with Sakura. And that hadn't been an object easily obtained either. If everything backfired he only hoped it wouldn't bite him in the ass when all was said and done.



The car abruptly stopped in a wooded, secluded area. Genma let himself, then Kakashi out and the two of them began to plan and confer. It was unfortunate that neither of them saw a sleeping, or a faking, Sakura in the backseat, eyes squinched shut in pain, small tears of hurt leaking from the sides. She knew he couldn't be trusted! The bastard had been in contact with her father the whole time!



I'm so stupid, she raged. How could I let his good looks, hot body and moments of temporary insanity drag me in? Small fists clenched so tightly her hands and knuckles turned white; soon pain slipped in from the blood flow interruption in her fingers and hands. Releasing the unrelenting grip, the color rushed back, giving them a healthier appearance.



Genma and Kakashi, now standing on the porch, still talking, didn't see her climb quietly from the car, her legs aching to run and escape them both. Her body moving forward, her head twisted to look behind and spy on the actions of her jailors when she accidentally stepped on a twig; it's substance broken, snapping loudly, under her weight.



Their heads immediately shot up and saw her at the edge of a treeline. “Shit!”, she muttered angrily. Adrenaline fueled her movements as she saw them leap from the porch, their athletic bodies pumping hard to catch her before she did something stupid. Legs running hard, arms helping to propel her forward, pink hair streaming behind her, she ignored their shouts and again the chase was on.



A/N: Here's chapter 9 and I know it's a cliffy but I wasn't sure where else I wanted to stop it, so here it is and I'll try to get the next update out sooner. Thanx for reading!