Interlude: Baths

. . .

As was all too frequent of late, Sakura could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. It was an annoying bodily reaction that she wished to outgrow, but it seemed determined to stick with her for life, along with some other undesirable features.

The reason for her present state of turmoil was related to a multitude of factors, not the least of which involved being in the Prince's proximity. Rather unlike usual, she found herself entirely nude, except for a remarkably wet shirt that hugged her body and exposed every slight curve she possessed. Nervously, she tugged on its hem, which billowed in the hot bath water she presided in. If the male opposite to her noticed the defensive action, he made no mention of it nor did he seek to nullify her apprehension with words of comfort. So, instead she blew small bubbles while remaining huddled in water up past her chin.

At the conclusion of their lesson, Kakashi insisted that the Uchiha heir take her to the royal baths to clean up since they were "slick" and "sticky;" her sensei's words, and not her own. It was an elaborate setup. The castle was built on the side of a mountain, and during its construction, they discovered the presence of an underground hot spring. Needless to say, the Uchiha's were the only family in the entire Kingdom in custody of a constant and instantly available hot bath.

Several feet from her, the Prince sat relaxed on a seat carved out from the stone foundation, with the water lying just below his broad shoulders. His eyes were shut in concentration, lips hovering between a straight-line and a frown, as he tried to act entirely unperturbed by recent events. Alhough, it must've taken some effort to avoid the Lady's recurring glances.

While the young Sakura lamented her humiliation, she reminisced on the incidences that had transpired leading up their current predicament.

"Sasuke, this is far too risk—" she had begun prior to having the Prince's hand land atop her mouth and silence her altogether. Already they had encountered two guards on their way to the baths; both times the poor Lady had to duck for cover behind a stone column for fear of being discovered in her uncompromised attire. On the first occasion, the Prince merely dismissed the guard and then brought her out from hiding. The second time was far less comforting, for the young male simply ordered the guard to close his eyes and "face the wall while counting to thirty." Though she did not doubt that the guard would obey, it did not stop her heart from fluttering wildly in her chest for fear of getting caught.

Needless to say, she traversed the stony hallways with added desperation in her steps after that.

The Prince waited, hand still sealed tightly over her mouth while watching with a careful eye around the corner. A slight tingle formed in her lips at the prolonged contact. When the guard patrolling the hall up ahead turned to continue his route elsewhere, the young male breathed out a hushed, "Hurry," before clasping her small wrist and rushing forward several steps for a door ten feet away. Despite her shoes clapping against the stone floor, she was careful not to stumble or utter a word while they hastily made their way forward.

No sooner had the door slammed shut than the dishevelled female launched her criticism at the stubborn man's antics, "We wouldn't need to scurry about the castle like mice if you had only done up my dress like I asked." To emphasize her point, she stretched out an arm and pointed to the way the dress hung loosely around her neck and shoulders.

There was a momentary flash in Sasuke's dark eyes, which led Sakura to suspect that he had instead expected her to praise him for sneaking her about so successfully.

With a small eye roll the Prince honestly informed her that, "I didn't see the purpose, besides…" Perhaps it was the way her chest heaved up and down every time she took a shaky breath, or that the collar of her dressed remained loose and unfitted. Whichever it was, it caused the boy's eyes to glance elsewhere before pointing out, "You would only ask me to untie you once we made it here."

A huff passed gentle lips, "You only say that because it would cost you nothing to be caught like this, while for me it will cause no pleasant consequences." She pushes passed him with a sour look on her usually soft features. It would still be a long time before she managed to make him see the err of his ways, for the Prince was quite self-assured and often forgot to think beyond his personal endeavors.

Shaking her head, she persisted, "It wouldn't have taken up so much of your time—"

"Though it would've taken some," a quick interjection, followed by a more defensive, "I made sure you made it here safely, did I not?"

Now the Lady's hands were on her hips, not noticing the way her dress hovered dangerously low and exposed a fair amount of cleavage. "Next time I would prefer it if you have more foresight."

The Prince's jaw tightened as he thought, next time, he would have the forethought to tie up her mouth instead.

Deeming his silence inadequate, Sakura quipped that, "It must be nice to be a man and have clothes that are so simple to do-up." Why was it that women's clothes always had to be tied in the back while men had ease with buttons in the front?

The Prince, however, did not desire a debate on the sexes and instead walked passed her so that he could bristle without looking at her.

The room was large, and rather barren. Actually, it was closer to a dug out cave than a room with four walls. After a short entryway, the space expanded with wooden benches against the wall on one side, and a decently sized hot spring with inviting milky water on the other. Furthermore, it appeared that the servants checked the room regularly, since there were several cloths for drying waiting and resting on the benches.

Without so much as a glance in the girl's direction, Sasuke tossed his jacket aside, pulled his shirt over his head and reached to undo the button on his trousers so that he could sooner complete the task of bathing. It was, unlike certain other Lords (Naruto), not uncommon for him to seek solace in the baths.

Discovering his rapidly increasing state of undress caused the conscientious female's indignation to morph into small panic. "W-what do you think you're doing so suddenly?" she half-screamed, half-squeaked, as she quickly spun on her heels to face the door they had only recently entered. "You could at least—" There was a discernible gulp when she heard fabric hit the floor, her ears and gut entirely certain that it was the sound of her companion's last remaining article of clothing.

"Next time you should warn me," she chides despite suffering from an unsteady voice.

Flatly, he threw her words back at her, "It's because my clothes are so simple."

If Sakura had been looking at the Prince instead of the door, she might've noticed the smug look on his face as he slipped into the steamy water.

It remained silent for several moments. The Lady's ears tinged pink and hairs on the back of her neck standing to attention. She might have remained like that, thoughts muddled and body on high alert, had she not heard the male behind her blithely remark that, "Kakashi would diminish your points if he knew you disobeyed." His amused toned indicating that he found the notion an entertaining one indeed.

Whether it was known to the Prince or not, there could be no better way to motivate Sakura than to threaten her with defeat. She had gotten into many small battles with Ino and Naruto in order to prove her worth.

Instantly, her cheeks puffed out and she stomped her foot in childlike fashion. Turning to face him with one hand on her hip, she loudly protested, "I'm not disobeying!" If she had been thinking any less clearly, she surely would've thrown off her unkempt dress and marched directly into the large spring of water. Her determination was, however, mitigated by a pair of obsidian eyes staring firmly up at her.

"At least turn around and spare me some decorum," she beseeched her male counterpart with faltering confidence.

He obliged, of course, without any fuss. The Prince was keen not to let her develop the impression that he had a fondness for ogling her without any attire.

With his attention drawn elsewhere, Sakura began to disrobe; first dragging her arm out from one sleeve and then the other. She clung onto the material around her chest for several long seconds, continuously –suspiciously—eyeing the back of the Prince's ebony locks, concerned that he might turn around without any warning. However, she undertook to quiet such thoughts since it was not as though the Prince had ever acted with impiety that should lead her to doubt his honorability. It was simply not so easy for a Lady to join a man in a bath. After all, she had two areas to protect while he only had one. In every way, it seems, a woman is disadvantaged from her male counterparts.

Deciding it easier to commit to the act with her back turned, she spun around, took several deep breaths and at last relinquished her grip to let the dress slip down her small frame and land in a bunch on the ground. After which, she huddled down and folded the item neatly, thinking to herself how she could slip into the water without attention falling on her. It would not do to jump in. Perhaps if she crawled over and slipped in at as far a distance as possible…

Stalling, she continued to cast furtive glances over her shoulder until they landed, by chance, on a pile of haphazardly strewn clothes. In particular, it was the discarded white undershirt that had her attention. It was not such an important piece that the Prince should fuss over it getting wet, yet it would offer her immense peace-of-mind to know that she was still somewhat concealed.

"Sasuke," she began hesitantly, chewing on her lip slightly before urgently yelling out, "No! Don't turn around—!"

The Prince's head had tilted in her direction upon hearing his name, causing a terrible fright.

Under his breath he hotly grumbled his defense, though it was drowned out by Sakura tentatively asking, "Is it alright that I borrow your under garment?" She watched him carefully while sitting in a protective ball. Watched as his shoulders stiffened and back straightened until witnessing a small nod.

Hastily, she retrieved the garment and threw it over her head. The relief it brought to her embroiled nerves was immediate in the way her heart stopped hammering in her chest, shoulders relaxed and legs ceased their shaking.

"Thank you," she exhaled happily; the speed at which her moods shifted would not cease to confuse the young Prince. There was a small skip in her step before she came to squat by the edge of the spring. With her chin on her knees, the baggy shirt managed to conceal her down to her toes. Its long sleeves trailed past her wrist and to her knuckles. "This is much better," a content smile, "I think it is better than a dress. You know they are always so tight and restrict full movement so it is difficult to engage in a full range of activities."

As the Lady babbled on about the constraints of tight dresses, the Prince cast a wary glance at her from the corner of his eye. The way his posture remained tensely upright and brows furrowed went entirely unnoticed. Now he will have the image of the fair Sakura wearing his oversized shirt emblazoned in his memory.

Sakura presumed the faint colour on the his complexion was a result of the steamy bath.

"Don't you think it's bizarre that the Lords all wear trousers while the Ladies have dresses? We both have two legs so you wouldn't think it's necessary to be so different. Do you ever think of such things, my Lord?" At last there is a break in her voice so that she can gaze down expectantly at the Prince for an answer.

Sasuke, distracted by other thoughts, had to squint before admitting that he, "Never gave much thought about it." When she cocked her head at the sound of his reserved tone, he quickly glowered and looked elsewhere. It was not so common for the young male to suffer from a lapse in concentration.

"I suppose you have more important issues to contemplate," Sakura remarked; a wistful quality lingering in her voice.

A small nod.

"Does it make your days very tiring?"

Again, the impenetrable male provided a curt nod to her softly spoken question.

The increasingly relaxed female meant to ask something on the matter of diplomacy or the meticulous nature of rule, but somehow blurted out, "Is it alright if I touch your hair?"

Momentary panic struck her as she waited for reproach over the sentimental request yet was instead astonished when, after an agonizing wait and heavy sigh, the young Prince's head tilted forward in quiet consent.

She reached forward and timidly brushed her fingers through the mess of ebony hair. It was soft –comforting– and caused her delicate lips to turn upward. In ways, the action created as much a sense of intimacy as eating strawberries from his fingers since, at least, he was not voicing complaints or making harsh demands.

"Lord," She is still curiously posing questions off the top of her head, "Do Uchiha's only marry women with dark hair?" There had certainly never been any portraits of fair haired Uchiha's. Indeed, they all seemed to look rather like the same.

At that he scoffed and retorted with an offhanded, "Do Haruno's only marry men who talk a great deal?"

She teases with a flick and bold proclamation, "No. But we do only marry a man who worships us."

There was a definite snort as his mouth dropped open to generate a scathing response. Only, the Lady's fierce look stymied his retort and forced him to swallow whatever sarcastic remark had surely been forming inside his head.

Satisfied, her fingers continued to fuss with his hair. Without realizing it, she brought her chin to her shoulder and raised the shirt collar to inhale the scent imprinted on it. Did it smell of pine and campfire like she last observed? Before she can find the answer she spotted the Prince's sharp –quizzical— eyes upon her, so quickly dropped the material and smiled to mask the peculiarity of her actions. Seeking to act as though there was nothing unnatural about smelling his shirt, she cautiously asked, "Is the water very nice?" At the same time, her thin fingers reach out to test the temperature.

What happened next occurred far too quickly. There was an impetuous, "Why don't you see for yourself," followed up with a sudden tug on the back of her neck.

At once, her body was enveloped by the steamy liquid, which caused her body temperature to rise several degrees. Her protest was swallowed and, rather than yells, it was a rash of bubbles that broke the disquieted surface of the usually placid water. The poor girl's head was abuzz and there was water up her nose. When she sputtered up to take a gulp of fresh air, it was swiftly followed by coughing and choking having regrettably tasted some of the sulfuric liquid. "My Lord!" She admonished between gasps, "This is no way to behave with a—" her breath broke, "A Lady!" Were it not for her struggles, she would have had a great deal more to say.

As it was, she sought to school him on the dangers of behaving quite so impulsively, "What if I had hit my head…" Unfortunately, her voice is muted by the way the Prince sat, with his head defiantly turned away and… Was it still the heat from the bath that caused his cheeks to turn a faint pink?

She was remiss to let him escape a scolding, "Don't think you can ignore me. It is careless to—"

Again, she was perturbed by the uneasy look in the Prince's expression. His brows seemed knit together, and the way he concentrated on the stony wall with steely conviction was rather unusual.

"Sasuke," she reached for him, though did not quite make contact with him when her mind took note of how much cooler the air felt against her small frame now that she was standing in the warm pool of water. It also surprised her to see how tightly the long sleeves of his shirt wrapped around her outstretched arm. It scarcely took more than a couple seconds for her to look down and recognize in abject horror that her –his— baggy undershirt meant to shield her from prying eyes offered little in the way of concealment. Indeed, the soaked material clung to her like a second skin, appearing far less white and much more translucent than she thought possible. It hung tightly to her body, accentuating the soft curves of her torso and leaving little room for the mind to wonder what lay underneath. Even the darker pink colour of her nipples seemed to peek out intently.

"Oh, my Lord!" Her hands rushed up to conceal herself and she instantly dropped far into the water to better hide herself. Mortified, the poor girl cried out, "Look what you've done!" Her voice cracked, the result of an unpleasant lump forming in her throat.

Now, the Prince would have the image of his shirt tightly bound to a wet and red-faced Sakura too.

The accusation was greeted with an appalled, "Me?!"

"If you hadn't pulled me in before I was ready—"

"— It is you that stood up," Sasuke bit back, intent not to receive all fault.

"Because I needed air to breathe; will you blame me for that?" When she finished, her fiery green eyes met his in a wordless challenge, though internally she was verging on despondence. Certainly, the sheen from unushered tears and and burning sensation wracking through her frame enough evidence of that. It would be a pleasant thing to melt away in the warm water and disappear into nothingness.

He opened his mouth to counter but seemed to debate the issue internally before determining it better not to answer the question. It was a wise decision, for there was no way for the young man to win. His actions were better suited for his fellow Lords, since rough play was more highly prized among them. "It was," he began, only to swallow and finish lamely, "A mistake."

The almost-apology offered faint consolation. Indeed, the Lady had entered a stage of denial where she clung to the hope that it may have been possible for the Prince's eyes to shift at the exact moment necessary to avoid catastrophe. After all, it had all happened quickly and there had been much commotion. Though her insides churned and finger tips tingled, she could not help but ask weakly, "D-did you see…?"

No good ever came from asking questions with self-evident conclusions. And, although the Prince tried to console her, his efforts provided little comfort. "It's not as though I didn't see you earlier…" He muttered reluctantly. As if it were to say, 'you walked through the flames once before, what does it matter if you do so again?'

The Prince had much to learn on how to mitigate a Lady's fears.

Sakura screamed internally having run the whole ordeal through her head a second time. It did not seem possible that she could ever grow accustomed to showing her bare chest to a man. At least with a nice dress she could project some kind of status; left as bear as she'd been when entering the world, she felt she had nothing special to make herself stand out.

Once again eyeing the stoic male across from her, Sakura could not help but bite her lip. She had scurried away from him after the incident; coming to rest huddled in a corner as far as was possible. Though she had managed to steady her breathing from shaky gasps, it was still shallower and required more concentration than usual. Her usually alabaster skin was painted a shade of pink, the result of the water temperature and agitated nerves. She was amazed Sasuke could appear so calm and disinterested while being naked in the same room –same bath— as her, especially after the good General had unnecessarily warned them against having intercourse in the hot spring. As if she would!

It was unbearably quiet. Five minutes must have passed without either of them speaking to one another, and the Prince continued to sit like a statue with his eyes shut. She knew he was not asleep because he occasionally provided deep sighs or lengthy inhales. Perhaps she could forget the incident if they would start talking about something instead of stewing their silent thought. When she was in the company of Naruto, there was scarcely a moment that passed without something said.

Surely, she must be able to think of something to say. Perhaps she ought to ask him what kind of activity he would plan for them to do together. It would certainly be a pleasure to learn more about him. Would he behave vastly different when pursuing activities he found enjoyable? The picture of him smiling softly caused her heart to flutter so she tried to shake it out of her thoughts. Still, it did not stop her attention from flickering up at the young male and observing his profile. There were small droplets clinging to his skin; the tips of his hair dampened and tight lips pursed. She could trace the line from the base of his chin, down his smooth neck and centre of his chest. The water rested just above his pecks and below… below was blurry and she could see nothing beyond his stomach but somewhere down there was—

There was an inaudible gasp and again the poor Lady had to shake her head to dispel bad imagery from her mind.

It was unfair that she had to suffer with these torrid curiosities.

Even so –another quick glance— she had to wonder if the Prince ever entertained such thoughts. He was nearly a man, after all. Could any single person really stay immune to biological urges?

Careful emerald eyes again rise up and are stunned to meet dark orbs staring blankly back at her. The moment she realized his attention was on her, her eyes darted sideways in an effort to make it seem as though she had not just been watching him.

It is not so easy to trick a cunning prince, however.

If she were not carefully listening to every word that left his lips, she might have missed it altogether for his tone lulled her into thinking he was remarking on something entirely banal. Instead it was a steady, "I'm not going to have sex with you in here, if that's what you're thinking."

Surely that was not the sound of the Lady squealing...

"What?!" She choked, feeling positive that she was on the brink of fainting, "I wasn't thinking about that at all!" Hardly pausing for a breath, she continued in slightly incoherent fashion, "W-why would I be… You're completely wrong! I never—" It could not be, the Lady surmised, that the incorrigible Prince was looking at her with some smug satisfaction because he thought she had been caught in a lie. No, no, she would never accept the notion.

"I certainly do not have such undignified thoughts in my head, Your Grace," her composure is partially recovered as she rounds on him. "Certainly not. However," she begins with impunity while stalking her way nearer, "If it is you with such thoughts then I must inform you that I will not permit it." She held up a hand to stop him from coming closer, though in truth it was only her that had narrowed the space between them.

Abruptly, the young Prince's smirk faltered and he impassively clipped out, "I have not known such base thoughts."

"Well," Sakura began sternly, careful not to rise to her feet this time as she reprimanded him, "Neither have I." As if to prove her point, she crossed her arms and declared, "I was merely considering the kind of activity you would deem suitable for our…" The word 'date' or 'courtship' seemed entirely too strong so she struggled over selecting the best term to describe it, before settling on, "time together."

Better to change the subject then carry on about topics that pushed the air out from her lungs.

"I suppose," Sasuke started slowly as he contemplated, "Something that does not require so much physical endurance." As he finished, he appeared to regard her with something akin to pity. It was as though he were acknowledging an inherent weakness of the female condition.

Now, the young Lady was well aware that her stamina in many physical pursuits was not entirely commendable; that she often sought aide from a man when certain heavy lifting was required or balked at tasks that might cause her to sully her prim dresses. Yet, it struck her pride to be considered less-than to someone simply for being female. Raising her chin, she inquired, "Lord –Sasuke—are you postulating that I am incapable of partaking in an activity you would usually pick because I am a woman?"

His silence on the matter was all that was needed to provide an answer to her query.

Mouth agape, Sakura pressed with sudden conviction, "I am perfectly capable of engaging in whatever pursuit you would naturally select had I been born as one of you fellow Lords instead."

Lowly, the Prince bit out, "It is an unpleasant thought," (to picture fair Sakura as a man). However, he swiftly clarified that, "Hunting and jousting are not so much activities suited for," a pause, "feminine types."

The Prince knew he got the answer incorrect when the female jabbed a finger to his chest.

"If you must know, I am proficient in a hunt," the lie rolled off her tongue sooner than she determined the meaning. She should have stopped then, yet when all the Prince did was raise a skeptical brow, she persisted in arguing her case, "In fact, I used to hunt all the time." Nevermind that she had scarcely touched her father's swords, let alone fire a shot from a bow.

"Really?" It was a simple word laced in sarcasm. Beneath the water his hand twitched to grab hold of the finger she still had lodged in his way.

Still, the Lady was not deterred nor fit to see reason, "Absolutely." Her mother would have fainted had she witnessed her daughter lie so effortlessly. That, or congratulate her for learning the ways of the Court.

"You have shot from a bow while giving chase on horseback?" The ever-incredulous royal member glared at her finger.

There was a small gulp and half-step back before the female reasserted herself with a flippant, "Loads of times." In the back of her mind, she started to think that she had been sitting in the hot bath water for a bit too long.

Her boast was met with snide skepticism, "And tell me, what exactly is it that you have so much experience in hunting?" He might've rolled his eyes had he not settled on, "Don't tell me its butterflies and ladybugs."

"Um," a momentary hesitation while she contemplated her choices and agreed upon, "Pheasants." Then, as if verifying the veracity of her claim she again repeated, "Of course, pheasants! My father took me hunting often when I was a child."

Confident that she has betrayed little outward display of her deceit, Sakura was a little dismayed to see the Prince's lips form a grim line while he continued to observe her with doubt etched into every feature of his handsome face.

"Is something the matter?" She asked innocently, still striving to be taken seriously. She began fidgeting with the collar of her –the Prince's—oversized shirt, thinking it was a bit odd to have her chin in the water and face only parallel to the young man's collarbones. Moreover, her pulse was beginning to beat faster and head seemed a little dizzy.

"It is a little difficult to picture you with a bow in hand, let alone with the strength required to pull back the string," Sasuke stated bluntly. His chest expanding slightly with each inhale and, to the Lady's rapt interest, a lone bead of water trailing down from his neck.

"I assure you, my Prince," her voice was a little breathless; "I am certainly no liar. Indeed," It must've been the hot air that muddled her thinking, since surely the Lady would come to regret her unfortunate challenge. Yes, the steam from the hot spring did a wonder on poor Sakura, for she opened her mouth and contended, "I would have no difficulty in striking down a pheasant."

With her fate seemingly sealed, the dark haired male leaned in further, dark eyes bearing down on her and observing every inch on her fair face. The Lady would later swear that it was not his proximity that caused the blood to rush to her head and sweat to dribble down her forehead. No, it was the fumes and lack of air flow that restricted her ability to breathe properly, and the excessive heat from having stayed in the water for too long. Whatever it was, her vision was already blurring by the time the Prince remarked, "that, is something I would very much like to see."

Sakura would not have time to reply, for in the next moment she found herself slipping downward and fainting.

For the sake of her reputation and brazen deceit, she would have to learn how to shoot from a bow. It couldn't be so difficult, could it… ?

A/N: Took a while to finish because my mind was preoccupied with ideas on future chapters TvT I had to re-read everything from the beginning since it's been so long, but this chapter did not flow as well... I need Kakashi for more entertaining banter. It's more exciting to write the steamy scenes, though I'm trying to create elements for some romance too. At least with an update, people will see that I haven't abandoned this fic v_v

Thanks for all the reviews during the time I was absent! Seeing them when I checked up after two years encouraged me to get writing. Tbh, the reviews are a bit entertaining since it seems people either understand the story/character motivations aptly or they are completely off the mark. Maybe that is a good thing since the character's responses, emotions and actions are supposed to be conflicting... i.e. you either read the words plainly and come out with a shallow perspective or you read between the lines and find it is quite different. Anyway, thanks again!