Title: Just Another Client

Summary: What she thought would be an easy assignment turns into a whole lot more, and Sakura soon finds herself thrown into the world of celebrity tabloids. She obviously couldn't have prepared herself for the mayhem that was to come from having a one-night stand with the one and only, Sasori Akasuna. [AU]

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters.

Chapter 1: The Assignment

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She took in deep, shallow breaths. Fingers slid up and down newly shaven legs and unconsciously tugged the mini dress down a tad further. Its length was a bit too short for the pinkette's tastes, but that was the least of her worries at the moment. All that mattered was if she could find him.

Bright jade eyes stared out the cab door as the car came to a halt. Her hot breath fanned over the glass window and she quickly wiped it to get a view of their current destination. Bright neon lights emitted from the inside of a night club on the other side of the road, being the only eye catching building on the dull, empty street. At a first glance it could be perceived as a pretty vacant club because of its poor location, but the mass amount of bodies swarming through and around the double doors said otherwise.

If her eyes weren't playing tricks with her, then a majority of the people standing outside the club looked to be underage teenage girls.

"Perfect," she thought aloud. Her eyes shot towards the rear mirror and quickly caught the attention of the cab driver. "Just in front over there should be good."

He must be here.

Unless there's some other teenage heart-throb that managed to catch all this unnecessary attention, that is. This was highly unlikely, because all of their preparations for tonight would have been nothing but a waste.

When the street light flashed green the cab took a swift U-turn before halting in front of the night club. Suddenly, all that could be heard were high pitched screams.

"Ugh, I'm never going to get use to that noise..." Sakura mused aloud, earning a chuckle from the man in the front seat.

"Have a nice night sweetheart."

When the cab driver finally deemed it alright to stop the engine, Sakura stepped out, paid the driver, and began her struggle through an enormous crowd of screaming girls.

Thankfully, most of these girls were well under the age of 18, and even those who looked like they could make it through were still screaming their heads off, so security wasn't letting them through. When Sakura finally pushed her way through to the front and flashed the bouncer her valid ID, he simply looked Sakura over–probably to make sure she wasn't one of them–then nodded once and let her in.

I guess all my efforts into making myself look presentable (even so, a bit trashy) was definitely worth it. I have Yamanaka to thank for that.

The heavy beat of the club music got louder the more she descended into the dark building. Sakura steadily made her way further into the club, cruising through sweaty bodies and alcohol driven dancers. It takes a couple shots before you're drunk off your mind and start making quick decisions that you would be sure to regret the morning after. Sakura personally has never been in that sort of situation, thanks to a couple pills co-workers are told to swallow before scourging their clients in bars where it's only appropriate that you down a couple drinks.

It didn't take long before she spotted her target; His tall height and bright red hair stood out in the dingy club and Sakura smirked as she watched him take a seat and tuck his head into folded arms above the bar counter top.

Sakura had to squint her eyes to see clearly through the dim lighting of the space as she tried searching for any of his pals that Yamanaka mentioned he was usually hanging around with, but couldn't find anyone that fit her descriptions.

Strange, up until now he was made out to be this super popular guy that had people hanging off him to catch a bit of the fame, but there he sat out in the open of the club all by him lonesome self.

No matter, this just made her job much easier.

Sakura leaned against a wall as she observed him from afar. If the way he concealed his face from the very willing women watching him from different corners the club were any indicator of how he was feeling, then Sakura could safely declare that he was upset and didn't want to be bothered. That wasn't too surprising, but what was there for a celebrity as rich and famous as him to ever feel depressed about? Sakura had a mental image of what every famous individual was like on their off time, and brooding alone at a club wasn't one of them. At times like this, no matter the person, having human company is typically an easy solution to temporarily removing one's self from their own dark thoughts. Why deal with your issues all alone and drunk when you could easily just confide in a total stranger? For all she knew, he could have probably gotten out of a long going relationship and needed alcohol to help clear his mind.

However, that definitely isn't the case. Or else Sakura wouldn't be here in the first place.

A pang of guilt hit her right in the chest at that moment, once she realized that once her job was done, he'd be in the very same spot he was today. And it would only be partly his fault.

Sakura leaned her head against the wall and crossed her arms. Her eyes caught sight of even more females eyeing up the red head in front of her. There was no time to feel bad about what she was about to do. She had to go in before she lost her chance. Get it done and over with, before anyone else found out.

And so, with that mindset glued to the back of Sakura's head, she steadily began her slow descent towards her target. She would be that willing person, whether he needed someone to hold and help clear his mind or not. All for the sake of her mission, of course.

Sasori, here I come.

:::

I don't really know when exactly this mess started. Was it when I agreed to give myself over to such a sketchy living? Or was it all the way back during the lonely nights and self deprivation? No, no if I really want to find an exact date to blame as the beginning of this entire chaos it would probably have to be the day I was called in to do that particular assignment.

:::

/ 2 weeks ago /

"Haruno."

She looked up into the deep blue eyes of her fellow co-worker and best friend. She had a deep scowl on her face and the dark circles under her eyes reflected her lack of sleep. Despite her tousled appearance, she still had an attractiveness to her that no one else could compare to.

That alone explains her top spot and clean record. She never failed a single mission when it came to bringing out the shameless seductress within her. Sakura would never say it aloud, but she hoped to become as great at the job as her fellow blonde partner was.

"Yamanaka," Sakura replied, hoisting herself out of her seat.

Said blonde turned a blind eye towards Sakura's pajamas. It was, after all, a pretty urgent call. Had they been given a warning beforehand, neither of them would look as exhausted as they currently did.

Ino slowly exhaled through her nose. "The boss wants to see us," Her eyes focused on the cold steel floor of the abandoned warehouse. "…And it sounds pretty important."

Sakura gulped, but nodded her head in understanding. Never had she been called out here, and for something so important that it couldn't wait until the morning. It scared her shitless, but it would be important that she held up a brave front when in the presence of her boss. Sakura recalled her first pep talk the day she was hired.

"Show me you are scared, show me you are frightened in the slightest, and you're out of here. I don't have time for slackers."

He never went off on his word.

And so, Sakura braced herself as she followed behind Ino into the room next door. Despite the flimsy cracked walls, Sakura heard nothing of what the people on the other side had been discussing as she waited to be called in. She was kept in the dark for 2 hours in total from the minute she woke up until now, and had grown completely restless. All she wanted was to go back in time and ignore the honking of the persistent driver waiting to pick her up outside her house. She knew that black van wasn't just any normal vehicle, despite its bland appearance. Forcing herself up from the warm confines of her bed, Sakura proceeded with her regular wake-up routine and unhurriedly washed her face. They obviously weren't having it with her leisure pace and broke into her fucking house. Sakura was in any sense of the word pissed off when she noticed the loose hinges on the front door but didn't have time to voice out her anger when they roughly pulled her outside her home in her sleepwear and pushed her into the van. Had it not been a fellow colleague she recognized that was part of the team who had come to retrieve her, she would have thought she was being kidnapped.

Throughout the journey here they made only one stop, and that was Yamanaka's house. Ino had been much more resistant when being abducted and was unwilling to leave her house. The moment the van came into view as she was being dragged outside her door, it was like she had just woken up and quickly got inside the vehicle. She offered many apologies that were left hanging in the air. They sat in silence all the way until they reached their destination, which is how they got to this certain point in time.

Sakura kept her focus on Ino's back as she followed her into the room next door. Light bulbs dangled from the ceiling and a strange smell lingered in the air. Nothing Sakura couldn't handle, really. Shes been in much worse predicaments, plus she understood the choice of environment where these meetings took place.

It's led by a hidden organization; an underground industry, illegal in every aspect. She was a puppet, and they were the puppeteers. She would do their bidding as long as they needed her.

She gave her life over to this living years ago, and there was no going back on it now. She gave up on friends, family, and moved to the other side of the country to stay hidden. Assignments, if you could even call them that, were handed over to her in expectance of completion. Depending on her performance she would be paid large sums of money for her doings. It's the reason she had done all of this in the first place; the money. She needed something to live off of, and this paid well. No school, no diploma, no education required to do it.

Sometimes Sakura would think, what if I hadn't handed over my life to such a sketchy living? Well, she would be forced to go to school for something she had no interest in, be around people who didn't appreciate her, and live her life in regret for never having the confidence to pursue what she really wanted out of life.

This job, despite it staying under the radar of the authorities, was exactly what she needed. A good paying gig that kept her identity a secret. She gave up on family and a social life years ago, and this is where it has lead her.

She owes her life to the organization, and she would do as they required for as long as she lives. If you were to look at it in a different light, they basically saved her from herself.

So when she caught sight of the three men responsible for her employment, she bowed quickly in respect.

"Haruno." The one on the far left nodded in approval. Sakura picked her head back up. "Yamanaka." Ino did the same.

"Please, have a seat."

The two girls pulled out their chairs and sat down hesitantly, the tension in the air turning their bodies cold. They faced three men behind a large mahogany desk, their faces expertly concealed by hats and the dim lighting of the room. A light bulb hung from the ceiling between them, slightly swinging from side to side from the new commotion of screeching chairs the girls had caused.

Sakura folded her hands in her lap and waited patiently for any of them to begin speaking. She held in her breath as the man in the middle removed a cigar from his mouth and blew out smoke. He placed the cigar back between his lips and shot the two girls a piercing stare.

"Sorry for the inconvenience. We don't usually do things this early, but we need to begin this as soon as possible," he began as he took a moment to inhale more smoke. "This is a big one; we're being offered a huge sum of money to do this. I only thought it be best that we acquire two of our most trustworthy accomplices to complete it."

The two girls shot a knowing side glance at each other. Oh, this was going to be good.

The man on the far right leaned back in his seat with his arms folded. "Of course, we need to know if you both will be willing to do this. I'm going to tell you this straight; it won't be an easy one."

Ino was quick to fire back, "what will be required of us?"

His lips pulled into a mysterious smirk. "More so, what will be required of Haruno."

Sakura's eyes widened a fraction. She felt all eyes on her. She spoke slowly, "then why are we both here?"

"You both will be sent on this job together, but Haruno will just be doing more of the work. We figured with Yamanaka's past experience with these sorts of assignments that she would be able to help guide you through accomplishing it."

"And what exactly is this job?"

A piece of paper was slid towards her turned down across the desk. She reached out for it and flipped it over.

She would be lying if she said she didn't recognize the handsome face displayed on the sheet. His image was flashed all over billboards, taxi's, buses… you name it. She knew him as a teen heart throb within the world of arts, but from that she knew nothing else of the popular male. But by where this meeting was currently headed, she knew she would have to do some of her own research.

"Sasori… Akasuna?" Ino gasped as she snatched the paper out of Sakura's hands. "No way! What does he have to do with this?"

"Yamanaka, you haven't even heard the job requirements."

Ino peeped a quick 'sorry' before leaning back in her seat quietly.

"Akasuna Sasori, better known as just Sasori. Member of Akatsuki Management and self-entrepreneur. Artist and occasional actor. He was born and raised in Tokyo before moving to America and has now become one of the highest paying entertainers this generation has to offer."

A new sheet of paper slid across the table, this time faced up.

"And, is dating model Willow Tress."

She looked to be the average American model, bleach blonde hair, bright green eyes, and a killer slim body. Completely toned and naturally tanned. Jealousy shot through Sakura but she quickly bit her tongue and dismissed those thoughts. She had learned to tame her emotions expertly, thanks to the things shes done in this organization. She had learned to accept her flaws and abilities, but seeing such a perfect girl latched around a perfect guy made her want to puke. How could two human beings be able to brutally smash down her self-esteem so easily? Despite Sakura's calm exterior, on the inside she was still the insecure little girl she always had been. There was no way of getting rid of that.

Sakura nibbled on her bottom lip as she admired the photo further. The two looked to be at a pool, lounging around expensive looking furniture. The million dollar house in the background helped to back up her claim.

"So…" Sakura broke the ice as Ino's eyes shot up at her. "You want us to…?"

"Exactly what you may be thinking." The man on the far left finally spoke, grabbing a red marker from his pocket. The two girls watched as he drew a thick bright red X across the entirety of the photo. "Destroy their relationship."

Ino lightly gasped. Sakura mentally rolled her eyes at the entire situation. Oh the dramatics.

"You want us to break them up?"

"Correct."

"And how do we go about doing this?"

"Yamanaka, I'm surprised you're the one asking this question." The man in the middle spoke smoothly, "I'm sure you remember that job."

Ino went completely quiet for a moment. "I know."

"I'm sure Haruno will be able to handle it well just like you had 2 years ago," he continued, causing Ino to wince. "We reeled in quite a lot of cash thanks to you, Yamanaka. And we hope to see the same from you this time around, Haruno."

Sakura frowned. She never heard of Ino doing something as big as this. Whatever, she'd ask her on another day.

"So say we break them up…" Sakura started, all eyes on her. "The money would be coming from the publishing companies of tabloid newspapers and gossip magazines, correct?"

"Yes, that would be one source from where the income would be sent our way. So I'm sure you know exactly what you need to do."

Sakura nodded, "yes sir."

"So you accept this mission?"

Sakura shot a quick glance at Ino. The blonde offered her a reassuring smile that calmed Sakura. I'm fine, don't worry. Go for it.

"I accept."

What Sakura didn't know, was that the moment she accepted this mission, her whole life would never be the same again.

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A/N: So there we go, the first chapter! I'm not sure how long this story will be, but it probably wont exceed 10 chapters. Reviews and Favorites are much appreciated, they make me update faster!