Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ For The Pleasure of Her Company ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: evefaxton 
It was supposed to be a date, only one date!
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.03.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 359 | Status: Work In Progress
It was supposed to be a date, only one date!
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.03.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 359 | Status: Work In Progress
I do not own Naruto or make any profit from it.
Since no one on the other site wants to admit to reading this story, (numbers don't lie), I thought maybe the readers here would be more open minded.
To quote Kakashi, “Look underneath the underneath.”
Enjoy! :)
For The Pleasure of Her Company
Sakura's alarm clock went off at late in the afternoon and the insistent buzzing woke the kunoichi from a sweet dream of floating hearts and fluffy pink clouds. She sleepily tapped the button then sat up in a bed of satin sheets and ruffles. Stretching arms out and twisting left then right to clear the kinks in her spine, Sakura smiled from the memories of earlier in the day when soft lips pressed against her own and strong arms engulfed her in a tight embrace.
“Four o' clock... Only three hours to get ready,” She hopped from her bed and rushed into the bathroom. Her good mood bubbled higher than the suds in her pink hair, so much so that she found herself wanting to sing in the shower. Instead of fighting the urge, she stepped out of the shower, grabbed a hair brush, and belted with the radio at the top of her lungs. The new crack in the mirror didn't bother her one bit. She could always buy a new one tomorrow.
Sakura continued to hum a happy little tune as she arranged the war paint on her bathroom counter. If her make up went on without any difficulty then that was a good sign that her date will be fantastic. Foundation, blush, and eyeshadow were brushed on skin, making her glow like a princess. The black eyeliner glided perfectly across her lids on the first try. Then she picked up her new fake lashes and glued them in place without a hitch. After digging in her cosmetics drawer for fifteen minutes, Sakura found her go-to lipstick, the perfect shade of seashell pink that highlighted the green in her eyes without making her pale skin look washed out. For twenty minutes she worked magic with a blow dryer and curler then clipped a little black bow in her chin length hair. Several barrages of hairspray made sure not one pink strand was not going to move, even in hurricane force winds.
Satisfied with the hairdo, She knelt next to her bed and pulled out the long, big box that held tonight's special outfit. Once the lid was lifted, Sakura caught her breath to see a beautiful halter dress of red silk chiffon laying within the paper tissues. Underneath the dress was a specially designed corset, matching lace garters, and sheer black stockings, all courtesy of the shop. After hitching the corset around her torso, she gleefully shook out each stocking and slowly stretched the delicate fabric over her legs. Then she made sure to use the clips in fastening the lace edges to her garters. Unable to resist testing the push-up corset, Sakura hopped around her room and was delighted to see her bigger cleavage jiggle in response.
When she got the giggling under control, Sakura turned back to the last piece of clothing, “Alright enough playing around It's time to don the dress!” Careful not to snag the fabric on her heels, Sakura stepped into the middle and wiggled the dress up her legs, over the hips, and tied the halter straps behind her neck.
Smoothing down the skirt, she stood in front of the full length mirror then gave a quick twirl. The layered skirt flared open with every spin, showcasing her shapely legs and giving just a tiny peek of the garters. It was the perfect blend of sexy and sweet. Now with every pleat, stocking, and ribbon in place, there was only one tiny touch. Sakura picked up a little blue bottle, unscrewed the top to release the powdery scent in the air, and lightly swiped the applicator tip along the wrists then either side of her neck.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror and the woman sparkling before her definitely looked like a maiden in love, “I can't believe so much happened in so little time. It's almost like I've been living in a modern day fairytale. Nothing and I mean NOTHING can knock me off my cloud!” Familiar barking heard in the distance alerted Sakura that her date would soon be arriving. She rushed to the window, pushed the candy-colored petunias out of the way, and leaned over the sill.
Down the street came a huge tan and white colored dog with a young man dressed in a tux, riding on it's back. Kiba grinned with that trademark cocky grin and the light glinted off his left fang. He jumped off Akamaru's back and used chakra to climb the apartment wall to the window where his blushing date waited for him. She caught how his eye lingered on her fuller physique and Sakura sent another silent thanks to the shopkeeper.
He was quick to lift the bouquet of red roses then gave Sakura a kiss on the cheek, “Ready for the most romantic evening of your life, baby.”
She gathered the flowers in her arms and took a deep breath of their potent fragrance, “I am, if you are.” She held out a hand for him to take and they dropped out of the window, landing safely next to Akamaru. The huge dog lowered his body as Kiba lifted Sakura onto the dog's back then Kiba slipped behind her.
“Okay boy, onward to the first stop!” The dog barked before he took off running. They bounded along the pavement and when the streets became too crowded, Akamaru jumped over the people and onto the rooftops.
As curious citizens stared and red shingled roofs flew by them, Sakura turned her head to Kiba and asked, “Where are we going?”
He tightened his grip on her waist with a sly smile, “It's a surprise. But don't worry, we're almost there. Close your eyes now.”
“Must I,” she whined playfully.
“Humor me, babe.” And Kiba flashed his grin at momentarily forcing Sakura to blink from the glare. She kept her eyes squeezed shut until she felt Kiba's hands carry her off Akamaru then gently place her on the ground.
She fluttered her eyes open then stared at the sea of shimmering lights of the city below, “The top of the Hokage Monument? This is the secret romantic spot?”
Looking a bit unsure himself, Kiba still cleared his throat then swept his arm wide, “Not an original idea, but you must admit the view of Konoha from here is breathtaking and what better place for quality entertainment than Mother Nature herself. The night wind dances with the trees and the stars are shining like diamonds. They all beg for our attention tonight. Shouldn't we indulge them?” He unwrapped a blanket hiding in a packet attached to Akamaru and spread it on the grass.
Sakura smiled at how smoothly he presented their hometown and she cooed, “My Kiba, you have the touch of a poet in your soul. Impressive.”
Suddenly feeling awkward from Sakura's compliment, he scratched the back of his neck and replied, “Er, thank you. How about them stars?” He directed her attention to a blanket spread out on the grass and they sat down to enjoy the view. As minutes ticked away, they sat on the ground and watched the stars twinkle at them. Nice as the night sky was, Sakura nervously searched for someway to begin a deep conversation.
Sakura blurted out, “Do another one. Only longer,” Holding clasped hands in begging, she gazed at him with pleading green eyes.
He went stiff then tried to covertly wave his hand in the air behind him, “Another what?”
She smiled brightly and tapped him on the knee, “A poem, silly.”
“Oh, I don't usually do stuff like that out of the blue. Inspiration's gotta hit me, you know,” His arm swung out and pointed to a random star far left of Sakura's vision, “Wow, look at that star. It's really bright! I bet that's gotta be an old super nova.”
She turned to see which one he pointed to, “Where, where? Um... Are you sure, 'cause I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Kiba?” Sakura looked back at her date only to find the spot next to her empty.
“Kiba, hello? Where did he go?” She stood, circled around to catch a glimpse of him in the shadows and even looked for Akamaru who managed to disappear as well, “Are we all playing Hide-And-Seek now?” When five minutes passed, her foot began tapping out of annoyance. Then Sakura realized that she should give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he needed some privacy in case he had to answer nature's call.
He returned with a grin wider than usual and opened his mouth to explain when Sakura stopped him by raising a hand.
“Not a big deal, Kiba,” she said giving him an awkward smile, “When ya' gotta to go, you gotta to go.”
His eyes rolled upwards and shrugged his shoulders high, “Ah right, you got me! Guess I had too much soda earlier.”
“So now that is out of the way, we can sit down and cuddle,” She sat back down on the blankets and patted the spot next to her. He obliged and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Sakura's cheeks turned a soft rose color and folded hands on her lap, “Since we've managed to get a few minutes alone. I thought now might be a discrete time to bring up that sensitive subject we've been avoiding for a while now.”
Kiba tugged at his collar then lowered his voice to a soft growl, “Uh, we're not as alone as you might think,” he gestured to a bunch of bushes that flashed a soft light before shaking for a few seconds, “Maybe we should wait until we get to the restaurant. It'll be so busy in there, we might have more privacy.”
Also frustrated from the intrusion, she leaned back with Kiba, “You're right. Let's just enjoy the quiet while we can. We're due at The Butterfly Lounge after sunset.”
Kiba rolled his eyes around and grinned mischievously, “We don't have to be prompt. No sense being first in line, only to be bored to death waiting for everyone else to arrive.”
Sakura drew closer to his side, “I agree. Nothing like being fashionably late and making a grand entrance.”
An hour after a good-sized crowd had gathered at the restaurant entrance, Kiba and Sakura fell in line with the rest of the guests. They stood behind a couple dressed in more traditional kimonos and Sakura was surprised to recognized the two Hyuugas standing before them.
“Good evening, Kou-san,” Sakura nodded to her friend and lightly touched the expensive embroidery on Hinata's kimono, “And how lovely you look, Hinata. Pardon my asking, but where is Shino? Aren't you supposed to be on the date with him.”
Hinata stuck out her lower lip in a pout and threw a hateful glare toward Kou, “My father has decided that Kou will be my chaperone for tonight.”
Sakura slumped in disappointment for her friend, “Good grief! I don't understand why your father won't let Shino honor his obligation to you. It's so unfair.”
Hinata shrugged, “That may be, but with patience and wisdom, one can find the path to enlightenment and contentment. Specifically, in five... four... three... two-”. Hinata stepped closer to Kou and gave his sleeve a tug, “Kou-san, didn't you say that Samui-san was supposed to be at her hotel packing to leave? Because I see her heading this way.”
Activating his kekkei genkai, Kou looked to the north then gasped, “Oh no, how did she know I'd be here?!” Sure enough there was Samui, that cool, calculating, conniving kunoichi who could stop a man's heart at a hundred paces with her killer curves and icy blue eyes. She marched down the street, rocking a skin-tight dress with sky-high heels.
Hinata gasped and lightly slapped her own cheek, “Dear me! Maybe I should have not mentioned to Omoi-san that you would be accompanying me to the Akimichi restaurant. Looks like I'll need to find another date tonight!” She bowed politely to her friends, “Kiba, Sakura, if you will excuse me.”
Kou wailed after his young cousin as she tottered away to find Shino, “Hinata-sama, don't leave me with that man-eater!”
It was too late for him. The crowd parted and let the voluptuous blond kunoichi of the Kumokagure shinobi walk through. The blond locked her sights on the frightened man and stalked toward her prey.
Samui pushed Kou into the brick wall, grabbed him by the collar, and lowered his gaze down to her level, “There will be no more running, no hiding, and no hunting you down, Kou. Tonight, you will eat a sumptuous meal with me. I will laugh at your sparkling conversation. Then we'll head back to my hotel for earth-shattering, mind blowing sex until every last bit of our energy is spent. Understood, Hyuuga?”
Caught by the intense heat in her blue eyes, he nodded mutely then let himself be dragged by the kunoichi to the top of the line and they smoothly passed through the velvet rope without any resistance from the concierge.
Kiba blew out a long whistle, ““That was rather aggressive of her. I don't think I've ever heard so much as a peep out of that woman the entire time Kumo's been visiting Konoha.”
Sakura muttered, “I suppose when your biological clock is ticking, it helps to cut through the crap.”
When they reached the head of the line, the concierge held his palm out and asked Kiba, “Welcome to the Butterfly Lounge. Invitation, please.”
Kiba smiled, reached into his coat pocket, and gave the waiting concierge a white envelope. The man opened the envelope and slid out the little card. Sakura wasn't sure, but she thought she caught a glimpse of some money. But the entire envelope was secreted away before she could confirm it.
“Go on then,” sighed the concierge, “Good thing for you tips are slow tonight.” He unhooked the velvet rope and waved them through.
“What did he mean by that,” Sakura scratched her forehead in confusion.
Kiba laughed and patted his date's hand, “Ignore him. He's just jealous that he has to cater for this exclusive party instead of being invited.”
A hostess appeared from out of nowhere, bowed before the couple, then redirected them through a long hall filled with lit candles and strategically positioned vases of roses with signs advertising various florist shops. At the end of the hall was a heavy velvet curtain and the hostess pressed a button which made the curtain pull back revealing a huge ballroom filled with soft music and delicious food. Soft candlelight and a mirror ball high overhead offered the romantic lighting that would make the ugliest duckling shine like a swan. Couples mingled about the restaurant, having a good time eating, dancing, and enjoying intimate romantic moments.
The conductor from the band held up a hand to halt the music then redirected the audience's attention, “And here they are. Our star couple of the night, folks! Please help me welcome Inuzuka Kiba and Haruno Sakura to the Butterfly Lounge.” A bright spotlight flashed onto Sakura and Kiba's position and they plastered forced smiles on their faces despite the stinging in their eyes.
As polite applause erupted from around and below, Kiba proudly held out the crook of his arm and Sakura dutifully wrapped a hand around it. They walked down the middle of the staircase as the spotlight followed them down to the dance floor. There was a hostess waiting for them at the bottom and led them around the other guests before seating them at their table, where they had a fabulous view of the dance floor. They automatically moved their chairs from opposite sides of the small table to side by side, sitting merely a hand's width apart.
Sakura looked around the room and searched for familiar faces. Kakashi was busy planting kisses on Kurenai's arm in their little corner. Hinata had found Shino and they were walking for the dance floor where Neji and Tenten were already enjoying each other's company. Kou was fighting his baser instinct as Samui made life for him very, very hard and Sai drew portrait after portrait of the luscious Mizukage as she posed for the intense artist. Sakura did a double-take to see Naruto and Kauri sitting well within each other's personal space that didn't involve fighting fists. A quick shake of her head and Kauri flipped a portion of her red hair over the shoulder, revealing that she was embroiled in an arm wrestling match with Naruto.
Sakura tapped Kiba and pointed out her teammate, “How about that!”
Just as amazed, Kiba grinned at the sight, “At least they stopped beating on each other for the night.”
As happy as she was to see so many people, there was someone missing. Sakura couldn't put her finger on who until Chouji walked in with Sabuku Temari hanging off his arm. Yamanaka Ino! She searched the shadows, but her best friend was nowhere to be found.
'Damn you, Ino-pig.' Sakura crossed arms and seethed in her seat, 'She's late on purpose so she could upstage Kiba and mine's grand entrance.'
“Something bothering you, Sakura-chan?” Kiba reached over to his date and softly drew a palm along her cheek. He easily redirected her attention to him by gazing deeply in her eyes until Sakura felt like melting into his arms.
She leaned her shoulder into his and sighed, “Nothing's bothering me anymore, Kiba-kun.”
“That's good,” Kiba smiled as he looked into beautiful green eyes, “Because I really wanted to ask you something important.”
As their foreheads drew closer together, Kiba took Sakura by the hand and murmured, “Would you go on another date with me, Sakura? A real one. When all this craziness has died down, I would like to take what we have going on a lot more seriously.”
She nodded, “Admittedly, it's difficult to have a real relationship when there's so many people sticking their noses in your business. But I'm willing to take that chance in taking this to the next level, Kiba-kun.”
Kiba gave her fingertip a light kiss and as they drew closer, their hands became further entwined. She heard her own breath quicken from the anticipation of tasting Kiba's lips again.
They moved at the same time, pressing their mouths together with abandon in a long, slow, smoldering kiss. His lips felt firm and confident against her own that made Sakura hungry for more of him. She in turn encouraged Kiba further by boldly caressing her tongue over his sharp canines and she felt the feral growl rumble within his throat.
There was some commotion from the a corner of the restaurant, but none that mattered to the kissing couple. The world could be on fire and they would remain lip-locked until Kiba and Sakura decided they had their fill of each other. She heard an annoyed female voice try to get her attention in the distance. But as long as Kiba's tongue was doing such wonderful things, there was no way Sakura was gonna break away.
“Fine then, Forehead,” quipped Ino then held up her camera and snapped a photo, “I'll just head back to my date and suck face for an hour too. Hmph!” The blond woman swirled around, stuck her nose the air, and sashayed over to the stoic red-head waiting in one of the VIP booths.
When they finally broke the kiss, Kiba murmured while dragging his lips along Sakura's chin and ear, “Did you hear something?”
“Just Ino's bitching again.” Sakura drew in a sharp breath from the shivers Kiba kept sending down her spine then whimpered when his fangs dragged lightly along the skin.
“Did you know that you make the cutest sounds when I kiss you.”
She opened half-lidded eyes to look straight into Kiba's brown eyes, “Do I?”
He nodded, “Very delicate, very sweet.”
She smiled and whispered for only him to hear, “You know what else sounds really sweet?”
He turned to nuzzle the tip of his nose with hers, “Hmmm?”
“A thousand ryo,” Sakura reared backwards in her chair as she opened a palm that expected to be filled. It was supposed to be a simple business transaction, but she couldn't stop a smile from breaking through.
She went into a fit of giggles and tried to stop a blush, “I'm sorry. Very unprofessional of me to giggle like a silly little girl, but A THOUSAND! That amount of money still sends me to the moon. To think that a handsome young gentleman would shell out that kind of cash for me is amazing! It's done wonders for my self-esteem, I can tell you. Anyways, you said earlier that you would pay me once we were at the restaurant and here we are.”
“Ah, yes. Here we are,” He fumbled with a napkin and looked ready to run. Sakura wondered why all of sudden all the noise died down and she felt the entire room go still. She looked around at the people pretending not to be listening then returned to Kiba, who was looking at someone in the distance, possibly his teammates. Sakura wondered what kind of advice the rest of Team Eight was relaying to him. But when she looked over her shoulder, Shino and Hinata were back to slow dancing in the middle of the dance floor. Hinata gave her friend a reassuring smile and continued to enjoy swaying to the music in Shino's arms.
Getting that troubled feeling in the pit of her stomach, Sakura looked to her date for reassurance, “Is everything alright, Kiba?”
His shoulders slouched then looked his date in the eye, “The truth is, Sakura. I don't have the money. My whole paycheck was spent the moment I got it and I'm broke for the next two weeks. I can't even cover for this dinner.”
Sakura laughed at the absurdity of Inuzuka Kiba being broke then stopped when she saw that he was serious, “You're not joking. The money's really gone? I don't understand. What about the envelope? How could this have happened?”
He dropped his head into his hands and moaned, “It wasn't supposed to happen to begin with and I certainly didn't mean for our date to go this far. Somehow things got carried away and I felt sorry for you-”
“You felt sorry for me,” squeaked Sakura. Kiba's words faded to the background as blood rushed hot and furious through her entire body, making her glowing fists tighten.
Kiba paled with fear, making his red clan marks stand out further, and held his hands up to placate her, “Wait! That came out wrong. It's just that you looked so pitiful after you tripped and everyone knew that you would be upset if you were bought as cheap as Anko.”
“Hey,” came a shout from the other side of the restaurant.
His words came faster as Kiba tried to defend himself, “You see, all I wanted to do was get the ball rolling, but then Shino's bugs kept messing around in my pants.”
Tilting her head slightly, Sakura went slack jawed from the mental image, 'How the hell does Shino fit in this? Or anyone else for that matter. Oh my god, everyone I know is here and they're watching!'
She gripped the table's edge in horror, 'INO! INO IS HERE!' A quick glance to the left revealed her best friend with a evil devil's grin that grew bigger than what should be physically possible for a human being. Sakura felt the room spin around her like some sadistic merry-go-round. At the same time, humiliation heaped onto her shoulders in wave after wave as friends' faces mirrored her own shock and confusion.
'If he couldn't even cover tonight's dinner, what was gonna happen? Disappearing while sticking me with the check or us washing dishes? How dare he do this to me and in public!' Sakura felt her temper rise higher and quicker than it had in a very long time, taking only a few seconds for her to reach boiling point. She could feel the rush of blood to her head and struggled to keep a tight lid on her turbulent emotions.
'But it's okay. I'm in control of my feelings and I'll let the anger roll off my back,' She could hold out and keep her composure as long as Kiba didn't do or say one more stupid thing.
“...Everyone assumed that Lee would have more than enough money and then I wouldn't have to pay-”
Blind rage took over as Sakura sprang from her chair and her fist shot out with Kiba still in the middle of pronouncing the next word. He went flying backwards through tables, chairs, then eventually crashing into the wall adjacent to the kitchen. When the dust cloud cleared, Sakura still had her fist in the air and she heaved heavily from the strain of getting her temper under control. Kiba was lying under a pile of rubble with the kitchen staff gawking down at what used to be the dessert station.
A waitress peered at Kiba's twitching foot and whispered what everyone wondered, “Is he dead?”
Converting /tmp/phpc6HWB5 to /dev/stdout
Since no one on the other site wants to admit to reading this story, (numbers don't lie), I thought maybe the readers here would be more open minded.
To quote Kakashi, “Look underneath the underneath.”
Enjoy! :)
For The Pleasure of Her Company
Sakura's alarm clock went off at late in the afternoon and the insistent buzzing woke the kunoichi from a sweet dream of floating hearts and fluffy pink clouds. She sleepily tapped the button then sat up in a bed of satin sheets and ruffles. Stretching arms out and twisting left then right to clear the kinks in her spine, Sakura smiled from the memories of earlier in the day when soft lips pressed against her own and strong arms engulfed her in a tight embrace.
“Four o' clock... Only three hours to get ready,” She hopped from her bed and rushed into the bathroom. Her good mood bubbled higher than the suds in her pink hair, so much so that she found herself wanting to sing in the shower. Instead of fighting the urge, she stepped out of the shower, grabbed a hair brush, and belted with the radio at the top of her lungs. The new crack in the mirror didn't bother her one bit. She could always buy a new one tomorrow.
Sakura continued to hum a happy little tune as she arranged the war paint on her bathroom counter. If her make up went on without any difficulty then that was a good sign that her date will be fantastic. Foundation, blush, and eyeshadow were brushed on skin, making her glow like a princess. The black eyeliner glided perfectly across her lids on the first try. Then she picked up her new fake lashes and glued them in place without a hitch. After digging in her cosmetics drawer for fifteen minutes, Sakura found her go-to lipstick, the perfect shade of seashell pink that highlighted the green in her eyes without making her pale skin look washed out. For twenty minutes she worked magic with a blow dryer and curler then clipped a little black bow in her chin length hair. Several barrages of hairspray made sure not one pink strand was not going to move, even in hurricane force winds.
Satisfied with the hairdo, She knelt next to her bed and pulled out the long, big box that held tonight's special outfit. Once the lid was lifted, Sakura caught her breath to see a beautiful halter dress of red silk chiffon laying within the paper tissues. Underneath the dress was a specially designed corset, matching lace garters, and sheer black stockings, all courtesy of the shop. After hitching the corset around her torso, she gleefully shook out each stocking and slowly stretched the delicate fabric over her legs. Then she made sure to use the clips in fastening the lace edges to her garters. Unable to resist testing the push-up corset, Sakura hopped around her room and was delighted to see her bigger cleavage jiggle in response.
When she got the giggling under control, Sakura turned back to the last piece of clothing, “Alright enough playing around It's time to don the dress!” Careful not to snag the fabric on her heels, Sakura stepped into the middle and wiggled the dress up her legs, over the hips, and tied the halter straps behind her neck.
Smoothing down the skirt, she stood in front of the full length mirror then gave a quick twirl. The layered skirt flared open with every spin, showcasing her shapely legs and giving just a tiny peek of the garters. It was the perfect blend of sexy and sweet. Now with every pleat, stocking, and ribbon in place, there was only one tiny touch. Sakura picked up a little blue bottle, unscrewed the top to release the powdery scent in the air, and lightly swiped the applicator tip along the wrists then either side of her neck.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror and the woman sparkling before her definitely looked like a maiden in love, “I can't believe so much happened in so little time. It's almost like I've been living in a modern day fairytale. Nothing and I mean NOTHING can knock me off my cloud!” Familiar barking heard in the distance alerted Sakura that her date would soon be arriving. She rushed to the window, pushed the candy-colored petunias out of the way, and leaned over the sill.
Down the street came a huge tan and white colored dog with a young man dressed in a tux, riding on it's back. Kiba grinned with that trademark cocky grin and the light glinted off his left fang. He jumped off Akamaru's back and used chakra to climb the apartment wall to the window where his blushing date waited for him. She caught how his eye lingered on her fuller physique and Sakura sent another silent thanks to the shopkeeper.
He was quick to lift the bouquet of red roses then gave Sakura a kiss on the cheek, “Ready for the most romantic evening of your life, baby.”
She gathered the flowers in her arms and took a deep breath of their potent fragrance, “I am, if you are.” She held out a hand for him to take and they dropped out of the window, landing safely next to Akamaru. The huge dog lowered his body as Kiba lifted Sakura onto the dog's back then Kiba slipped behind her.
“Okay boy, onward to the first stop!” The dog barked before he took off running. They bounded along the pavement and when the streets became too crowded, Akamaru jumped over the people and onto the rooftops.
As curious citizens stared and red shingled roofs flew by them, Sakura turned her head to Kiba and asked, “Where are we going?”
He tightened his grip on her waist with a sly smile, “It's a surprise. But don't worry, we're almost there. Close your eyes now.”
“Must I,” she whined playfully.
“Humor me, babe.” And Kiba flashed his grin at momentarily forcing Sakura to blink from the glare. She kept her eyes squeezed shut until she felt Kiba's hands carry her off Akamaru then gently place her on the ground.
She fluttered her eyes open then stared at the sea of shimmering lights of the city below, “The top of the Hokage Monument? This is the secret romantic spot?”
Looking a bit unsure himself, Kiba still cleared his throat then swept his arm wide, “Not an original idea, but you must admit the view of Konoha from here is breathtaking and what better place for quality entertainment than Mother Nature herself. The night wind dances with the trees and the stars are shining like diamonds. They all beg for our attention tonight. Shouldn't we indulge them?” He unwrapped a blanket hiding in a packet attached to Akamaru and spread it on the grass.
Sakura smiled at how smoothly he presented their hometown and she cooed, “My Kiba, you have the touch of a poet in your soul. Impressive.”
Suddenly feeling awkward from Sakura's compliment, he scratched the back of his neck and replied, “Er, thank you. How about them stars?” He directed her attention to a blanket spread out on the grass and they sat down to enjoy the view. As minutes ticked away, they sat on the ground and watched the stars twinkle at them. Nice as the night sky was, Sakura nervously searched for someway to begin a deep conversation.
Sakura blurted out, “Do another one. Only longer,” Holding clasped hands in begging, she gazed at him with pleading green eyes.
He went stiff then tried to covertly wave his hand in the air behind him, “Another what?”
She smiled brightly and tapped him on the knee, “A poem, silly.”
“Oh, I don't usually do stuff like that out of the blue. Inspiration's gotta hit me, you know,” His arm swung out and pointed to a random star far left of Sakura's vision, “Wow, look at that star. It's really bright! I bet that's gotta be an old super nova.”
She turned to see which one he pointed to, “Where, where? Um... Are you sure, 'cause I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Kiba?” Sakura looked back at her date only to find the spot next to her empty.
“Kiba, hello? Where did he go?” She stood, circled around to catch a glimpse of him in the shadows and even looked for Akamaru who managed to disappear as well, “Are we all playing Hide-And-Seek now?” When five minutes passed, her foot began tapping out of annoyance. Then Sakura realized that she should give the guy the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he needed some privacy in case he had to answer nature's call.
He returned with a grin wider than usual and opened his mouth to explain when Sakura stopped him by raising a hand.
“Not a big deal, Kiba,” she said giving him an awkward smile, “When ya' gotta to go, you gotta to go.”
His eyes rolled upwards and shrugged his shoulders high, “Ah right, you got me! Guess I had too much soda earlier.”
“So now that is out of the way, we can sit down and cuddle,” She sat back down on the blankets and patted the spot next to her. He obliged and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Sakura's cheeks turned a soft rose color and folded hands on her lap, “Since we've managed to get a few minutes alone. I thought now might be a discrete time to bring up that sensitive subject we've been avoiding for a while now.”
Kiba tugged at his collar then lowered his voice to a soft growl, “Uh, we're not as alone as you might think,” he gestured to a bunch of bushes that flashed a soft light before shaking for a few seconds, “Maybe we should wait until we get to the restaurant. It'll be so busy in there, we might have more privacy.”
Also frustrated from the intrusion, she leaned back with Kiba, “You're right. Let's just enjoy the quiet while we can. We're due at The Butterfly Lounge after sunset.”
Kiba rolled his eyes around and grinned mischievously, “We don't have to be prompt. No sense being first in line, only to be bored to death waiting for everyone else to arrive.”
Sakura drew closer to his side, “I agree. Nothing like being fashionably late and making a grand entrance.”
An hour after a good-sized crowd had gathered at the restaurant entrance, Kiba and Sakura fell in line with the rest of the guests. They stood behind a couple dressed in more traditional kimonos and Sakura was surprised to recognized the two Hyuugas standing before them.
“Good evening, Kou-san,” Sakura nodded to her friend and lightly touched the expensive embroidery on Hinata's kimono, “And how lovely you look, Hinata. Pardon my asking, but where is Shino? Aren't you supposed to be on the date with him.”
Hinata stuck out her lower lip in a pout and threw a hateful glare toward Kou, “My father has decided that Kou will be my chaperone for tonight.”
Sakura slumped in disappointment for her friend, “Good grief! I don't understand why your father won't let Shino honor his obligation to you. It's so unfair.”
Hinata shrugged, “That may be, but with patience and wisdom, one can find the path to enlightenment and contentment. Specifically, in five... four... three... two-”. Hinata stepped closer to Kou and gave his sleeve a tug, “Kou-san, didn't you say that Samui-san was supposed to be at her hotel packing to leave? Because I see her heading this way.”
Activating his kekkei genkai, Kou looked to the north then gasped, “Oh no, how did she know I'd be here?!” Sure enough there was Samui, that cool, calculating, conniving kunoichi who could stop a man's heart at a hundred paces with her killer curves and icy blue eyes. She marched down the street, rocking a skin-tight dress with sky-high heels.
Hinata gasped and lightly slapped her own cheek, “Dear me! Maybe I should have not mentioned to Omoi-san that you would be accompanying me to the Akimichi restaurant. Looks like I'll need to find another date tonight!” She bowed politely to her friends, “Kiba, Sakura, if you will excuse me.”
Kou wailed after his young cousin as she tottered away to find Shino, “Hinata-sama, don't leave me with that man-eater!”
It was too late for him. The crowd parted and let the voluptuous blond kunoichi of the Kumokagure shinobi walk through. The blond locked her sights on the frightened man and stalked toward her prey.
Samui pushed Kou into the brick wall, grabbed him by the collar, and lowered his gaze down to her level, “There will be no more running, no hiding, and no hunting you down, Kou. Tonight, you will eat a sumptuous meal with me. I will laugh at your sparkling conversation. Then we'll head back to my hotel for earth-shattering, mind blowing sex until every last bit of our energy is spent. Understood, Hyuuga?”
Caught by the intense heat in her blue eyes, he nodded mutely then let himself be dragged by the kunoichi to the top of the line and they smoothly passed through the velvet rope without any resistance from the concierge.
Kiba blew out a long whistle, ““That was rather aggressive of her. I don't think I've ever heard so much as a peep out of that woman the entire time Kumo's been visiting Konoha.”
Sakura muttered, “I suppose when your biological clock is ticking, it helps to cut through the crap.”
When they reached the head of the line, the concierge held his palm out and asked Kiba, “Welcome to the Butterfly Lounge. Invitation, please.”
Kiba smiled, reached into his coat pocket, and gave the waiting concierge a white envelope. The man opened the envelope and slid out the little card. Sakura wasn't sure, but she thought she caught a glimpse of some money. But the entire envelope was secreted away before she could confirm it.
“Go on then,” sighed the concierge, “Good thing for you tips are slow tonight.” He unhooked the velvet rope and waved them through.
“What did he mean by that,” Sakura scratched her forehead in confusion.
Kiba laughed and patted his date's hand, “Ignore him. He's just jealous that he has to cater for this exclusive party instead of being invited.”
A hostess appeared from out of nowhere, bowed before the couple, then redirected them through a long hall filled with lit candles and strategically positioned vases of roses with signs advertising various florist shops. At the end of the hall was a heavy velvet curtain and the hostess pressed a button which made the curtain pull back revealing a huge ballroom filled with soft music and delicious food. Soft candlelight and a mirror ball high overhead offered the romantic lighting that would make the ugliest duckling shine like a swan. Couples mingled about the restaurant, having a good time eating, dancing, and enjoying intimate romantic moments.
The conductor from the band held up a hand to halt the music then redirected the audience's attention, “And here they are. Our star couple of the night, folks! Please help me welcome Inuzuka Kiba and Haruno Sakura to the Butterfly Lounge.” A bright spotlight flashed onto Sakura and Kiba's position and they plastered forced smiles on their faces despite the stinging in their eyes.
As polite applause erupted from around and below, Kiba proudly held out the crook of his arm and Sakura dutifully wrapped a hand around it. They walked down the middle of the staircase as the spotlight followed them down to the dance floor. There was a hostess waiting for them at the bottom and led them around the other guests before seating them at their table, where they had a fabulous view of the dance floor. They automatically moved their chairs from opposite sides of the small table to side by side, sitting merely a hand's width apart.
Sakura looked around the room and searched for familiar faces. Kakashi was busy planting kisses on Kurenai's arm in their little corner. Hinata had found Shino and they were walking for the dance floor where Neji and Tenten were already enjoying each other's company. Kou was fighting his baser instinct as Samui made life for him very, very hard and Sai drew portrait after portrait of the luscious Mizukage as she posed for the intense artist. Sakura did a double-take to see Naruto and Kauri sitting well within each other's personal space that didn't involve fighting fists. A quick shake of her head and Kauri flipped a portion of her red hair over the shoulder, revealing that she was embroiled in an arm wrestling match with Naruto.
Sakura tapped Kiba and pointed out her teammate, “How about that!”
Just as amazed, Kiba grinned at the sight, “At least they stopped beating on each other for the night.”
As happy as she was to see so many people, there was someone missing. Sakura couldn't put her finger on who until Chouji walked in with Sabuku Temari hanging off his arm. Yamanaka Ino! She searched the shadows, but her best friend was nowhere to be found.
'Damn you, Ino-pig.' Sakura crossed arms and seethed in her seat, 'She's late on purpose so she could upstage Kiba and mine's grand entrance.'
“Something bothering you, Sakura-chan?” Kiba reached over to his date and softly drew a palm along her cheek. He easily redirected her attention to him by gazing deeply in her eyes until Sakura felt like melting into his arms.
She leaned her shoulder into his and sighed, “Nothing's bothering me anymore, Kiba-kun.”
“That's good,” Kiba smiled as he looked into beautiful green eyes, “Because I really wanted to ask you something important.”
As their foreheads drew closer together, Kiba took Sakura by the hand and murmured, “Would you go on another date with me, Sakura? A real one. When all this craziness has died down, I would like to take what we have going on a lot more seriously.”
She nodded, “Admittedly, it's difficult to have a real relationship when there's so many people sticking their noses in your business. But I'm willing to take that chance in taking this to the next level, Kiba-kun.”
Kiba gave her fingertip a light kiss and as they drew closer, their hands became further entwined. She heard her own breath quicken from the anticipation of tasting Kiba's lips again.
They moved at the same time, pressing their mouths together with abandon in a long, slow, smoldering kiss. His lips felt firm and confident against her own that made Sakura hungry for more of him. She in turn encouraged Kiba further by boldly caressing her tongue over his sharp canines and she felt the feral growl rumble within his throat.
There was some commotion from the a corner of the restaurant, but none that mattered to the kissing couple. The world could be on fire and they would remain lip-locked until Kiba and Sakura decided they had their fill of each other. She heard an annoyed female voice try to get her attention in the distance. But as long as Kiba's tongue was doing such wonderful things, there was no way Sakura was gonna break away.
“Fine then, Forehead,” quipped Ino then held up her camera and snapped a photo, “I'll just head back to my date and suck face for an hour too. Hmph!” The blond woman swirled around, stuck her nose the air, and sashayed over to the stoic red-head waiting in one of the VIP booths.
When they finally broke the kiss, Kiba murmured while dragging his lips along Sakura's chin and ear, “Did you hear something?”
“Just Ino's bitching again.” Sakura drew in a sharp breath from the shivers Kiba kept sending down her spine then whimpered when his fangs dragged lightly along the skin.
“Did you know that you make the cutest sounds when I kiss you.”
She opened half-lidded eyes to look straight into Kiba's brown eyes, “Do I?”
He nodded, “Very delicate, very sweet.”
She smiled and whispered for only him to hear, “You know what else sounds really sweet?”
He turned to nuzzle the tip of his nose with hers, “Hmmm?”
“A thousand ryo,” Sakura reared backwards in her chair as she opened a palm that expected to be filled. It was supposed to be a simple business transaction, but she couldn't stop a smile from breaking through.
She went into a fit of giggles and tried to stop a blush, “I'm sorry. Very unprofessional of me to giggle like a silly little girl, but A THOUSAND! That amount of money still sends me to the moon. To think that a handsome young gentleman would shell out that kind of cash for me is amazing! It's done wonders for my self-esteem, I can tell you. Anyways, you said earlier that you would pay me once we were at the restaurant and here we are.”
“Ah, yes. Here we are,” He fumbled with a napkin and looked ready to run. Sakura wondered why all of sudden all the noise died down and she felt the entire room go still. She looked around at the people pretending not to be listening then returned to Kiba, who was looking at someone in the distance, possibly his teammates. Sakura wondered what kind of advice the rest of Team Eight was relaying to him. But when she looked over her shoulder, Shino and Hinata were back to slow dancing in the middle of the dance floor. Hinata gave her friend a reassuring smile and continued to enjoy swaying to the music in Shino's arms.
Getting that troubled feeling in the pit of her stomach, Sakura looked to her date for reassurance, “Is everything alright, Kiba?”
His shoulders slouched then looked his date in the eye, “The truth is, Sakura. I don't have the money. My whole paycheck was spent the moment I got it and I'm broke for the next two weeks. I can't even cover for this dinner.”
Sakura laughed at the absurdity of Inuzuka Kiba being broke then stopped when she saw that he was serious, “You're not joking. The money's really gone? I don't understand. What about the envelope? How could this have happened?”
He dropped his head into his hands and moaned, “It wasn't supposed to happen to begin with and I certainly didn't mean for our date to go this far. Somehow things got carried away and I felt sorry for you-”
“You felt sorry for me,” squeaked Sakura. Kiba's words faded to the background as blood rushed hot and furious through her entire body, making her glowing fists tighten.
Kiba paled with fear, making his red clan marks stand out further, and held his hands up to placate her, “Wait! That came out wrong. It's just that you looked so pitiful after you tripped and everyone knew that you would be upset if you were bought as cheap as Anko.”
“Hey,” came a shout from the other side of the restaurant.
His words came faster as Kiba tried to defend himself, “You see, all I wanted to do was get the ball rolling, but then Shino's bugs kept messing around in my pants.”
Tilting her head slightly, Sakura went slack jawed from the mental image, 'How the hell does Shino fit in this? Or anyone else for that matter. Oh my god, everyone I know is here and they're watching!'
She gripped the table's edge in horror, 'INO! INO IS HERE!' A quick glance to the left revealed her best friend with a evil devil's grin that grew bigger than what should be physically possible for a human being. Sakura felt the room spin around her like some sadistic merry-go-round. At the same time, humiliation heaped onto her shoulders in wave after wave as friends' faces mirrored her own shock and confusion.
'If he couldn't even cover tonight's dinner, what was gonna happen? Disappearing while sticking me with the check or us washing dishes? How dare he do this to me and in public!' Sakura felt her temper rise higher and quicker than it had in a very long time, taking only a few seconds for her to reach boiling point. She could feel the rush of blood to her head and struggled to keep a tight lid on her turbulent emotions.
'But it's okay. I'm in control of my feelings and I'll let the anger roll off my back,' She could hold out and keep her composure as long as Kiba didn't do or say one more stupid thing.
“...Everyone assumed that Lee would have more than enough money and then I wouldn't have to pay-”
Blind rage took over as Sakura sprang from her chair and her fist shot out with Kiba still in the middle of pronouncing the next word. He went flying backwards through tables, chairs, then eventually crashing into the wall adjacent to the kitchen. When the dust cloud cleared, Sakura still had her fist in the air and she heaved heavily from the strain of getting her temper under control. Kiba was lying under a pile of rubble with the kitchen staff gawking down at what used to be the dessert station.
A waitress peered at Kiba's twitching foot and whispered what everyone wondered, “Is he dead?”
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