a/n: I CAN'T RESIST. I've missed you, SasuSaku community! ;)

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faith in breathing

would you lie with me and just forget the world?

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I

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The night smelled like gasoline and cigarettes and liquor, and underneath the city gleamed golden, submerged in a glittering ocean of celebration.

On the twenty-fourth floor of the Wakaba Tower, Uchiha Sasuke stood in the dark, a hand pressed against the cold glass, long, slender fingers stretched as if to capture as many lights as he could. It was a day before the Lantern Festival, the biggest summer festival in underground Osaka, and this year it was the Leaf's turn to host it. As the leader of the Leaf, it was his responsibility to oversee the preparation. It was by no means an easy job for a man who had been born and bred for street racing, but Sasuke lived and breathed Leaf. He was going to make this festival a smashing success or die trying—not that he should have anything to worry about, since the preparation was going remarkably well. The Leafs, much to his relief, turned out to be almost as talented in event organizing as they were in street racing.

"Sasuke-kun?"

At the mention of his name, Sasuke turned around. Sakura was standing right by the door in his blue shirt, pink hair mussed behind her head. As she stepped forward he reached for her, tucking her head underneath his chin, her face pressed against the hard planes of his chest. Her hair tickled his nose, smelling faintly of strawberry shampoo. "I thought you'd gone to bed already."

"I couldn't sleep alone," she smiled, the silver cadence in her gentle voice almost teasing as she wiped the oil smudge on his right cheek with her sleeve, "You really don't need to be so worried about the festival, Sasuke-kun. I think Naruto even managed to persuade the Hyuugas to help out a little bit, and you know they've always been such a tight-assed group."

"Did he now?"

"Yes. It was rather amazing, actually. Especially since he's not known for his subtlety."

He snorted. "He doesn't have subtlety."

A cheerful laughter escaped her throat, "Exactly."

They stood in silence for a few seconds, before Sasuke finally gestured to the envelope on the coffee table. Slipping out of his embrace, Sakura reached for it and pulled out the letter. Over her shoulder, Yakushi Kabuto's cursive handwriting on the paper taunted him: … you and three of your best racers… willing to give you the opportunity to negotiate… of course the Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't back out from such an easy challenge, right?

Though the rivalry between the Sound and the Leaf had run deep and long for more than fifty years and they often challenged each other to races, this was the first time the challenge would take place during the Lantern Festival—an event agreed to be one of the very few times of peace. It was practically unheard of, even if the Sound were invited to the festival.

Her eyes softened when she caught the exhaustion darkening his handsome face. "You're going to have to accept, of course," she said gently, pulling him down to sit next to her, "Backing out will only give them another excuse to pick fights with the Leaf, and we don't want that to happen any more than it has. On the bright side, Sasuke-kun, there's no reason that you can't negotiate the terms of the race."

"Shikamaru said there will be a catch," Sasuke muttered, referring to the Leaf's genius strategist, "But that's no surprise, since the Sound never played fair before."

There were a few more pages after the challenge, detailing the terms and conditions of the race, followed by an agreement form for Sasuke to sign. "I wonder if they're planning to declare war for our territory, and this race is just the beginning. It's no secret that we have the better part of the city and that they've coveted our place for so long. Of course, this could be just another friendly race," she paused, examining the last page thoroughly, "but somehow, I don't think so."

As the corners of her lips slid into a frown, guilt twisted Sasuke's stomach. He took the letter from her hands and threw it carelessly to the coffee table. "Don't you worry about that," he told her sternly, "It's my problem, I'll deal with it."

"But—"

"How's the training going?"

His interruption deepened her frown, but recognizing the stubborn determination in his eyes, she let it go. "Quite good, actually. I let Miya and Ami take the Buick Sommerset and the J2-Cadillac today for a fifty-mile race. They enjoyed that, although it's clear that they hate each other," she pulled a face, laughing lightly, "They're the same age and they say they're from the same section of Kita, though, so I guess that if that doesn't make them instant friends, that makes them instant rivals. Sort of like how you and Naruto used to be."

Sasuke's lips twitched. "But we've grown up."

"Arguable," Sakura countered, though her green eyes were dancing, "You still spend much of your waking moment challenging each other stupid things, sometimes I worry you're never going to reach thirty."

"Of course I am," he murmured, lowering his head to press a soft, slow kiss on the base of her throat. Her fingers resting lightly on his chest, amusement tugged at the corners of his lips and he raised his head to nip at her lower lip playfully. His breath was warm against her chin, sending ripples of electricity dancing across her skin, as he asked, "Would you like to go to bed now?"

"Yes," she purred, her voice caressing his consciousness like dark velvet as her cheeks dusted a lovely shade of pink, igniting something warm in his chest, "Yes."

x

The next morning, Sakura found herself sitting with her arms crossed in the bleachers of the circuit training grounds, watching as Tenten talked to Miya and Ami. The two girls stood on the verge of eighteen, four years younger than she was, but it was obvious that they were more than acquainted with the world of street racing. Their reflexes were too quick, their knowledge too broad, their techniques too polished, Sakura was sure they were hiding something. Hopefully Tenten could figure out just what.

The Leaf wasn't used to accepting 'civilians' into their territory, but Miya and Ami had come to them for 'shelter and protection from the streets'. Training them had been a ruse, a ploy, to gather more information about them, but so far, neither Miya nor Ami had exposed anything, accidentally or not.

"It's a matter of time," Ino assured from her side, glittering blue eyes also fixed on Tenten, Miya and Ami, "Their mutual dislike is not pretense. We know that much about them, if nothing else. Don't worry too much, Sakura."

Sakura nodded. She had sensed that much, too. Whoever Miya and Ami really were, they genuinely hated each other, and both were downright hostile when it came down to it. "Do you think they were members of the Sound?"

"It's possible that they are still members of the Sound," Ino shrugged, meeting Sakura's gaze, "Shikamaru told me about the challenge. I wouldn't be surprised if they're here to spy on us, see how our training is going, our cars and stuff."

"It wouldn't be the first time," agreed Sakura.

"Exactly," the blonde murmured thoughtfully, before a sadistic, cynical smile suddenly blossomed on her lips. "We should just lock them up and question them, or something. It will save us from a lot of trouble."

Sakura grinned. "It will also give us trouble, Ino, and you know that perfectly well. Don't tell me that you suggested it because you're just that bored and you want to interrogate them for the hell of it."

"I won't tell you that, then," Ino's eyes twinkled as she grinned back. "It was worth a try."

The pink-haired woman laughed, then, gazing fondly at her best friend before they noticed Tenten approaching them as Miya and Ami made their way into their respective cars.

"I told them to do twenty laps," she told Sakura and Ino, joining them on the bleachers, "About sixty miles, give or take. That should buy us some time."

"You have news?" Sakura asked hopefully.

Tenten nodded. "They obviously have some level of experience with racing, but I won't say that they're the best racers I've seen. I think they're from the Sound, though I can't tell if they're still with them or they're honestly seeking refuge with us," she paused, and then lowered her voice though no one else was around, "Still, I think you have to be careful, Sakura. That Ami girl… she's very interested in you, your relationship with Sasuke in particular. She kept asking me questions about how long you've been together, how many races you've won, what kind of a person he really is, that kind of thing."

"She definitely sounds like a spy," Ino raised her eyebrows, almost amused, "and not a very subtle one, too."

"Those kinds are normally the lesser of two evils."

"Yes," Sakura sighed heavily. Tenten was a great judge of character, more so than almost everyone she knew. "Well…" she paused, "They can't find out that we've had them figured out yet. Ino, can you make sure someone is always keeping an eye on them? Moegi, maybe, she's their age so they'll be less suspicious of her. Tenten—"

"I'll keep an eye on them for now," the brown-haired woman promised.

"Great, thanks," Sakura said, standing up as a frown marred her pretty face, "I better go tell Sasuke about this. Did Shikamaru tell you when they're coming back from the Sound, Ino?"

"About seven in the evening, I think," Ino stood up as well, looking concerned. "Sasuke won't be happy."

"No," the pink-haired woman agreed, suddenly exhausted, "He won't."

x

Ino was right, of course. The news that Miya and Ami had been from the Sound and might very possibly still be in the Sound did not make him happy in the slightest. His first instinct was to lock them up in the basement, but he knew that wouldn't be a smart move. As a result, he now found himself pacing around the meeting room, glaring at the faces surrounding him.

"We should look at this from the bright side," Sakura murmured, standing anxiously in the middle of the room as she watched him. "At least we're one step ahead of the Sound now. Whatever they're planning for Miya and Ami—if they're planning anything—at least we know that… well, something's up. I know it's not a very big step ahead, but it's something," she darted a desperate glance at Shikamaru, "Isn't it?"

"Well…" the strategist leaned back on his seat, shifting to find himself a more comfortable position, "I suppose it is, because they are planning something, Sakura. You can't just fool yourself and think that Miya and Ami are here for our protection from the Sound," he paused thoughtfully, his fingers resting on his lap, "Their timing is too damn convenient for that. My best guess is that they want something from us that will help them win the Lantern Festival race."

A few moments of silence fell over the room, before Sasuke suddenly stopped pacing around. "We can't let them win," he said firmly, determination in the even timbre of his voice, "It'll be over my dead body."

"The negotiation this afternoon didn't go well," Shikamaru explained to Sakura. "Kabuto wants the Wakaba Tower, pure and simple, and he doesn't want to let it go."

Green eyes widened in fearful understanding. "Are you serious?" she whispered harshly, disbelievingly. "You bet our tower?"

"He bet our tower," Sasuke spat angrily. "Wouldn't let me in a word otherwise, that fucking bastard. I could just disagree to his terms, but it wouldn't do any of us good."

Sakura closed her eyes and cursed loudly, a lump forming in her throat. It was understood that refusing a challenge from the Sound would only result in more trouble. The last time they had done it was a little over ten years ago. Hyuuga Hiashi was the leader of the Leaf, then, and the challenge had named his two daughters as the price. Within a few days after his refusal, the Sound started a war with the Leaf, starting with burning down the Wakaba Tower—the building where all the Leaf members lived and conducted their daily activities in.

It was when they started murdering the civilians they were supposed to protect that Hiashi surrendered and the Sound immediately retreated, as if what they had been waiting for all along was his uttered defeat. More than two hundred people were killed that day, and Hiashi's own nephew, the one supposed to inherit the title as the Leaf's leader, was declared a victim, although his body was never found. As soon as Sasuke turned twenty Hiashi stepped down and pointed the Uchiha as his successor. That was four years ago, but Sakura doubted that the Sound had lessened in their aggression and bloodlust. If any, with Yakushi Kabuto as their new leader, they were even more homicidal and ruthless.

"They have the field advantage since it's held on their circuit, but we have won there, too," Shikamaru broke the silence suddenly, his attention on his BlackBerry, before he looked up and frowned. "It's hard, Sasuke, I'll admit you that, but it's not impossible." Wiping imaginary dust off his shoulder, he stood up, "Anyway, I'm expected at the control room now, so I'll leave you two to it."

As the door closed with a soft click, signaling Shikamaru's departure, Sasuke grabbed Sakura's hands and his fingers circled desperately around her wrists. "Sakura, I…" he paused, obsidian eyes searching hers fiercely, clearly distraught, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry this has to happen. I—"

"Hush," the pink-haired woman intervened, green eyes gentle as her hand caressed the side of his cheek, "There's nothing to be sorry about. It's not your fault, you know that, don't you?"

"Yes, but…"

Before he had the chance to finish what he was saying, she continued, "It's okay, Sasuke-kun. How hard can it be? It's four races, right, including yours? I can do it. Naruto can do it, too, and then there's Tenten, Lee, Kiba, Shino, Chouji, Ino… maybe even Shikamaru. We have a lot of people we can depend on—"

"I'm not letting you race tomorrow," Sasuke cut in sharply, jaw set as his eyes darkened even more, "The Sound doesn't play fair—will never play fair, and I will not let you be there if they try anything. I'll take your name off the list, I swear I will. I'll… I don't know what I'll do. Whatever it is I need to do. Anything," he brought her hand to his lips, brushing a soft kiss on her knuckles, and vowed, "Anything to keep you out of their childish games."

"Hey," her fingers brushed his jaw as her eyes danced, amused of his sudden display of protectiveness, "What are you so desperate for? That's not for you to decide, Sasuke-kun. You know how this works, don't you? If it were up to you—"

"If it were up to me," he interrupted her again, clutching her fingers and bringing it to his lips, "I'll keep you away somewhere you can't be hurt. I can't risk it, Sakura—I can't risk you."

"Well, then," Sakura's gaze softened, green eyes glittering as she angled her head and the silver feathers dangling from her ears glinted in the darkness, "Then I guess we'll just have to win, won't we?"

In response, he folded her into his arms once more. She sighed, pressing the side of her head to his chest, and closed her eyes. She would give anything to stay here, in this moment, listening to the steady beat of his heart, feeling his lips on the crown of her head and his arms around her as if their life depended on it, but right now, right here, he was responsible of not only his own life but the lives of three hundred members of the Leaf, and she could not be selfish enough to want him to throw that away for her.

Looking up, she tugged his head down and kissed him, softly, slowly, savoring the feel of him surrounding her, and then pulled away.

"Go," she whispered breathlessly, "Take care of it."

Sasuke nodded, kissing her once more on the lips before he made his way out the room, leaving her alone as she slumped down on the sofa. It would be another hour before the poll, she knew, and she better made use of the time as efficiently as she could. Retrieving her laptop from the locked cabinet in the meeting room, she inputted her password and put on her headphones.

She was so engrossed with her work that she didn't realize someone entering the room; only realized it when she felt something pressed against her spine—the mouth of a gun. Taking a deep, calming breath, she folded her laptop screen and turned around carefully to see her assailant.

"Miya?"

x

There really was no other way around this, Sasuke thought. In front of him gathered more than two hundred street racers, chattering away about the news he just delivered to them: that there was a race tomorrow night, and they were to vote for their top three representatives. He had been wary at first, but after scanning the crowd he spotted neither Miya nor Ami, so he started the voting. The names that finally showed up on the screen were expected:

1. Uzumaki Naruto
2. Inuzuka Kiba
3. Hayashi Tenten

Ushering them into a private room where they could speak more privately, Sasuke looked at Naruto, Kiba and Tenten with careful attention. "I gather all three of you are willing to participate?"

His question was answered with an enthusiastic "Of course!" from Naruto and Kiba, while Tenten just slowly nodded, looking more thoughtful rather than anything else. Sasuke stared at her expectantly, a sneaking suspicion telling him she suspected more was going on than what he had told them.

True to his thoughts, she crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows when he didn't speak further. "Oh, come on, Sasuke. Just tell us the truth. Surely it's more than just a friendly game if you bothered to exclude Sakura in the voting. She'll be pissed once she finds out, and I know how much you hate it when she's pissed at you."

Unable to help himself, Sasuke cringed inwardly at her gentle accusation. He'd known that Sakura would be pissed—more than pissed, in fact; she probably wouldn't talk to him in a few days, but he hadn't considered that his one single action would invoke such curiosity. Granted, Tenten was sharper and more intuitive than ninety-nine percent of the Leaf racers, but he really should have been more cautious than that.

"Yeah," Kiba agreed suddenly, looking clearly interested, "Come to think of it, we don't usually have races during the Lantern Festival—especially when we're hosting it. Surely the Sound knows better than to challenge us at this time?"

"What is it?" Naruto's eyes widened. "Why are we racing tomorrow, Sasuke?"

Sasuke started to explain. "Okay, so it's not a friendly game. It's more than that. The Sound is coming forward with a challenge to us—a bet, more specifically, for… for this tower."

Kiba's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? This tower?"

"This tower," Sasuke clarified.

"But—but—" Naruto was speechless, "But we live here!"

"Well, obviously, if they win, they'll live here," Tenten answered, her face impassive and her voice dry. As Sasuke wondered if she'd ever been less than calm, she turned to him and raised her eyebrows, "Which leaves us with… what, Sasuke?"

"Nothing."

"You're kidding!" Naruto gawked. "Tell us you're kidding, Sasuke!"

"There's always the streets," Tenten said, almost sardonically, tapping her chin, "Although it wouldn't be as comfortable, of course. And knowing the Sound, there's no way they're going to compromise."

Sasuke almost smirked. "Clever girl."

Amusement dancing in her mocha-colored eyes, Tenten returned the grin with a playful smile on her lips. "Thank you. So what do you propose we do, captain?"

"We race," his answer was simple, the baritone of his voice deep and firm, "and we win."

She nodded approvingly. "Of course."

"We're racing at the Sound, aren't we?" asked Kiba, business-like all of a sudden. His normally warm brown eyes were fierce, almost feral, his smirk determined.

"Yes, we are," Sasuke replied calmly as the three stared at him, looking almost eager, "though it shouldn't put us at a disadvantage. We've won the last three races against them—their top racers are nowhere as good as ours, nowhere as good as the four of us."

"You're racing too?"

"Against Yakushi Kabuto," the Uchiha responded airily. "Anyway, one thing you should have realized is that the Sound doesn't play fair. Ever. If you encounter smoke bombs, thumbtacks in your tires, that kind of thing, it's their doing. It's their way of racing."

Naruto nodded. "We know."

"Good," Sasuke nodded back. "But us, we play fair. The Rain will send in some representatives to be the umpire. Don't, I repeat don't, give them any reason to disqualify you." He took a deep breath and stared at Naruto, and then at Kiba, and then at Tenten. "Keep that in mind, and don't let them win."

Kiba snorted. "What a way to put pressure on us, Sasuke."

"I know," Tenten chuckled. "Well, it's a good thing that we all thrive under pressure, isn't it?"

"Wonderful," Naruto agreed. "I was just—"

"Sasuke," a new voice interrupted the conversation and all four pairs of eyes turned to the door, where Shikamaru was standing, his face crumpled with worry and a certain kind of rare urgency, "Sasuke, there's something you need to know. Sakura… Sakura's missing."

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tbc.

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a/n: 1) Wakaba means "young leaves" or "fresh leaves", which is rather fitting, I think, given their team's name. Yes, they are street racers in this universe. I don't know what possessed me to write something like this, but eh, it was fun.

2) Anyway, the prompt for this piece was: "What are you so desperate for?" It is a (not very) guilty pleasure of mine to see Sasuke desperate, by the way, so you'll be seeing some more of that.

3) Lastly, Happy SasuSaku month, people! Here's to a month of tons and tons of Sasuke x Sakura goodness! Hope this was a good enough contribution? ;)