TK: Back from the dead, indeed… This is a recovered version of an old story that I took down during my retirement a few years back. I was very depressed and wanted nothing to do with Naruto, mostly because everyone was dying and it was all about Sasuke… My own personal Dark Ages.

Anyway, this was my winning entry for SpeedDemon315's Naruto Challenge. I chose Pairing number 4, Phrase A, and a bit of a mix between Theme number 2 and 10. After a few minutes of brainstorming (laying upside down, painting my nails purple, and singing Tainted Love), this is what surfaced from the depths of my imagination.

For winning her challenge, I received a very long, beautiful one-shot in return called Romancing the Sakura. Find it in my favorites!

This was inspired by the song "I Get Off" by Halestorm. I get off on you getting off on me – it's just so dirty; I love it. Because I can't be the only one who was severely turned on by Pein's Deva path. The cover image is from the Naruto manga, colored by me.

As a mildly important side note, this was written several years ago, back when all we really knew about Pein was his name and appearance (and even then, we didn't know it was actually Pain). So don't shoot me if I don't follow Nagato's canon story, eh? Pretend it's an AU if it bugs you.

Dirty Girl

TK Grimm

Part One:

No Such Thing

Just one look into his eyes and she knew he simply could not be trusted. Sure, his fascinatingly strange, rippled eyes of silver prompted a curious question. The mysterious barrage of piercings could possibly have each told a separate story. And maybe even a hidden past locked away behind that somber, serious look that could have triggered a tear or two from a distance.

But it went without question that this man oozed danger from every fiber of his being. His fiery orange hair seemed to go out in spikes of its own accord. The smallest gleam from his Akatsuki ring on his thumb brought forth the 'Zero' character engraved upon it. It brought her attention down to his perfectly painted nails and then slowly back up to his face.

Back up to the eyes that stared directly at her – or past her, she wasn't sure. Either way, he knew she was there. Even she knew this, but she dared not move a muscle. Covered in the safety of the darkness of night, only the moonlight bounced off the ground and the still spring's surface.

Haruno Sakura felt small and slightly childish as though caught red-handed and unable to even think of a lie. Her leg muscles cramped and ached from her position crouched down within the thorny bush. It scraped her fair skin, snagged her hair, and housed a spider or two, but she was too paralyzed to move. She'd rather chance the spider than chance the Akatsuki in front of her.

He turned his head as though she wasn't there. Had he actually even seen her at all? Maybe he simply thought he had heard something.

The casual shrug of his shoulders as he slid out of his red cloud, black robe was an effortless, slow motion that revealed a sculpted back that even Michelangelo's David would be envious of. His bent his arm back behind his head, reaching forward with his free hand to pop his shoulder. Turning the arm once as if to test it out, he seemed satisfied and did the same with his other. He cracked his neck a couple times before rubbing the back of it with seemingly tired hands.

Sakura slowly inhaled, trying not to make a sound, but finding that the arches and overall structure of his muscled body simply took her breath away. She watched him, safely hidden by the bush, as he slowly stepped towards the clear spring a few feet away. Her green eyes were glues to him like a fly entranced by a bug light.

It was when he began removing the rest of his clothing that she realized just what she was doing. Her hand covered her open mouth, the heat surrounding her face telling her that she was blushing a deep shade of red. Here she was, the top medic shinobi of Konohagakure, spying on a naked man like a horny schoolgirl. Not just any naked man, mind you – an Akatsuki. Judging by his appearance and carelessly discarded Rain headband, he was the infamous Leader she'd heard so much about.

Her chest heaved as she tried to breathe silently. Each and every one of his movements were equal parts slow and agonizing as if deliberately drawn out. Even as he stepped into the cool water, deep enough to reach his lower back, Sakura's eyes were unable to pull away.

She naturally reasoned with herself as to why she couldn't look away. If she were to move and accidentally make a sound, he would surely kill her. That, of course, included any attempt made to run away. It was eerily quiet – with the exception of her racing heartbeats – and there was no way she could leave without him seeing her.

It was a good thing she didn't carry a bullshit detector, or she'd be fucked.

The Akatsuki ducked his head under the water for a couple seconds before emerging a moment later. He ran his fingers through his now wet orange hair, getting rid of any access water. It seemed to have no trouble returning to his messy, spiked style.

Sakura's gaze traveled over his body as the soft water droplets slid down each and every muscle, each and every scar, and each and every piercing. She squeezed the fabric of her medic skirt between her fingers, fighting the urge to touch every inch of him. The sheer power that emanated from his very presence alone was captivating.

Maybe she was just attracted to power. As a child, she thought Uchiha Sasuke was the most powerful thing alive and wanted him more than anything.

She couldn't help but wonder if he would get more than he bargained for in a fight against Akatsuki's Leader.

Gods, she was such a peeping tom! What would Naruto say? She'd never hear the end of it if he knew! She could already imagine his shocked face as it slowly turned into the cruelest of grins until finally, the blonde would erupt in laughter and call her some kind of pervert. Then there would be the endless taunting of his Sexy Jutsu.

Her eyes widened. Maybe it was worth letting it slip to Naruto if he was going to taunt her with transforming into the Leader's naked body.

She shook her head once, closing her eyes tightly. No. Just… no.

Sakura heard the sounds of something moving in the water and opened her eyes to look at him once again. He was such a mystery, such a drug that she had an inescapable addiction to. She watched as he turned to the side, closing his strange silver eyes and letting the water slowly flow around him.

She wanted to be in the water, too.

Badly.

Her legs shifted below her in both pain and pleasure. Sakura gnawed on her defenseless fingernails, wishing that she were instead gnawing on his tender skin. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead just from watching him bathe. Oh, if only he wasn't the most dangerous man alive! If he couldn't break her in half with the snap of his fingers, she'd ravish every inch of him.

She noticed, being able to see only a small part of his face, that his right cheekbone was slightly raised. Was he smiling? What could have provoked it?

Sakura immediately began to think that perhaps he knew she was there. If he did, why wasn't he doing or saying anything? Was he just letting her watch him bathe, knowing he'd kill her later or the minute she made the smallest of sounds?

He ducked himself under the water once more, and Sakura let out a small, audible sigh. Now that he was under the water, she was able to speak once without him hearing her.

"Fuck."

It seemed appropriate enough.

Well, he had to be off-guard; she was sure of it. He didn't know she was there, because if he did, he would have killed her by now. He's an Akatsuki. Plain and simple.

Right?

He rose up again and shook his head to remove the extra water. He took a deep breath of air, slowly exhaling. Sakura watched his body move with each and every breath, mesmerized by the sheer sight of him. A drop of sweat dripped down the side of her face from her forehead. She bit off the end of a fingernail.

The medic pressed her index finger to her lips, licking it as she watched him. He made her mind think such wretched, horrible things. He made her body want to scream.

And he wasn't even saying a word.

Sakura closed her eyes and quietly wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was trying to be quiet; she truly was. The sight of him alone made her want to moan. Who the hell was this man?

She gazed on once more, watching as he began walking in her direction. Sakura's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth to silence her breathing. She prayed he didn't know she was there as she watched him slowly step out of the water, each and every step agonizingly precise. The world around him seemed nothing but a blur under the details of his body. Even as he clothed himself, Sakura wanted nothing more than to pull them back off.

For a split second as he buttoned his Akatsuki robe, she could have sworn he looked right at her. She swallowed hard, figuring she either imagined it or he was just looking in that direction… for no particular reason.

He walked towards her slowly again, his soft strides meaningful and exact like a measured, deliberate predator. Sakura closed her eyes tightly, her hand clamped over her mouth as she dared not move a muscle. She heard him walk up to the bush, and then it was quiet. It was that way for several seconds that felt long enough to be minutes. Until finally, he left, walking right past her without stopping. Soon, she could no longer feel his presence anywhere near her.

Sakura put her hand over her chest in hopes of quelling her racing heart. She allowed herself to breath rapidly in order to catch up on lost oxygen. She closed her eyes and finally began to calm down. That was entirely too close.

The pink-haired medic stood up and brushed herself off. She was covered in cuts from the thorny bush, and her legs were so sore, she was certain she would have to rest soon.

It was then that she noticed a brown parcel on the ground. Her eyes widened when she realized she'd left her travel pack out before she sensed the oncoming ninja and hid inside the bush. She bent down to collect her pack and saw a piece of paper sticking out of it. She reached inside and took it out, confused as to why her little satchel was feeling considerably lighter than it did before she hid beneath the bush.

The words on the note paper made her heart nearly stop altogether.

No such thing as a free show, princess.

TK: This is part two. I've included it in this one shot as a whole so you don't have to wait in between :)

Dirty Girl

TK Grimm

Part Two:

You Owe Me

Haruno Sakura casually walked to the hospital to start her shift. It was an ordinary day, and it would, by all means, remain an ordinary day. Nothing strange was going to happen, no sudden shinobi missions, and certainly no accidentally stumbling upon someone about to get naked for any reason whatsoever!

She inhaled sharply and sighed, signs of stress covering her delicate features in a most obvious fashion. As she neared Konoha's hospital, a tall, bland building that she saw nearly every day of her life, she noticed that two familiar ninja were standing in front of it, seemingly having a heated discussion.

"I don't want you going after him, Jiraiya," the Fifth Hokage said sternly as she crossed her arms over her chest for emphasis to her words. The action pushed up her already large breasts ever so slightly, but it was enough for her old teammate's eyes to slowly drift downwards, away from Tsunade's face.

Sakura didn't want to eavesdrop, but they were in her way, and they weren't facing her. She also wanted to know who Jiraiya was going to go after.

"Are you even listening to me?" Tsunade demanded.

"Sorry, what was that?" he grinned.

"Ugh!" Tsunade yelled, clenching her fists. "You do this every time! Even more than before, my answer is no! We don't know what kind of power he has. If he really is the Leader of Akatsuki, then he'll probably know the minute you enter his turf! We need to think before we act, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya was about to retort when he finally realized Sakura was standing behind them. He looked at her and covered up his previous expression with his usual joking persona. "Sakura! Looking as lovely as ever."

Tsunade looked as though she were about to send him flying. She realized Sakura was there, however, and flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulders. It fell right back into place. "Sakura, you have work to do. Don't worry about what you've heard here; we're not acting on anything yet."

Sakura gave a nervous laugh. "Worried? Why would I be worried? Haha, I don't even know who the Leader is. Like, at all. Or even what he looks like. Probably a creepy weirdo like the rest, right? Not that it matters, I mean, I certainly wouldn't be looking. But-"

"Sakura," Tsunade began, raising her eyebrow before Jiraiya interrupted.

He seemed confused. "We have his description, so we know the gist of what he looks like. I thought we told you before your last mission."

"Is everything alright?" Tsunade questioned, eyeing her student suspiciously. The paragon of healing arts had keen amber eyes—she knew her student well. She was not acting normally.

"Absolutely!" Sakura said, her face heating up. "Why wouldn't it be? Does something not seem right with me? Don't worry! I'm fine, totally fine, perfectly fine, just happy to get to work! Here I go, time to save my hide—save some lives! Some lives. Yeah." She quickly ran through the doors, ignoring her sensei's protest.

Sakura leaned against the wall once she was out of earshot. None of the other medics on the clock seemed to care what she was doing. You didn't question the apprentice of the Hokage. She tried to quell her racing heart, rubbing her sweaty hands off on the side of her red shirt. Her face felt as though it were on fire. She kept seeing images of him pass through her mind. All of him.

It made her feel dirty and extremely embarrassed.

She shook her head as if to deny her thoughts and decided to get to work. Her mind had been plagued since that night she saw him during her mission to Hidden Sand. She hadn't expected she would run into anyone on her way home, least of all the most infamous criminal in the Bingo Book.

She pulled her hair up into a bun, staring at herself in the mirror. She was older, and she looked it. But what difference did it make? Sasuke wasn't coming back. But was it really the Uchiha that occupied her mind?

Sakura exited the women's restroom to see Naruto and Rock Lee heading out of the hospital. "Hey, you two," she called, readily accepting the distraction from her thoughts. They turned around and both seemed eager to talk to her. Naruto was sporting a cast on his arm, but Lee seemed to be fine. She vaguely wondered what he'd done this time.

"Good to see you, Sakura-san," Lee said, beaming at her and flashing her a thumbs-up.

"Hey, Sakura-chan; how you doin'?"

"What'd you do, Naruto?" Sakura asked, pretending to sound as though she were scolding him like she used to. She placed her hands on her hips and tried to look down at him. He was taller than she was however, so all she could do was tilt her head up in an arrogant fashion.

"Oh, this and that," Naruto said, scratching the back of his blonde head sheepishly.

Lee looked at her with a grin that she wasn't used to seeing on him. He ran his fingers through his black hair and struck a pose. It finally occurred to her that he was trying to be sexy. "Do you know where the weight room is, Sakura-san?"

It took all of her willpower to not laugh at him. Naruto, however, jabbed him in the stomach with his elbow. "Idiot! Don't do the weight room line! I already tried that one on her, and it didn't work!"

"You did, Naruto-kun," Lee said, his pose finished. He seemed to be pouting. "I thought maybe I could!"

Sakura's eyebrows rose. "What in the world are you two talking about?"

Naruto crossed his arms, closing his eyes in what she believed an attempt to look sagely. "Well, Lee was reading ero-sennin's pervy books-"

"You what?!"

"-and I was telling him that none of the lines in those books actually work." Naruto was clearly used to Sakura's interrupting outbursts.

"If none of them work," Lee started, "then why did you use one, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto's face suddenly grew bright red. "I—uh…"

While the blonde was distracted with his excuse, Lee turned to Sakura with hopeful dark eyes. "Sakura-san, when you get your lunch break today, would you do the honor of sharing it with me as a date?"

Sakura's eyes widened momentarily, but she quickly covered it with what she hoped was a nice smile. "I'm sorry, Lee. You're one of the nicest guys I've ever met, but I just don't see you that way."

Lee seemed sullen. Sakura had lost count of how many times she'd had to tell him that. "That's alright," Lee said, his face smiling again.

Sakura looked around awkwardly. "Well, I've got to get back to work. I'll see you guys later."

As she began walking away, she heard Lee talk to Naruto again. "She thinks I'm a nice guy! I still stand a chance!"

Sakura turned and stared at them, wondering if they even knew she was still within hearing range.

She nearly fell over with Jiraiya appeared in front of the boys in a puff of smoke. He shook his head and made a tsk sound with his tongue. "You need to do more reading. 'You're such a nice guy' means 'I'm going to be dating leather-wearing alcoholics and complaining about them to you.'" He shook his head, disapproving.

Sakura shuddered and sprinted to the nearest room with a patient. Leather-wearing alcoholics? She imagined him again, the piercings glinting from his face as he smirked down at her wearing nothing but leather pants. Sakura swallowed hard, shutting her eyes tight and rubbing them. "Ugh, this is so not working!"

"What's not working?"

She opened her eyes to see her old sensei, Hatake Kakashi, sitting up in the hospital bed. He had his trademark mask on, but his Konoha hitai-ate was sitting perfectly folded on the end table by the bed. His white sheets were crumpled from him sitting upright. He wore bandages around his head and over his eye with the Sharingan, so all she could see was his gray one.

"Oh, nothing, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said with a pretend smile. She walked over to the hospital bed to remove the clipboard with his statistics written on them. There was a pouch at the end of the bed where the clipboards were kept. She skimmed over the details. "Tsunade-shishou thinks you have a concussion, eh?"

"So she thinks," he said. She couldn't see, but she thought he was grinning. "What's wrong, Sakura?"

"It's nothing; I promise!" Sakura hoped she wasn't blushing, even though she was almost positive that she was. "What are you doing in here all by yourself?" she asked, changing the subject. "Even the Hokage can't keep the famous Copy Ninja in a hospital bed all day."

"True," Kakashi confessed, watching her through his one visible eye. "I thought I'd have some time alone with my thoughts. It turns out, I don't have as many as you might think." He quickly averted the subject back to her. "I've known you for years, Sakura, ever since you were a little girl. Just because you're a woman now doesn't mean I can't read you like a book. I haven't seen you look like that since Sas-" his eye widened, and he covered his mouth with his hand. "Since… err…"

Sakura sighed. "It's alright. I know who you're talking about." She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. She stared at the clipboard and pretended to think about whatever it was she was looking at.

"I know what you need," Kakashi said suddenly. Sakura looked at him with hopeful green eyes. The hope died immediately when he pulled his favorite book out from under the covers. The cover that read Make-Out Paradise made her eye twitch. "Read this! It'll tell you everything you need to know about how to proceed. You're old enough now that I don't feel guilty loaning it to you."

Sakura nearly fell off the bed. "Kakashi-sensei!" She got up and stalked out of the room. No one was providing any help for her at all! They were just making it worse!

Sakura scowled and resisted the urge to slam the door shut on her way out. She returned to her duties and sat out the remainder of her shift. It was bad enough that she had to deal with constant annoyances all day, but did she really have to deal with them all the while thinking about him?

She walked home in the dead of night in complete silence. Her head ached from stress and all she wanted to do was lie down in bed and sleep. She unlocked the doors to her house and let it slide shut on her own. Setting down her bag on the floor, she slipped off her shoes and proceeded into the bathroom. Yet again, she found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror as she undid her hair.

She was so unsatisfied with herself. Sure, she caught the eyes of a few shinobi in Konoha, but none of them were like him. They didn't have that dangerous look that oozed power from every pore. They didn't have the bad boy piercings that made her want to get some of her own. They didn't have wicked eyes like no one else's, either. In fact, they were, for the most part, ordinary.

She sighed and began undoing her tan medic skirt. Weariness from the long day washed over her. It was another uneventful night, just like all the rest. All she wanted to do was sleep.

The breeze picked up from the open window on the far wall. She looked at it, seeing that the curtains were open. Pausing for a moment, Sakura walked to the door and shut off the light switch. The last thing she needed was someone spying on her. The Konoha night was too warm to close the window, though. Her room darkened, and she tossed her skirt aside.

Carelessly unbuttoning her crimson blouse, Sakura slipped out of it and let it fall to the floor. She would clean up later. For the moment, she didn't care. She ran her fingers through her soft pink hair, taking off her fishnet and accessories a moment later.

It was then that she felt the presence of another in the room. Sakura whirled around, eyes wide at the sight of him. For there he was, leaning against the opposite wall, his strange silver eyes stuck on her. The room was dark, illuminated only by the dim light offered from the open window, but she could still see his expressionless face.

She dared not move a muscle. This man could so much as blink and it would all be over. How did he find her? What was he doing here? …What was his name?

He simply stared at her with those unblinking eyes, his arms folded over his chest and partially hidden by the black Akatsuki robe. The light sparkled off of his Rain hitai-ate, his orange hair sticking out in spikes. He was like a perfect statue, serene and still.

Sakura found her voice, but it cracked halfway through speaking. "Who… are you?"

She could barely see, but she thought she caught a glimpse of a smirk. "I think you know."

She realized how very close to naked she was and quickly reached down to get her clothes. She stood up, clutching her shirt and skirt to her chest in a meager attempt at decency. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Her mind was screaming at her, telling her to run – leap for the window if she had to. Instead, she stood rooted to the spot as though paralyzed. "What do you want?" she managed.

His grin widened, showing his teeth. "You owe me."

Sakura's jaw dropped, and she took a step back. "I… I don't know what you're talking about. But you should leave now. If you come any closer, I'll scream, and then you'll have the entire village attacking you."

"I don't think that would be a problem for me."

She took another step back. Was this man truly so egotistical? As if he could take on all of Konohagakure! She swallowed hard, watching him stand up straight and slowly begin to move closer. His predatory walk and the way he simply said those words made her doubt. Perhaps he wasn't just egotistical. Maybe he meant every word.

Sakura backed up further, but her back was soon against the wall and unable to move anymore. He stalked onwards as though savoring her mixture of fear and desire. The look on his face was unreadable, but even Sakura knew that his eyes were swarming over her body.

Just like she had done to him a few nights before. He reached her, looking down at her with the same treacherous grin. "Do you still think you'll scream?"

"No," she breathed. She reached up and covered her mouth, dropping her clothes in the process. Was that her voice just now? It sure didn't sound like it.

The Leader put one hand on the wall next to her, the other taking hold of her chin as he lowered his head closer to hers. "No," he whispered thoughtfully. "I think not." He kissed her then, long and fierce. Sakura didn't fight the losing battle. She wrapped her arms around his neck and enjoyed the feeling of his lips cascading onto hers, even if his snakebite piercings slightly dug into her chin.

It was almost like rust or the taste you get when you place a silver necklace in your mouth. It's almost salty but not quite, and even though you know it's dirty, it's strangely good.

She nearly whimpered when he took his lips off of hers to trail kisses down her chin to her neck. Sakura felt as though she were about to collapse. She didn't know if he was aware, but he suddenly lifted her up and pressed her to the wall slightly above him. She wrapped her legs around him, running her fingers through his spiked orange hair as he sucked and nibbled her neck.

"Gods," she gasped, throwing her head back as she felt him explore. "I don't even know your name."

He seemed to falter at the question, but only for a split second. It was the smallest twitch of his right hand as it held her hip – the slightest hesitation of his lips.

It was just enough for her to notice.

"Names are of no use to us here."

He kissed her again on the lips as if to silence her, but Sakura pulled away, breathless from his touch. "But I want to. I'm Sakura," she added quickly, thinking it would warm him up to the idea of telling her his name.

He stared at her. She got a better look at his strange, rippled silver eyes. Even in nothing but moonlight, they seemed to sparkle. They seemed even more a part of him than his piercings. The Akatsuki set her down and took a step back, his very unique eyes on the window. "Maybe next time."

He vanished in a swirl of rain water.

Sakura walked to her bed and fell backwards upon it, hoping to draw comfort from the soft sheets. The burning between her legs didn't stop. She was unsatisfied. Her ragged breathing died down, and she looked towards the window. Was it because she asked for his name? What's in a name, anyway? She just wanted to say it. And she wanted him to say hers.

Oh, what was wrong with her? Pure, innocent Haruno Sakura was lusting over a criminal? What happened to her dignity, her pride? Her morals?

"Gone the minute I looked into his eyes."

Morning came, and she actually raced to get to work. Jiraiya had an informant who told him a bit about Akatsuki, right? Even the Leader? Maybe he knew his name. She made it to the hospital in record time, but when she looked, Tsunade was alone.

"Tsunade-shishou," she began, out of breath. "Is Jiraiya-sama here?"

Tsunade seemed genuinely perplexed as to why her student would need to see him. "No; he's out training Naruto. He'll be here tomorrow, though."

Sakura sighed exasperatedly, resting her hands on her knees while she caught her breath. "Damn… old man."

"What do you need him for?" the Fifth asked. "It's not every day you run to see Jiraiya of all people."

"Oh, nothing," Sakura panted. "I, uh, just needed… to ask him about his… research…" She wanted to slap herself for that being the only excuse she could think of.

Tsunade raised a blonde eyebrow. "Since when do you read… never mind. I don't want to know." She turned and walked away, much to Sakura's relief. She wondered if she should have said she read Jiraiya's books from the start if it would have made Tsunade stop asking questions.

Her lunch hour arrived, and she decided to go out for once. She didn't have an appetite; she just wanted air. Sakura wandered through the streets of Konoha and looked around for anything that could distract her. It didn't help that every time she saw a copse she imagined hiding and watching him all over again.

Sakura stopped when she saw the familiar signs of Ino's flower shop. Without really knowing why, she decided to enter. The blonde was in her usual purple getup with her hair pulled back. She was filling out a piece of paper with a pencil whilst chewing on the eraser when she needed to think.

"Ino?" Sakura asked, surprised her friend didn't look up.

"Hey, Forehead," Ino replied. She looked up at her. "Hey, am I," she glanced at the paper and read, "'easily annoyed by little things, such as him hanging out with his friends rather than me'?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side feeling quite confused. "Huh?"

"I'm taking a quiz," Ino clarified, a grin spreading over her face. "Called 'Pushy, Not, or Just Right.'"

Sakura's eyebrows rose skeptically. "This is what you do while you work?"

Ino shrugged and gestured to the empty flower shop, "Do you see any customers?"

"Good point." She paused, remembering the question. "Uh…" Sakura wasn't sure if she should lie to Ino or tell her the truth, which probably wasn't the desired answer. "You're a bit high maintenance, but it's not that bad."

Ino frowned and marked something on the paper with her pencil. "'Do I generally fall for guys who cosset, care for, or pamper me?'" She glanced at Sakura for a moment before shaking her head and marking her response. "So what's up?" she asked while reading the next question. She seemed to have no difficulties answering it on her own and proceeding.

"Nothing really, uh…" She really wanted to talk about it. Really. "Hey, Ino, have you ever, you know, walked in on a guy…" she coughed, "not fully… clothed…" Her voice trailed off, and Sakura felt the blood rush to her face.

The blonde woman immediately looked up with a wry grin. "Why are you asking?" Sakura looked away and coughed again. "Who was it!" Ino shrieked, her hands flying to her mouth to hide her laughter. "Come on, Sakura; you have to tell me!"

"No one! I don't know!" Sakura tried to weave her way through the lie as legitimately as possible. "I was on my way home from Sand and, uh, just happened to see him. I didn't know if he was a threat so I hid in a bush. He was from another village, so if I moved, he might have attacked me!"

Okay, so it was only partially true. He would have definitely attacked her. Right?

"Ooh, mysterious guy from another village. Was he hot?" Ino didn't wait for a response and went on. "You're so lucky! I never get anything like that on my missions!" She paused as if just realizing something. "Wait, did you say you hid in a bush the whole time?"

"Err, yeah…"

"Sakura!" Ino yelled. "Are you serious? Now you'll never see that guy again, and all you have to remember is a mental image."

Sakura grimaced. "Believe me; that was enough."

"Oh, he wasn't very pretty then?" Ino seemed genuinely disappointed – it was as if she were the one who missed out, not Sakura.

"No, he was – very pleasing to the eye," Sakura's eyes widened with her words. "I mean – not that I was – he was just-!"

Ino looked as if she were fatally wounded. "And you just let him slip away?"

"He could have killed me! His chakra was like-"

"Oh, I am attracted to power," she added as if it were a simple afterthought.

"Ino, you pig!" Sakura yelled.

The blonde rolled her teal eyes before settling them back on Sakura and smirking. "Fine, but it's clear you regret not doing anything. Otherwise why would you be thinking about it days afterward?"

Sakura appeared as though she were about to feint. "Um – I – I was… Ugh, never mind! I'll see you later." She began walking away slowly enough so that if Ino were to apologize and switch to a real comforting friend, she could turn around.

Instead, all she heard was, "Hmm… 'Do I immediately feel threatened when he so much as talks to another girl?' Yes, yes, I do…"

After her shift, Sakura returned home in the darkness once again. She wondered if he would be there. He did mention a next time. Would that next time be the next night? Just thinking about it made her heart pound in her chest. How could she get so hung up on a criminal?

To her surprise, when she entered her dark bedroom, he wasn't there. She flipped on the lights to double check. Still nothing. She opened the window and pushed aside the curtains. Not even a glimpse of a red cloud on black. She even tried undressing somewhat near the window. After letting her shirt slide to the floor, she began to feel outrageously foolhardy and turned off her light to do the rest.

She slipped on a soft tank top, finally deciding that the Akatsuki wasn't going to see her that night. There was always tomorrow. She couldn't bring herself to say it, but she'd wait for weeks just for another visit from the mysterious man.

She collapsed onto her bed and rolled to her side, her back facing the window and letting the cool night breeze enter calmly. Sakura closed her tired eyes and tried to enjoy the soft feeling of her blankets, even if it wasn't what she wanted to feel.

She thought she was dreaming when she felt calloused fingers softly caress her skin from her shoulder down her arm. Her lips parted in shock, and she let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding. All she could hear was her rapid heartbeat.

"Are you here?" she whispered.

He answered in the same deep, almost husky voice that she'd wanted to hear since she first laid eyes on him. "For the moment. Running a country doesn't provide a lot of free time."

Sakura turned to lay on her back, staring at him as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. "Oh no," she said without logical thought. "You just let information slip. Now I know you run a country." She looked at the slight glint of metal reflecting moonlight on his forehead and slowly reached up to touch it. There was the not-so-surprising scratch through his Rain headband. "Hidden Rain?"

He didn't answer her. Instead, he took hold of her wrist to move her hand and pressed it against the bed while he leaned down to capture her lips. Sakura immediately fell into it, her free hand on the back of his head to deepen it. They kissed viciously until breathless, when the Akatsuki finally pulled away to breathe for a quick moment. Before he could continue, Sakura spoke again. "What are your piercings for?"

"You ask too many questions," he stated. Nonetheless, with the slight tilt of his head, he replied, "Chakra."

"I like them," Sakura told him, breathing heavily. "I think I want one."

A slow, almost sadistic grin spread across his face as he looked down at her who lay beneath him. "Right now?"

All rational thinking was long gone. "Right now."

He stood up, taking her hands and pulling her along with him. "Close your eyes," he instructed. Sakura obeyed, allowing him to slowly turn her around so that her back was facing him. She felt him bring his lips to her ear and bite down for a moment. "Maybe next time."

Her eyes widened, recognizing those words, and she whirled around. He was already gone.

"Ne… Sakura-chan, I didn't know your ears were pierced."

Sakura looked up from the paper she was filling out to give Naruto a baffled expression. "My ears aren't…" She instinctively reached up to touch her ear, her eyes widening upon contact. There was a single, small stud on each of her ears. She leapt up from her chair and ran to her purse, pulling out a compact mirror. Awkwardly tilting it to look at her ear, she saw the strange black stud, her lips parted slightly.

Naruto chuckled with his usual boyish grin. "Someone had a bit too much to drink last night," he teased in a singsong voice. "At least you didn't pierce… something else."

Sakura let out a soft yelp and immediately began feeling elsewhere for other piercings. There were none. She let out a sigh of relief. "What a nightmare."

"I don't think so," Naruto said, his bright blue eyes on the onyx studs in her ears. "They look pretty."

"Thanks, Naruto," Sakura replied, looking into the mirror once more. She had to admit, they did look good. Did the Leader…? How did she not wake up?

"Yeh," Naruto added, "it looks good. You should get another one; on purpose this time."

Sakura hoped she wasn't blushing. "I, err, thought about it."

"Good lord, what have you done to your ears?"

Sakura turned around to see Tsunade walking up to her with a very distinct frown on her face. Naruto spoke on her behalf, however. "Doesn't it look great? She got it yesterday."

Tsunade sighed. "That's very… unprofessional. Wait, what's this?" She leaned forward embarrassingly close and examined Sakura's right ear. "Chakra? I see. It doesn't feel like yours, though. Is it from the person who pierced them?"

"Uh, yeah," Sakura replied dumbly. It technically wasn't a lie.

"Very well, then," the Fifth said thoughtfully. "Now that I got a better look, I suppose it actually doesn't look half bad. I might get it done myself. I think I'd get something other than black, though."

Sakura chuckled nervously and wanted to disappear right away. "Is Jiraiya-sama back then?"

"Yes, but-" Tsunade was cut off by Sakura sprinting out the room. She poked her head out the doorway and called out, "I don't approve of you reading those books, Sakura!"

Sakura found Jiraiya standing with Kakashi on the balcony of Kakashi's room in the hospital. She knocked before entering, and Kakashi immediately told her to come inside. It occurred to her then that she had no idea how to go about asking for information about Akatsuki's Leader. She supposed she couldn't say that she's seen him three times and was desperate to know his name.

Then, without warning, it suddenly came to her. It was the perfect excuse, neatly wrapped in beautiful paper complete with a bow and everything. She never knew she was this good of a liar. "Um, Jiraiya-sama, I was going over the list of Akatsuki that are known to us from the bingo book to keep myself up to date, but…"

They both seemed surprised. Kakashi even complimented her. "Staying on top of things, aren't you, Sakura?"

"Yes, well, I noticed we don't have much information at all on Akatsuki's Leader. I didn't even see his name." It was perfect. Why couldn't she think this quick before?

Jiraiya frowned, thinking about it. "My informant told me that he's a Rain shinobi going by the name Pein. Though, I'm sure it's safe to suggest that that could very well be an alias."

"Pein, huh," Sakura said thoughtfully, her thoughts wandering as Jiraiya continued rambling. Kakashi eyed her suspiciously, knowing her far better than Jiraiya did, and didn't know what to think of her sudden lack of focus. Why, he hadn't seen her look like that since…

His gray eye widened. Did she…? No. He nearly laughed out loud at the absurdity of it. Of course not! Sakura was in the prime of her life. She had so much going for her. It was just Kakashi being paranoid.

"There you are," Tsunade said from the doorway. "Sakura, we need to talk-"

"No time!" Sakura exclaimed, suddenly back from her thoughts. "Sorry, Tsunade-shishou, but I have patients to check up on!" Before the Hokage could protest, she was out of reach once again.

Jiraiya laughed heartily from the balcony. "You shouldn't smother her, Tsunade. Pretty girls need to run wild while they still can."

"I have tutelary power over her," Tsunade told him with a frown. "If something happens, I must know about it."

When Sakura got off of work that night, she ran home. She knew his name at last! She couldn't wait to see him. He had to come tonight. He had to.

She practically stumbled into her home, closing the door behind her with a careless swing. She discarded her shoes and bag on the floor as always and pulled out the pin that held up her hair. She didn't even bother brushing her pink locks, too eager to see if he was already there.

When she entered her bedroom, he wasn't there again. She opened her window and looked out. Clearly her presence alone was not enough to draw him out. But she had a newfound confidence. She came to realize that she had attracted the attention of the Leader of Akatsuki – the Leader of Amegakure. He was one of the most powerful shinobi in existence, and she was the one he was currently visiting.

Sakura stepped back from the window and looked around the room. He still wasn't there. "Alright," she said. "If that's how you want to play it, then so be it."

With a careless shrug, she slowly began taking off her accessories. Her arm bands and fishnets came down one by one with simple movements. She unbuttoned her top, deliberately making each and every movement last far longer than it needed to. It naturally didn't even occur to her that her neighbors could be getting quite the show from their windows.

She tossed aside her fallen medic skirt, folding her arms across her chest as she did so. "No such thing as a free show, Prince Charming," Sakura said out loud, wondering if he was there.

She felt him before she saw him. His hands roamed over her shoulders from behind, sliding down to her breasts and stomach. His lips met her neck, triggering a sensual sigh.

She turned around, her hand touching the side of his face. "Is your name Pein?" she asked softly, losing herself in his eyes.

He seemed surprise, but only for the quickest of seconds. "You asked about me."

Sakura nodded. What was the point in hiding it? "Without raising suspicion towards myself, of course." She paused. "It was surprisingly easier to do than you might think."

The look on his face showed he disagreed, for he raised an eyebrow and looked down at her. "Or my old sensei can't refuse the request of a beautiful woman."

Rather than focusing on the bit of information he let slip that she should have taken note of, she hopefully asked, "You think I'm beautiful?"

He picked her up and carried her over to the bed, laying her down before positioning himself over her. "Sakura, I think you're devastating."

Sakura's heart leapt within her chest. He said it as though the words were almost painful to speak, but he said it nonetheless. He even spoke her name. Before he continued, however, she saw that he carried a dark piercing in his hand, safely held between his index finger and thumb.

He looked down at her. "Are you ready?"

Completely entranced, all Sakura could do was nod her head. She felt the butterflies in her stomach and knew that it was going to hurt. She didn't want to watch. She didn't know if Pein could tell or not, but as he trailed seductive kisses down her neck, breasts, and stomach, she forgot all about it. He stopped at her navel and lifted his head to look directly into Sakura's pale green eyes.

She felt a pinch on her navel, but she couldn't look away. He held her gaze as if he commanded it, and her only option was to obey. When she felt the sharp pain of needle piercing skin, her eyes widened and she whimpered. It quickly faded, though, and his hands and lips were back on her.

Pein kissed her again, slowly this time. It was far more prolonged than any of the others. Clothes were discarded, and soon, she saw him as she did the first time – this time, he was right where she wanted him. Sakura gave in to the most infamous of criminals without holding back. She had finally dropped her feelings of guilt toward her village and decided to do something for herself for once.

She lost herself to his touch, to each gentle caress and sensuous stroke. She wasn't the little girl who chased after Sasuke, not anymore. She was a grown woman, and she was finally with a man who could meet each of her needs. Her mind was swimming in ecstasy and pleasure. It was a night of glorious passion that she would never forget.

Even as sleep began to wash over her, she reached out to him as he redressed. Her vision began to blur, but she could vaguely see and feel him touch her hand, if only for a moment.

He left her with only a few words before disappearing for good.

"There won't be a next time, princess."