Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Konoha Nights ❯ Ivy's Flower Shop ( Chapter 1 )

Konoha Nights

GaaxSaku

Summary: Gaara was an assassin from Sunagakure who cared only for himself. To feel anything for a pink haired prostitute named Chlorisa, (sakura) who he was sent to kill was unthinkable.

 

AN: Just a warning beforehand, this is an AU, but there are still biju, shinobi and `Land of so and so'. I do not intend to glorify drug usage or self abuse but it is mentioned in the story, so if you're not old enough to read about suicide and such please turn back around now. Also, the first chapter is the hardest to get through because it's not to clear on things, but the second chapter fills you in.

 

Alias meanings are given at the bottom of the chapter

 

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Naruto.

 

I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I*I

 

A silhouette dressed in black stood outside of a dark granite three story building. The light drizzle did little to affect him as he continued to study the structure. Fishing out a white paper from his trench coat he studied the business card once again.

 

`Ivy's Flower Shop' it read neatly in purple calligraphy along with a phone number.

 

Flipping it over the other side simply said `Chlorisa' written in tilted script with a black ball point pen. The drizzle strengthened blurring the ink so he pulled it into the sleeve of his coat and stepped under the protection of the purple tarp cover of the shop.

 

This part of town during the day was one of the busiest in Konoha he'd heard; but all business ceased at 6 pm for safety reasons. This section did not belong to the two corrupted power circles yet, but in order to keep the crime away they only operated during the day. At night it was practically a ghost town.

 

This one looked like your average business with the windows clean and its logo- a flower behind `Ivy's Flowers' on the glass. He could see bundles of flowers in the refrigerated display cases along with pictures on the walls of sample flower arrangements.

 

The white walls were offset by the bouncing colors of the flowers and the white counter stood in the corner with two doors behind it. There was no one in the shop, probably had something to do with the late hour, but the door was open so he pushed the metal bar and stepped in. The bells that were hanging from the doorway jingled slightly with the motion of the door alerting its owner to his intrusion.

 

Within seconds a woman ran out of the first door with her blonde ponytail swinging behind her as she fought for breath. She was dressed in a purple sleevless halter baring her midriff along with a purple skirt that was indecent considering it was fall. Her black stilettos looked incredibly high, higher than he'd ever seen a woman wear.

 

Probably had something to do with the fact that he was only around kunoichi women. Trying to imagine Temari walking around in such attire almost made him scoff at the very idea.

 

She wasn't stupid enough to try it.

 

And also wasn't a prostitute.

 

The blonde's piercing blue eyes with lavender eye shadow stared at him not saying a word. Instead she appeared to be looking for something as she studied his attire brushing her bangs from her eyes.

 

Black combat boots, black baggy pants, black tank, black jacket, she observed before focusing on his maroon hair not meeting his turquoise eyes. She walked past him with impressive grace and closed the blinds on both windows and the door and locked it.

 

“Can I help you with anything?” Her voice too forced to be welcoming.

 

The man said nothing but pulled out the business card ad held it between his index and middle finger. Her eyes studied the card for a minute before extending her hand for it. He complied laying the card in her outstretched one. She flipped it over to read the back and her eyes widened.

 

He said nothing only continued to watch and wait. He knew his face wouldn't betray the rush he was beginning to feel, like on any mission he underwent.

 

“Could you please release the illusion jutsu on your forehead please?”

 

Kankuro had not mentioned that he'd told them of his tattoo, he'd have to suffer for it later he decided as he disabled the illusion.

 

A crimson `ai' appeared on the left side and she visible relaxened and handed the card back. “I'm sorry I had to ask you to do that, but we're really precautious around here. We were told by your associate that the tattoo would be the only way of identifying you since few actually knew about it.”

 

He nodded; irritated that he'd actually had to show it to anyone else. The woman went to the light switch by the door and flipped them both off. The orange light from the outside posts hardly helped the darkened space.

 

“You're pretty early, I'm not even sure if she's here yet. We usually don't do business around here till two at least,” she said as she walked around to the cashier turning it off. She walked to the second door and stopped to pull a key on a silver chain out from her top. Opening it she held it back for him as he stepped into a cold dank room. “Just so you know customers typically use the back entrance once they get their key okay?”

 

It was a spacious refrigerated room with a huge iron door that probably lead to deep freezer. The clicking of her heels alerted him that she was walking away at a fast pace, so he turned to follow her deeper into the back of the badly lit storage room.

 

She opened another door with the same key and this one lead to a stairwell. Two flights of metal stairs that enhanced the clicking and thudding of their ascension. Their echoes bounced off the concrete walls. This time there was no door, only a concrete wall awaited them, it appeared to have an illusion. Stepping forwards she did a seal with her hands placing one on the door, instantly creating a doorway.

 

Motioning for him to enter he did so hesitantly, he had not pegged her for anything more than a whore, but the jutsu was at least a genin level one……she'd just made herself a threat to his mission.

 

Kankuro had not mentioned any kunoichi in the reports, perhaps he'd been too drunk to do his job right, or maybe he did it on purpose- either way he was going to lose a limb when he saw him again.

 

The room he'd just entered was beyond spacious. It was just one large flat that was the area of the entire building. A large oak desk sat at the northern wall and the air smelled of freshly polished wooden floors. When he thought of brothel, this wasn't what he had in mind.

 

There was another woman in the room with them now, sat in an oversized leather chair with her bare long tan legs crossed on top of the desk, one foot swaying with a slim golden chain on her swaying ankle. She flipped through a magazine a shuriken twirling on her finger.

 

His guide walked towards her and he followed, his heavy boots echoed on the hard wood floors throughout the empty room. Although the other woman was still sitting at a great distance from them, he could distinctly hear music coming from the headset she wore.

 

If she noticed them she didn't show it and instead continued to browse turning pages. The most obvious trait about her was that she was of Chinese decent, the red tube top she wore had a golden dragon stitched onto it and the two buns on her head made her appear young also, probably the same age as the one next to him.

 

The reached the front of the desk and he noticed that she wore matching red panties with a dragon's tail on them and nothing else. She looked up with fire burning in her eyes and he knew instantly that this was his brother's whore.

 

`Amaryllis' he called her once in the reports.

 

When she saw the blonde she sobered immediately placing the magazine on the desk she stood up to greet them. “Meadow, you know better than sneaking in a toy before work hours,” the brunette teased the shuriken still twirling.

 

`Meadow' and `Amaryllis' were both aliases, and he wondered if everyone here would be a damn plant.

 

“For your information this is Crow's associate.”

 

Whatever point she was trying to prove was missed on her because her eyes lit up with excitement immediately, intimidation forgotten, “No way! You're Crow's associate! But you look so much younger than him,” she let out a small chuckle, “how is it that you boss him around?”

 

It wasn't the first time someone underestimated him, he was two years younger than his brother and two inches shorter also, but Kankuro knew he was no wear near the level of power that he possessed. He knew this, that's why it was so easy to use it on his enemies; after all it wasn't every day that a Jounin could be taken out by someone who'd just had their eighteenth birthday.

 

The man ignored her `nice' insult offering a glare.

 

The humor fell of her face and instead pouted, “Geez, Crow was right you do need to get laid,” she tossed over her shoulder as she went back to the desk.”

 

`Meadow' stepped between them, “Page Magnolia and tell her she needs to come examine him before he can go see Chlorisa.”

 

Amaryllis who'd reached the desk looked back, “He's here to see Chlorisa? Hmm…..he does fit the tall, dark and brooding profile does he.” She shrugged, “Too bad he can't, because she's not here tonight.” She sat back down propping her legs back up on the bare desk.

 

“Are you insane?! Did you not just hear a word I said? This is Crow's associate,” Meadow shrieked, “You know, the one he paid a month in advance for, for two entire weeks…..on Chlorisa's rate, you can't just send him away just because Mag ain't here!”

 

The brunette was back to reading her magazine- which was a weapons catalog- shuriken poking out of her top, only shrugged again. “Hibiscus is here.”

 

“Fine. Then page her and go ahead and send an iris to Chlorisa.”

 

Amaryllis sighed but reached down under the desk and pressed two buttons, “There,” she said and placed her headphones back on with the music less blaring and more reasonable.

 

The blonde turned back to him, “I'm sorry about her, she's kind of going through a thing right now.”

 

“…..”

 

“Anyway, go ahead and walk towards the seal on the floor over there and we'll check you out okay? Stand in the center circle.”

 

He began walking, and a marking took shape on the wooden floor five yards away to the left of where he'd been standing. It was relatively large circle in shape, with kanji of different things written in it. A smaller circle was inside blank; he stood in it and waited anxious to get this step out of the way.

 

He'd never had an examination in his life, he never needed one. Looking up he noticed there was an identical array burned into the ceiling as well. A door shut quietly somewhere behind him and he saw a different woman again, this one had deep short cobalt hair with bangs. The large orange jacket she wore consumed her entirely and reached past her bottom. Her legs and feet were bare and she twiddled her thumbs nervously when she spotted him.

 

“Hibiscus great!” Meadow's voice bounced off the walls and held the younger girl's attention and stopped the annoying fidgeting.

 

“I need you to run a quick scan so that I can send him Chlorisa.”

 

The fidgeting came back with a vengeance. “But…….Maggie said I wasn't finished with-

 

“Yeah well she ain't here and he paid good money to be here so do a damn scan.”

 

Meadow was once again in his line of sight only this time she held a clipboard and pen. The seals underneath him activated as they turned a light amethyst, Hibiscus he noted was kneeling at the edge with both palms pressed to the ground. She began calling out information and Meadow began writing.

 

“Age: 18.”

 

“Blood type: AB”

 

“Weight: 66.1 kg”

 

“Height: 176.5 cm”

 

The ramblings continued and the man allowed himself to observe the girl more closely. She was by far the youngest of the three, and had some medical training to be performing such a technique. The distasteful orange jacket that was zipped to the chin only made her seem more petite. He spotted a red patch with a swirl on the left sleeve, so whoever it belonged to was a shinobi of the Leaf. According to Kankuro they never let clients see another so maybe it would stay that way. The girl looked up and he saw that her eyes were a pale violet with no pupils and the veins around them were protruding.

 

He knew these eyes; they were a clan trait that only existed in Konoha. This small girl in front of him was a Hyuuga and she had the Byakugan activated.

 

“No known allergies.”

 

“Is that it Hibiscus?”

 

“Yes,” she whispered “he's completely clean and healthy.”

 

“Great let's get him to-

 

A piercing scream came from the floor above them and Hibiscus and Meadow paled. Amaryllis shot out of her chair a kunai in hand, “Shit!”

 

A door materialized on the wall behind her and she ran through it and shot up the stairs Meadow following close behind. He began to follow when a small voice behind him spoke, “I didn't tell them…….about who you really are……I'm glad you're here……”

 

When he turned back to face her she was gone. The gears in his mid were turning trying to understand the cryptic message. `The Shukaku' he thought, `she didn't tell them he housed a biji in his body, but instead told him she was glad he was here.'

 

Another scream was heard, the same voice but louder, this time it was followed by two curse words from Amaryllis. He went through the door and up the stairs taking three at a time. The next floor had no hidden door only a small dark hallway with three doors in total. The door at the end of the hallway caught his attention, a struggle was taking place and familiar voiced reached his ears only slightly muffled by the door.

 

“She fucking over did it again.”

 

“Shit and Shizune isn't here tonight.”

 

“We're going to have to take her to a hospital.”

 

“You know we can't do that! They'll fucking notice her as soon as we carry her through the door!”

 

“If we don't do it she'll die!”

 

“Just knock her unconscious and we'll take her to Shizune's!”

 

Curiosity ate away at his resolve not to open the door. `You're mission could be behind the door' his demon reasoned.

 

`You just smell blood' his mind shot back.

 

And he did smell blood, very sweet metallic blood that called to his already sensitive blood lusting senses, stirring the caged biju inside him.

 

Opening the door he was met with a trashed oversize flat. Space was a luxury and this was beyond wealthy. Probably four larger bedrooms could fit inside it, black walls and carpet with a mirrored ceiling that only reflected the large mess.

 

A dresser was thrown down as well as a broken lamp. Meanwhile at the center of the right wall was king size bed with black sheets with three women on top of it. Meadow and Amaryllis were currently holding down the legs and arms of a pink haired woman who was thrashing in the bed.

 

Se was the most clothed of the three in black shorts and black sweatshirt making the paleness of her skin stand out more. Her movements became more violent and Amaryllis had to straddle her waist just to hold her arms.

 

“Leave me alone!” The woman held down shouted to the ceiling training in vain to buck the woman on top of her off.

 

“Stop it Chlorisa! Snap out of it! You need to stop doing this to yourself!” the blonde shouted and it was the first time he noticed both she and the other girl were fighting back their tears. Needless and a shoelace on the floor confirmed his suspicion. Judging by the number of empty syringes, she'd taken a massive overdose of what he guessed was morphine.

 

It was truly disappointing that his S-Class mission had committed suicide only minutes before his arrival. The girl on the bed stopped her tremors and her thrashing, what a waste of time. He felt something hot come over his body and looked closer at the still girl.

 

She wasn't dead. She was look at him straight on.

 

“You have the most beautiful eyes,” she said in a dazed voice.

 

The woman on top took the opportunity and hit a spot in her neck and the emerald eyes that were on him rolled up to the back of her head.

 

Two new figures came running into the room, one he recognized as Hibiscus the other woman was much older, maybe thirty in a black robe and sandals. “What happened?” she asked as she checked the vitals. Meadow took her leave and he followed. Leading him to the front door of the shop she held out a silver key with a pink stone in it.

 

“We're lucky you were here tonight, if you hadn't distracted her she would have eventually overpowered us and probably have escaped.”

 

“…..”

 

“She'll be alright tomorrow but don't come until after three, and today won't count against your two-

 

“She's not dead?” He asked in deadpan voice.

 

She smiled softly, tears returning, “No matter how much she wishes she were dead, fate will not let her die.”

 

He took the key and began walking out the door, “They key hold is ten bricks from the left wall and ten up from the ground,” she called out behind him. He didn't know exactly why she was so confident that her coworker wouldn't die, it was clear to him she'd overdosed. Maybe this mission would be slightly more difficult than they'd planned. The October chill walked him back to his hotel room and he remembered his target's words,

`You have the most beautiful eyes,'

 

He snorted pulling the coat closed. No one had ever said that to him, in fact, only the opposite was ever said. His father hated his eyes because he said he saw his wife in them.

 

Kankuro said they were too creepy.

 

Temari because she said they had no life.

 

His victims had all seen their death in them…….

 

But this girl was different. He'd chalk it up to the fact that she was on a high and she didn't know what she was saying……..

 

Still, it was a shame he'd come all the way to Konoha to kill her tomorrow

 

 

 

U*U*U*U*U*U*U*U*U*U*U*U*U*U*U*U

 

AN: Hello and welcome to those of you who made it this far! I know what many of you were thinking on the tentenxkankuro part but trust me it's not going to stay that way.

 

Gaara too only met Sakura for like two seconds but don't worry the rest of the story will be about them, just wanted to set up the `setting' in a way. Tons more information will be given out next but no more new working girls.

 

And by the way Shizune's name was suppose to slip out on purpose it's not a typo

 

First off Ivy- signifies fidelity; I thought that was pretty ironic for a brothel.

 

Amaryllis-Tenten, signifies pride, or prideful also splendid beauty, I thought it fit Tenten a bit.

 

Chlorisa- Sakura comes from the Greek goddess of Spring named Chloris, I just added an `a'.

 

Magnoilia- Shizune- means lover of nature, and in this story she's going to kind of be a mother figure…..

 

Hibiscus- Hinata- means delicate beauty and I thought it fit her since she's petite, and she's going to be a few years younger than the other girls, and she's not a prostitute, just works there. But you'll see why later ;)

 

And the `aliases' will be lost somewhere along the way so don't get discouraged because of this, they'll be gone soon enough!

 

The `clients' usually have an animal code name for safety reasons. Kankuro's name meant crow, or one of his puppets was named crow so it fit.

 

As for the examination- this place takes care of its workers in a way, and to do so it makes sure the `clients' aren't ill so they won't pass it along to the girls.

 

OH and yes Kankuro, Gaara and Temari are siblings, but for mission purposes they aren't suppose to know this till later and comes back to bite Gaara in the ass……^_^

 

The measurements were taken from Gaara's father's stats. Kinda figured he'd get some of his traits.

 

Okay so like it hate it? Still have questions? Let me know!