Love is flesh, it is a flower flooded with blood.
—Marina Tsvetaeva, from Poem of the End

The cold was not something Sakura did well with, as most of her friends already knew. Spring child, to her it was more than just a name, Sakura lived for the green days under the sun and trees, not the slush and sidewalks of downtown Boston. She could feel her heart palpitate in her ribcage like it was dying and didn't doubt that was what was actually happening.

Inside her boots Sakura curled her toes inwards, trying to ignore how the slush seeped in through the soles of her shoes and made her threadbare socks damp. She needed better socks, but couldn't find the time or energy to actually go out an buy herself a pair. Everything else was always more important.

Something bit the inside of her palm.

'Like this stupid cat,' Sakura thought to herself, glaring down at the black bundle in her arms. The bandaged feline started up at her with chocolate brown eyes that seemed so much brighter in contrast to his dark coat. Sakura glared down at him and the cat hissed, flattening his ears.

"That's so not the thanks I deserve after bringing you back from the brink of death.

The cat looked sharply away and kneaded himself back down into her arms, not minding how much his claws might hurt her through the thin fabric of her coat. Sakura inwardly growled, hating how compelled she felt to do the right thing even when the right thing was helping a stupid, ungrateful, transfixed creature out of his cat body. Because whatever he was, he was cursed and when Sakura found him, also heavily abused. Being a matriarch of the arts, it was also her duty to provide such a service, even if transfiguration was her worst subject.

The light turned and Sakura angrily stomped across the sidewalk, muttering about how this was not what she signed up for when she decided to go to school to be a witch and that she should have actually 'done' something with her life by now and how assholes were everywhere and now why did they have to be cats? No, Sakura liked cats, cats were fine and perfect and beautiful and this thing in her arms was not a cat, it was an asshole.

"You're an asshole," she whispered to it. In response, the cat bit her.

With the city of Salem being so overpopulated with traditionalists, more of the modern thinkers moved to the main city to study and practice the arts, and Boston was all the better for it even if no one knew it.

On such a street in Boston there was a simple apartment tucked between two buildings so seamlessly it looked squeezed. That building housed a plethora of talented witches, sone of which were Sakura's dearest friends.

Hinata answered the door with a startled squeak of joy. "Sakura, I wasn't expecting you!"

From somewhere inside the house Ino called out, "I was, that's why you read your tea leaves every morning!"

Hinata huffed, politely rolling her eyes as the blond floated out of her room in the back looking as hung over as a waif on New Year's. When Ino saw Sakura's questioning look she waved a hand in front of her face. "It was for a spell, don't judge me. Ah, where's the rest of the Mandrake, I need it for something."

"Speaking of needing something, I have a request for you, Hinata." Sakura heaved up the black cat in her arms and held it out, as if showing him off.

Hinata cooed. "Oh what a pretty fellow. Are you going to make him your familiar?"

Both the cat and Sakura hissed. "Hell no!" Sakura exclaimed. "I just need to fix him, to undo the transfiguration curse he's under. It's tricky and I can't do it on my own. I don't know anyone more minded in this field than you. Care to help me?"

Hinata's pearl colored eyes were soft while her smile was softer. "Of course, Sakura. You don't even have to ask. Let's get out my mat. What have you already tried?"

Together the two sat down and began backtracking through spells and incantations that could undo the 'binding knot' on the cat's transfiguration curse. When her runes did no good, Hinata lit a stick of wisteria and the smoke that curled out over the cat's head spelled his name.

"Sasori," Sakura chuckled. "Even his name is sort of an asshole. It means scorpion." Sasori turned and bit her on the hand again. Sakura hissed and nearly smacked him but held back. "Damn it, why me?! He freaking hates me."

Hinata wrote something down as if she was working through an equation and chuckled. "I think he likes you."

"Hell no, that makes no sense."

"They look like love bites, and they're not deep enough to break the skin or actually do any real damage."

"It hurts!" Sakura complained, falling backwards off her cushion onto her back. She wanted to watch cartoons and snuggle unuder a blanket while falling asleep, not work on some stupid ungrateful scorpion named jerk faced boy. She looked back at Hinata. "Do you know where the curse came from?"

Hinata was reading her scribbles after pulling the translation out of the smoke. "It's of the jilted lover variety. Looks like a woman who's affections were spurned set it up. Something about Sasori here being an unfeeling piece of-"

Sasori yowled loudly, cutting Hinata off. The pale girl laughed, covering her smile.

"He's an asshole," Sakura intoned. Sasori bit her again.

"I'll see what I can do to find a counter to the curse. Aside from True Love's Kiss or the witch herself, I'll have to get creative. Give me some time, it could take days."

Sakura waved her hand in front of her face, dismissing the time stamp."That's fine, sorry for being a bother. I'll help out around here while I crash."

"Or you could relax. You don't even have your own place you're on the move so much." Hinata licked her finger before playing with the pages of an old book. "See what Ino is doing. She's behind on her quota again."

From down the hall Sakura could hear Ino watching TV so she got up to visit her other best friend, dragging a spare throw rug to wrap around her shoulders. Sasori stood up and followed her back, staying close enough to bit her if she tried to kick him again.

Hinata chuckled to herself. It was pretty clear that poor Sasori had no idea how to properly communicate his affections, which was likely one of the reasons he was cursed in the first place. Hinata shook the burnt incense stick onto a white cloth and a face appeared, resembling Sasori in his human form. Though rough, the image made the young girl blush. Oh, Sakura was a lucky one indeed.

On of Sakura's greatest skills in life was her ability to sleep. Ino and Hinata shared an apartment with another witch, Tenten, from their school days and Tenten, (while adorable and fun to be around), was loud. Sakura passed out on the couch in the main living area where Tenten played her video games and not once did Sakura stir or wake.

"She was like that after finals," Ino commented, sucking on a lollie. Ino narrowed her eyes at the mess of chips and chocolate wrappers Tenten left behind. "But that doesn't mean we have to be so inconsiderate. Aren't you done with that game yet?"

"I'm trying to unlock bonus content," Tenten answered around a mouth full of chips. "And I'm the one who pays rent, so lay off Ino. Sakura didn't complain the first time she woke up to use the bathroom. You're just being fussy."

"I'm trying to look after my sister witch, what's so wrong about that?"

Tenten chuckled, maneuvering her ninja around an obstacle. "You're just mad because she didn't fall asleep in your room and is instead out here with me-ow! Hinata, what was that for? Now my guy is dead."

Hinata sighed, shaking her head and rubbing the space between her eyes. "You guys are worse than ever. Don't get jealous, Ino. Sakura just didn't want to be a bother, so that's why she's in the living area. If you help me make dinner that might be enough to rouse her again. She should eat, it's been over a day."

"But it's not physical exhaustion. She's been on call this whole time. It's her spirit that's exhausted," Tenten added, restarting her game without looking back. "I could feel it right away when I entered the apartment. She was hurt recently, or a spell went bad."

"It was a hex."

The whole house stopped and turned to see Sakura as she struggled to pull herself up into a sitting position on the couch. Her pale pink hair was a mess around her face and her skin lacked a shade of color, but she looked healthier than before she collapsed. At least the smudges under her eyes were gone.

"You..." Ino swallowed nervously while Hinata watched on without speaking. "You wanna talk about it? I have some enchanted bath-bombs that might help with the physical ailments."

"That's not the issue. I'm just tired from it, that's all. A sleep in peace was all I needed." Sakura took a minute to pat down her hair, combing through it with her nails, before spotting the cat from yesterday making himself comfortable on her discarded hoodie. Sakura glared at the cat and Sasori hissed in response. "Oh, he's still here." Her voice was heavy with malice.

Hinata's voice came from the kitchen. "Sorry Sakura, his spell is terribly complicated. I might need to employ some outside help if I can't come up with anything soon."

Sakura groaned, stretching her arms up above her head, pulling till her spine popped. She could feel her ribs settle into place. Her bones still felt sore, but not overburdened like they had before she slept. She felt better, at least. Sasori yawned, laying back down on her coat. 'Asshole.'

"Don't worry about that. If it gets bad I'll take the bastard to Tsunade. Between two matriarchs we should be able to do something. And if we can't, then that's that." When Sasori flattened his ears Sakura stuck her tongue out at him, not caring if he understood or not. He seemed too smart to be a normal cat, so when he did shit things like get his fur over her things and only her things Sakura took it to mean he was doing it on purpose.

Sakura turned to head into the kitchen and looked in on the dinner that was in the process of being made. "Ino, I have to go out tonight, can I borrow some of your clothes until I buy my own?"

"Help yourself. Where are you going?"

Sakura checked her smart phone and answered the pink and blue app that had a red number three above it. The first of three bulletin board messages was addressed to her. "Prague apparently. Stupid kids playing with shit they shouldn't have, set something loose again."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, again?"

Sakura shrugged, turning to shower and dress before dinner. When she came out again she was wearing high waisted shorts, black cotton leggings, floral doc martins, and a simple gray long-sleeve.

Ino narrowed her eyes at the outfit. "That was in my closet?"

"I think it's mine from the last time I was here." Sakura took a bowl and helped herself to the soup. "Smells amazing."

Hinata was on the WebWitch app looking up requests but paused in her searchings to smile at Sakura. "Its miso, but I substituted the tofu for real meat this time, since I know you like it like that."

"You're a goddess, Hinata."

Sakura was enjoying her soup when Sasori jumped onto the counter and yowled at her, angry. "Oh yeah, can I leave this asshole with you guys while I'm out? I shouldn't be gone long."

Sasori yowled again and Sakura flicked the broth left on her spoon at his face, leaving what was left in her bowl of soup for him to finish off. Sasori ate readily and Sakura wondered if he had been fed since she went to sleep. He was thin, but not malnourished. Maybe if she brought back some nice food he would be nicer to her. He was a pretty enough cat that she was curious what kind of boy he would be.

Sakura grabbed a scarf to double around her neck and then cardigan and then her jacket with all of Sasori's stupid hair on it. With all her layers in place, Sakura stepped in front of the front door and drew a sigil with chalk. Whispering words of power she felt the pulse from the cracks behind the door. When she pulled it open a cobblestone road and a far away country waited for her. Perfect, now she just needed to-

"Damn it!" Sakura hissed, feeling Sasori dart out from between her legs into the Prague street. He stopped to turn and look at her, wordlessly asking her with his eyes if she was going to follow him or just stand there.

"Asshole, you're an asshole. I swear." Sakura stormed through the door, not caring if she was loud or conspicuous to the locals. Forget the good food, when she caught that cat she was going to skin it and use its inners for spells.

By day three Sakura had enough of Sasori. He bit her whenever he could, he slept on her things and only her things, he followed her onto jobs, he slept near her face at night, he ate her food when she wasn't looking, and he was mean to guys she tried to talk to on the street. Not like she was interested in any of them, but she was a polite witch, and the way he scratched their ankles till they bled was making it hard to socialize.

By day four Sakura was exhausted. She called Tsunade and had an appointment at the end of the week.

Sakura was curling her hair, getting ready to go shopping not far from Boston when Sasori decided to jump onto the counter and sit down on her bobby pins. When Sakura hissed out his name he laid down over all of them and yawned while Sakura fumed.

"You know, I don't know why I'm bothering with you anymore. I know it's the right thing to do, but you're just so…" Sakura huffed, letting her words trail off. "I don't know why I'm doing any of this. I always wanted to be a witch and be honest with that part of myself, but this isn't what I saw for my life when I graduated. Matriarch…God, what an idiot I was."

Sakura spilled the curler out of her hair and set it down on the counter next to the hair spray. She sat down on the edge of the tub and let her body sag. Sasori eyed her wearily and she stared back. Behind his head, she could see part of her face in the mirror and noted how dead her skin still looked. She needed another day to sleep off the work, but there were less and less witches free to do her kind of work so Sakura always seemed to be on call.

Matriarchs were the highest class of witch there were and the only ones who were used in combat. A long time ago matriarchs were more common, but combat magic was a dying art because of the political climate in the sorcery world. A lot of elders didn't like the idea of Matriarchs and claimed there was no place for them in the modern world. Aside from one other witch a few years older than her and her own mentor, Sakura didn't know any other Matriarchs.

"I wonder how Konan is doing, anyway?" She mused aloud. When she looked up again Sasori was still starring. He almost seemed like he was asking her some unsaid question.

"Konan was a senior while I was a freshmen, but we were both in the same after school coven class. She's a Matriarch like me and I haven't heard from her in a while. She lives in Japan with her adopted brother and husband. Maybe she would be a good person to go to if something happened to me. Tsunade is too unstable to care for a-well, for anything really."

Sasori hissed and seemed angrier than usual. Sakura rolled her eyes. "Whatever, not that I care. Fine, do whatever you want."

Sakura stood up again and picked up the hair curler in one hand and the hairspray in the other. She rolled her hair into a dramatic curl and sprayed it with hair spray before removing the curler. Before it could fall out of it's form Sakura reached underneath Sasori (ignoring the bite on her knuckles) and pinned it in place with her pastel pink bobby pins. Her hair was short so there wasn't a lot more she could do with it.

Reaching into her makeup bag, Sakura dusted her cheeks with color and painted on dramatic wings that made her feel confident and fearsome. Not minding how Sasori seemed content to watch her she painted her lips a dark shade of red and then added earrings that looked like daisy bouquets.

"I like dressing up. I don't have to be going anywhere to want to do something nice with my makeup or hair. Dressing up has always had a secret sort of power on its own. But then again, I haven't been to see a movie in years. The last time I went out on a date with a boy was….oh wow, not since high-school." Sakura's lashes dropped down her gaze seemed far off as she tried thinking back. "I haven't done a lot of things since high school. I don't even have my own home yet."

Sasori yowled, but this time it was quieter and not that angry. Sakura made a face. "If I didn't know better I'd think you felt sorry for me, but that would have to make you not so much of an asshole as I first thought you to be." She thought about reaching out and brushing back his ears, of petting him like she would have if he was any other cat. It was tempting because she still loved cats, and had once thought about getting one to be her familiar.

Her hand froze in mid air when the phone in her back pocket of her jeans buzzed. Sakura reached back and flipped it open, going straight to her witch app. There was another request for her, something only she could do. That shopping trip would have to wait. This time it was in Germany, north of Berlin.

She pocketed her phone and grabbed her jackets, slipping one on after the other. She drew the marks onto the door and waited before the shift happened. She opened the door and paused, looking back to see Sasori watching her from the hallway with wide eyes. "You going to come?" she asked, one hand on her hip.

Sasori dashed quick as a whip to her ankles, weaving in and out before jumping out the door into the German alleyway. He stopped and stared back over his shoulders, tails flicking back and forth. Shrugging, Sakura walked out after him and closed the door behind her. Maybe there was shopping in Berlin she could get to. That, or stop in New York and max out that credit card she never used. By now there had to be a hefty chunk in her bank she could spend.

Shopping in New York was the last thing on her mind as she struggled back to a door she could use to jump back to where Ino and Hinata waited. Both were good with healing, having studied it together with Sakura in the advanced classes while in school. Both girls could help Sakura once she got back.

Although, to be fair, neither girl was better at it than Sakura, but any good witch worth her broomstick would tell you there is nothing more stupid than trying to heal yourself when you've suffered such a compromising injury like a hex or a concussion. She could barely form magic the right way in her current state. If Sakura tried healing herself she might just end up with an extra limb or a growth on her brain.

All Sakura wanted was one day out of the week where there wasn't a crisis for her to fix. Yesterday was Germany, today it was some damn field in Holland.

"Damn it," Sakura swore under her breath. She stopped against a fence post and let her body lean. She wasn't bleeding, and to anyone passing her by it would look like someone with a really bad stomach ache, but Sakura's pains weren't physical. Before she could move again her legs gave out and she had to fall to her knees and lay down in the grass. She was shivering and it didn't have anything to do with the cold.

Sasori yowled in her ear, pacing back and forth before scratching the side of her face. The asshole cat couldn't even leave her alone while she suffered from infection, could he?

Hexes weren't normally anything for her to be worried about, but this last one had been particularly nasty and Sakura was cocky, not even bothering to dodge or block it. She hadn't expected such a young renegade witch to be capable of such nasty magic. Sakura had decades worth of magical protection charms etched into her bones where human eyes couldn't see or read. In addition to that, she was also an adept healer that could be rivaled only by the other matriarch Tsunade. That last fact was probably the reason she was still alive and not dead like the hex had originally intended for her to be.

Sakura pulled something out of one of the many pockets on her jacket. A tic tac container with home made solider pills was all she needed. They were rare and expensive to buy, but it didn't look like she would be able to make it to her girls before the hex wrecked her over. Normally she wouldn't dare use one, but she had little other choice.

Sasori was still yowling and complaining so Sakura popped a pill before shoving him away with her free hand. That one pill was all she needed to be able to sit up again.

Once righted, Sakura closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Folding her hands, she inhaled the moist earth that smelled like grass and rain, let it fill her lungs, and exhaled black smoke from all the evil in her body. She could see the strings of glowing green energy that ran all through her body. There were crystalized chunks of curse growing on threads ands knots of her magic. She breathed deeply and they melted into smoke. When she breathed out again the smoke left her like dragon breath. The last bit of crystal came out of her mouth as a butterfly, letting her know she was clean again.

When Sakura looked down she saw Sasori was on her lap, curled up into a black ball. She reached down and scratched him behind one ear and he shivered in delight. Petting him again Sasori looked up at her, watching her before burrowing his head back under her hand so she could get his sweet spot.

"You're still an asshole," Sakura whispered, feeling the scratches on her face sting. Still, when she insulted him, there was less venom in her words. Maybe he was an asshole, but he wasn't as much of an asshole as he had been before.

Tired beyond belief, Sakura popped another solider pill and forced herself to stand. Sasori yowled in protest, but jumped down and followed her without further complaint. With borrowed strength, Sakura paced herself and made it to a barn with a side door she could enchant. There was one stick of chalk left in the jacket that wasn't broken. When she got to Hinata's she would have to pick up some more.

Sasori followed her over the threshold and into the main hall. Sakura closed the door behind her and fell back against it a bit, sighing deeply. A second later she heard something that made Sasori hiss. Lightly kicking him to the side she tried to move forward into the living room, but she stopped when the room spun. She was in no mood to be visiting old friends, no matter how long it had been. Sakura turned and cut through the kitchen to get to the hallway and sneak into Ino's room without being seen. Naruto and Hinata were in the living room, and neither had noticed her. That was fine.

Ino was in her room when Sakura stepped in and looked up from her magazine on herbal engineering in time to see Sakura pitch forward.

"Damn it, forehead, you're burning up! What did you do, set yourself on fire?"

Sakura had a hard time keeping her eyes open. "Solider pills are kicking back, I just need a place to…sleep. Just leave me on the floor."

Ino grumbled something about stupid love sick witches and idiot wizards before dragging Sakura towards the bed. "God no, I'm kicking that knucklehead out. You're taking my bed."

"I literally just need sleep, not a bed, I need to use the sleep button, not a pillow," Sakura muttered, not making any more sense than she should have being as tired as she was. "I want a tattoo. Braid my hair."

Ino rolled her eyes, dragging Sakura up onto the mattress and then moving her head so she could braid her friend's short hair and remove her earrings. Sakura mumbled in her sleep as Ino wiped her face free of the little make up Sakura had left on her lashes.

While she was working, Sasori jumped up onto the bed and stood on Sakura's waist, watching Ino with a suspicious gaze. Ino, finished, turned to stare at the cat. "Don't let anything bad happen to her," she said with a stern tone and a pointed finger. "She needs sleep."

Sasori laid down and flicked his tail back and forth, somehow wordlessly telling her that was his plan all along and that he didn't need Ino telling him anything. The blond made a face before picking up her witch magazine and leaving the room.

Not long after the door creaked open a jar and Sasori looked up to see a blond male between the door and the door jam. The cat instantly went rigid and hissed, his fur standing up on end, bristled and angry.

"I didn't know she got a familiar," Naruto whispered to Ino in the hallway.

"She didn't, he's just watching over her this time. She's trying to fix the transfiguration stuck on him, but he hates males, so back up. You had your peak so you know I wasn't lying. You can come back tomorrow if she's awake."

"Should I bring the bastard?"

Ino hit Naruto and Sasori let some of his hackles go limp. "No way, that's the last thing Sakura would want. Come alone or don't come at all, and don't let him know Sakura's here otherwise he'll come on his own." Saori's hackles went back up. "So get going."

The door closed and Sasori laid back down, but he kept watch, weary of another visitor while Sakura slept. She slept soundly well into the night and while under the moon, Sasori got up to use the litter box before coming back to Sakura's side. He pawed at her face before climbing onto her chest. Lowering his head he let it rest on the end of her chin, waiting for her to stir in her sleep or bat him away. When she didn't he got up again and crawled closer. Leaning down, his whiskers brushed her cheeks. She still didn't move.

He hesitated only a second before leaning down and pressing his face against her lips. Quick, just a peck, he moved back off her chest and fell back into his human body. The house was quiet and there was no one around to hear him, no one was awake to see him either, least of all Sakura.

What would her expression be if she knew? Would she send him away, would she be angry? Likely. But what he knew with certainty, there was no way he could be her familiar if he wasn't in his cursed cat body.

"Just for a little while," Sasori whispered to the moonlight, his only witness. Quietly, he pulled back the covers and slipped in next to Sakura, holding her in his arms as she slept. Closing his eyes he buried his face in her hair and breathed her in. "Just for tonight," he whispered.

Feeling only partly rested, Sakura had to wake herself and get ready to take Sasori to Tsunade. Still bleary eyed, she shoved the black cat off her chest and made for the shower. When she emerged she dressed in all black and pulled out a tube of dark berry lipstick. She was too tired to try anything else.

"Stop scowling, you landed on your feet," Sakura yawned, looking back at Sasori who was glaring at her from his spot at the end of the bed. His tail flicked back and forth, angry like. "Asshole baby," she yawned out.

Next to Sasori, hanging off the end of the bed, was a long black coat still on it's hanger. Ino had left it out for Sakura the night before, knowing she was going to meet Tsunade and that meant passing through the council of elders and being on display for a few short minutes before getting her privet audience. Next to the long trench styled coat was a pointed hat that completed the traditional outfit.

Belting the coat closed and pulling on the hat so that it pointed off to the side just slightly, Sakura watched her reflection strike a pose in the mirror. Sasori came over to stand beside her and she smiled at the picture they made together. "Quite the classic couple, if I do say so myself."

To her surprise Sasori meowed approvingly before darting in and out between her legs and trotting towards the door. Sakura bit the bottom of her lip, reminding her of the scratches she had to heal on her face when she woke up. Asshole Sasori was still asshole Sasori, even if he was sort of cute sometimes.

Hinata was still asleep and Ino was out on work (for once!) when Sakura walked out into the kitchen. She wrote a little note for the girls before drawing the marks she needed onto the front door, this time she added an extra number at the bottom that was one of her secret names. It wasn't her Secret-Secret name, but one of the names she didn't tell most people. Sakura had a handful of secret names, but only one she told no one. The one she wrote at the bottom of the door was the name the school gave her when sh graduated. It was how the House would know who was walking into their halls, since the impressive building in Virginia was warded to the nines.

Sakura stepped back and waited before the door pulsed, her sigil being approved. She took a deep breath and stepped through.

High white domed ceilings stretched out above her and the world opened up to marble and oak. Cold and imposing, the House always made Sakura shiver a bit as she stepped through the door and into the new building. All around her were doors that opened and closed to let magicians and witches alike access in and out. Next to every other door was what looked like a standing ash tray, but instead of cigarette butts short white sticks of chalk stood out of the sand for magic users to use on their way home.

Sidestepping to avoid the shadow of a seven foot tall figure, Sakura made a bee line for the font desks where a handful of secretary witches worked behind their screens and books. Sakura found one who wasn't busy and signed in. The girl behind the brass bars called Tsunade up on a normal looking phone before waving Sakura on.

Sasori trotted dutifully alongside Sakura, keeping closer than usual as more than just a few eyes stopped to turn on him and then Sakura.

Pink hair, classically lovely features, iridescent green eyes nearly bursting with magic, there were not many people Sakura could be mistaken for. With so few matriarchs in the world, the ones left always seemed to stand out. And out of all the witches with that title, no one was younger than Sakura.

Sakura opened a door and instead of an office of cold stone and polished wood, there was an entire Japanese spring garden with Tsunade waiting under a blooming Cherry Blossom, sipping sake. Last time she had visited the room had been a Las Vegas casino, so this was a step up.

"Trying to impress me?" Sakura teased, closing the door behind her. Sasori pawed at a fallen blossom that settled close to Sakura's heels.

"Is that him?" Tsunade asked, turing to look at the black cat as he pawed at the flower, tearing it apart. Tsunade's hazel eyes swiveled back up to Sakura's face and her lips turned down in a frown. "You look exhausted."

Sakura tugged down the brim of her pointed hat. "I've only been awake an hour, I think. I need more time in order to wake up. Don't look at me like that. I'm here for him."

Sasori yowled when she kicked him forward with the side of her foot. He turned back to glare at her but then trotted the rest of the way till he was in front of the older witch. Tsunade turned and her face came into the light, showing off youth and beauty that were preserved with craft; her eyes were so much older. Sasori almost shivered, but didn't because that was not befitting of someone with his level of self importance.

"What do you think?" Sakura asked, shifting the weight of her body from one foot to the other.

Tsunade looked up from her cup of sake and then closed her eyes to swallow what was left in her cup. "Give me five minutes alone with him. I'd like to communicate with Sasori in privet before I turn him over to you."

Sakura frowned, glancing down at the cat before nodding to her mentor and turning on her heel to leave. Once he door closed Tsuande waved her hand, whispering 'into a man,' as her hand passed over Sasori. Without a curse to hold onto, the cat yowled before his body became flesh. The young man looked up sourly in his naked human body once again.

"I thought as much, what was Chiyo thinking, cursing her own grandson?" Tsunade shook her head and set her sake cup off to the side. A blue star flickered on from underneath the redhead, binding him in place. If she wanted to, she could burn him into nothing. "Talk, kid. I'm giving you four minutes before I bring Sakura back in and expose your mischievous little ass."

Sasori's voice was low and cold when he answered. He was stuck in a crouch, refusing to stand and expose more of his unclothed body. "I want to be her familiar. I asked grandmother for this. There is no one else more suited to the job than I."

"Oh?" This was news. "Why Sakura?"

"She is perfection." He reached up to touch the underside of his lips, his eyes distant as if remembering something. "Also, she is my fated one. Her kiss broke my curse. I am meant for her."

Tsunade raised a single brow. "Whoa there, stalker much?"

The way Sasori shook his head dismissively could have been marketed to the masses, it was so eloquently done. Maybe he had been some sort of dancer before becoming a cat. That, or being feline gave him extra grace.

"Also, she needs me," he said. "On her own, Sakura is adequate for the jobs she has been assigned, but at the rate she is being expected to complete tasks, she is wearing herself thin and will expire. This is intentional on the council's part, no?" Something like darkness came into Sasori's eyes and Tsuande knew this child was no fool. Chiyo was an ancient matriarch and one of the wisest witches in all the deserts. There was no way her flesh and blood grandson would be so lackluster.

Tsunade took a sip of sake. "Yes, I believe you're right. They're trying to do away with the weakest of our order, and Sakura is the youngest of the matriarchs. Magicians in particular hold a lot of animosity towards witch kind and take no pains to hide it. I don't doubt they are making efforts to tax Sakura beyond the point of her abilities, and she's too stubborn to ask for help or take a familiar or an apprentice. Ah, does she have a place to live, yet?" Sasori shook his head and Tsunade cursed. "She was too skilled for her own good. Stay a kid while you can."

"Will you help me convince her to take me on?" Sasori interrupted.

"Why should I nominate you? There are others. You may be powerful in your own right, but are you trustworthy?"

"I am what Sakura needs. There is no one better suited to stay by her side than myself and as the grandson of a witch you can find no fault in my abilities to protect her."

"Do you like her?"

"Very much."

Tsunade laughed. "No hesitation. Fine. See if you can live up to your words, I'll make you her partner, but you will be under her heel, and if I see a need for it, I will step in."

Sasori bowed his head and shifted back to his feline form, stretching across the fading blue star as Sakura walked back in. He watched her and She stuck her tongue out at him when he wouldn't look away. "So, what can you do for the asshole? Is it something you can reverse?"

"Asshole?" the blond chuckled. Sasori's ears went down and his tail swished behind him, irritated. "Yeah, he's no great trouble, but it will cost you something, Sakura. I am willing to reverse his curse and give him power over it, but only on the condition that you take him on as your familiar."

"What? Tsunade there's no need for something like-"

"I myself have a plethora of slug familiar. Konan holds nine and will take on more in time. As necessary of your station; you can not keep going on as you are. You are not strong enough to endure."

"Maybe I got sloppy a few times, but I'm still not so weak to-"

"No!" Tsunade interrupted. "You are proud and hold great hubris. This has been the downfall of many great men, do not let it be the weakness of a greater witch." Sakura bowed her head, dropping her eyes. Tsunade took a breath, sitting back down and lowering her voice. "I will free this child and he will serve and protect you. In addition, you are suspended from missions for seven days. You must use this time to find for yourself a home, to buy clothes, rest up, and get to know your partner better. I vouch for his abilities. His bloodline is well suited to a witch."

"Maybe I do need help, but…" Sakura looked over at the black cat who still watched her unnervingly. "Sasori is…we wouldn't be any good together. He hates me."

"No, he's just an asshole, as you said earlier." Sasori flattened his ears and hissed back at Tsunade. The older blond raised a single brown and Sasori lowered his head. "He may be an asshole, but he's willing to work with you, and I think it would be good for you. If you don't trust him, trust me. I see this as a benifit for you, Sakura."

When Sakura looked up Tsunade was in front of her. Sakura reached out and took the older woman's offered hands. They were warm and made her feel a little bit at peace. She knew those hands well. Sakura eased out a shuddering breath. "I will do as you say. Please bind him to me."

Tsunade kissed Sakura's brow and Sakura felt a shock there. There were words whispered and when Sakura opened her eyes again, there was no more a black cat where Sasori once stood. In his place was a slender faced redhead with cinnamon copper eyes and soft lips. He wasn't much taller than her, and looked too much like a doll to be real.

Even though he wasn't wearing anything, the redhead took a step towards her and stood where Tsuande once stood. He took her hands and then knelt down, kissing her knuckles. Into her palms he whispered to her his secret name and the knowledge bound him to her as tightly as it bound her to him.

In a moment he became hers.

She felt the chime of their union echo throughout her body and looked down to see him gazing up at her. He caught her eyes and winked, one half of his mouth crooked as he grinned rakishly. Sakura felt the echo again and her face filled with color.

"Asshole," she whispered down at the boy who was hers.

The End

For now...

So, Happy Halloween people!

This is an older story of mine I pieced together from when I was talking back and forth with frostmarris on tumblr (Thirrin73 on ) about witchy Sakura and it ended up not being bad, so here it is, months later, ready for your enjoyment.

I'm working on other writing things that will be out shortly, but it's all slow and I'm sorta low key dealing with these stupid 'intrusive thoughts' that keep me from being in a good headspace for writing well so I can't make any promises. My NaNo novel for this year is a fanfic of a fanfic, or an alternate version of the Monarch Woods-so when/if I finish that you can have a taste. :)

Stay safe tonight, eat well.