'When Tsunade-shisho spoke of starting diplomatic relations with this Kou Empire she never mentioned the arrogant, insufferable, self-centered Priest!'

Sakura sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day and rubbed her temples to sooth her headache. 'This meeting is dragging on far too long….' She raised her gaze to meet that of Ren Kouen and fought down the urge to roll her eyes at his cold expression. 'Gods spare me, not another Sasuke….' It was hard enough dealing with one emotionally constipated individual. The last thing she needed was another Uchiha, especially since she was supposed to be starting an alliance with his Empire.

"With all due respect, Kouen-sama, I don't know who initiated the order. All I know is that our patrols found half a dozen soldiers affiliated with the Kou Empire bearing arms and wandering inside Fire Country territory without authorization. Now, you have given me no reason to believe that you aren't being honest with me about not sending the soldiers yourself. However, the fact remains. What am I to make of it? What is Konoha supposed to make of this situation?"

"I assure you Ambassador Haruno that neither I nor any of my brothers and sisters had anything to do with this unfortunate event. Those soldiers you found were probably deserters from our army trying to put as much distance as possible between them and the laws of the Kou Empire."

"Deserters you say? A very likely scenario but I find it strange that a bunch of defectors would choose to keep on their person insignia like armor and weapons that would identify them as soldiers of the Kou Army."

"You are not the only one seeking answers Ambassador. I'll assume that the soldiers you found are still in Konoha?"

"They are and there they shall remain until the interrogation is completed. They will be delivered here once that is over for you to do as you will with them according to what your laws command. No harm will come to them, you have my word."

Kouen merely nodded. "I'll make sure that nothing like this ever happens again."

"That's good to hear. At first we mistook them for spies and I will not hide from you that some of our Elders took it as a declaration of war." Sakura heard a gasp and it didn't take her long to guess that it had come from Princess Kougyoku.

"A declaration of war?!"

Sakura turned her emerald eyes to the second Imperial Prince Koumei who was watching her wide eyed from across the table. He was the most decent one among the princes, if you asked her.

The pink-haired woman smiled at him genuinely. "Old minds, my Prince. Age has given them wisdom but it has also dulled their wit on some matters. Have no fear, it was never Konoha's intentions to declare war against the Kou Empire. What happened was not your fault and no one was hurt on either side. We bear no ill feeling. It is alliances we seek not enemies."

"Then we share the same sentiment." said Kouen and rose from his seat, a notion the other occupants of the table were quick to follow, Sakura included. "I would like to discuss more of this with you, Ambassador. The prospect of an alliance is one I am quite interested in."

Sakura smiled at him and bowed in respect. "Of course, Kouen-sama. Do not hesitate to call me whenev-"

"Tsk. What a waste of time."

'Gods, not him again. Seriously, I feel as if he has made it his personal mission to be a pain in the ass…..My ass in particular….' Sakura fought down the urge to march to the other side of the room and throttle the guy. High Priest or not, he was as infuriating as a ramen-depraved Naruto and he was wearing that small amount of patience she actually had thin. 'Calm down Sakura, just calm down. No need to go over the top right now. Just wait until you sign the Alliance. You can kill the obnoxious twit afterward.' How tempting a thought…..

"Judar. This is a formal diplomatic meeting. Refrain from insulting Ambassador Haruno."

The dark haired male shot her a degrading look before snickering.

'Why, that little-'

"Whatever. I'm out of here." He proceeded to walk out of the room with his head held high defiantly, his impressively long braid swaying behind him.

"Please excuse Judar's brash manners. He means no offense."

'No offense my ass….' "None taken, I assure you Kouen-sama."

"I'm glad. Now, you are welcome to stay here as long as it takes for the matter to be resolved and until we decide on the terms of our alliance."

"I would be most glad to see your country with own eyes. Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Kouen."

"Then this meeting is over. Kougyoku, please escort Ambassador Haruno on a tour around the palace and show her to her chambers."

"Hai onii-sama. Ambassabor Haruno, please follow me."

'This went…well…..Surprisingly well….Now, if only I could avoid the dark-haired pimp for the rest of the day….'

XxxOxOxOxxX

'Kill me….Kill me now…..'

"Well, well...If it isn't our honored guest, Ambassador Haruno."

Sakura groaned and fought the urge to use a substitution jutsu and get the hell out of there. She was exhausted after all those hours of sitting around a table and her back was sore as hell. She hadn't even gotten the chance to have a proper night's sleep since she arrived in the Kou Empire three days ago. Kouen had whisked her away to the meeting room as soon as she set foot in the palace. How she longed for a long relaxing bath and a few hours of sleep…..

"Judar-san, what a pleasure to see you here." 'Not' she added in her head but kept the smile, albeit fake, on her face. Jerk or not, she was a diplomatic envoy of Konoha and she would be damned if she allowed this man to ruin this opportunity for her village.

"Don't even bother. Save the pleasantries for someone who cares."

"Please Judar-chan, don't be so rude to Ambassador Haruno." Kougyoku was obviously uncomfortable. She was used to Judar's behavior after so many years of being around him and though it wasn't unusual to find herself annoyed at him she didn't take it to heart. However, she wasn't so sure that the pink-haired Ambassador would be so lenient or accepting of being made fun of.

"Whatever. Just stay out of my way. Later, Kougyoku."

Sakura sighed deeply. What a nuisance of a situation…..Don't get her wrong, is wasn't as if she wanted anything to do with the jerk but something had to be done. Whether she liked him or not, Judar was the High Priest of the Kou Empire and had great influence over the royal family and the country's politics. As an envoy of Konoha looking for an alliance, she had to at least try to be on better terms with him. 'It's not like I am the one who's being an ass about everything…Whatever, I need to clear my mind before dealing with this. I have way more crucial matters to think about and gaining the acceptance of an arrogant Priest isn't one of them….'

"Forgive him, Ambassador Haruno. Judar can be a…handful at times."

The pink-haired woman smiled down at the young princess kindly. Kougyoku was blushing under her gaze and was fidgeting in a very Hinata-like manner that made her smile widen. They were the same age but it was obvious to Sakura that the Hime was still as innocent as a child at heart.

"Don't worry Kougyoku-hime. Believe me when I say that I've been around handfuls all my life. And please, call me Sakura. Being addressed to so formally by someone my own age makes me feel…old." She continued, her smile never faltering.

Kougyoku stared at her in surprise before a wide smile broke out on her face, her cheeks dusted with pink. "Hai! But only if you call me Kougyoku."

"But hime! I couldn't possibly call you that. You are an Imperial Princess. It would be unbelievably disrespectful to call you by your name."

"The deal runs both ways…..Sakura."

The young Ambassador stared at the princess in surprise but her lips curled into a smile anyway. 'I might lose my head for this but….oh well…..' "We have a deal then…..Kougyoku….."

XxxOxOxOxxX

It was a nice day, she decided that morning, and she wouldn't let it go to waste by staying inside her room no matter how luxurious and beautiful it was. Man, how she missed the trees of Konoha….She couldn't use her shinobi skills while in the Kou Empire and her fists were itching for some action. 'Though at the rate we are going it won't be long before I snap…Gods, I never knew that these meetings could be so boring!'

She washed her face with cold water and brushed her hair before getting dressed in one of the simple but elegant kimonos a maid had provided her with at Kougyoku's request. It was a soft green color with a light purple flower pattern decorating the skirt and a purple obi tied around her waist. She wasn't particularly happy with the fact that she had to wear it-shinobi weren't supposed to be dressed like that- but as an official envoy it was required of her to dress accordingly, especially since she was staying at the Imperial Palace. She put half of her hair up in a bun and decorated it with a flower before leaving her room.

It was one of those days that the sky was bluer than usual and the breeze was blowing softly, caressing her face like the hand of a mother. It was also one of those rare days when she wasn't being accompanied by one of the imperial heirs. Usually either Kougyoku or Hakuei and on occasion Koumei were with her, more often than not telling her about the history and reign of the Kou Empire and its Emperors. It was nice having some company, especially Kougyoku since she had developed a form of friendship with the young princess, but she felt as if she was being watched. Which she probably was. She didn't blame them, really. It was only natural to keep an eye on her. After all, she was a foreigner from a land they had only learnt about a couple of weeks ago. But still…It was nice that she was alone for a change.

Sakura made her way to the gardens. They were especially beautiful in the morning with the sun bathing then in warm golden light and the birds chirping cheerfully all around her. How serene…..She sat on a stone bench under the shade of a sakura tree in full bloom and let her mind wander. It had been a while since she had felt so at peace. She was surprised pleasantly when a little bird with light blue feathers and a cotton-white underbelly landed on the bench beside her. She stretched her hand towards it and smiled gleefully when it jumped on her finger. It chirped happily at her before it flew away making Sakura giggle. She felt as if nothing could disturb her serene moment….

"Oi, stop squealing. You are disturbing my sleep."

Except for him…..

'Gods help me….'

XxxOxOxOxxX

He took note of her the moment she sat on that bench. It wasn't that hard, really. With that pink hair she stood out like a sore thumb. He popped his eyes open and let his red gaze follow her movements as she sat down under the sakura tree gracefully. 'How fitting…..'

He searched her face as she closed her eyes in pleasure, letting the breeze blow through her long locks with a small smile gracing her lips. She appeared not to have noticed him yet and he would use that opportunity to study her a bit better. Pink hair, fair skin, full lips, deep emerald eyes…..As delicate an appearance as it could get. 'The complete opposite from me…' There was however something about her that….intrigued him. He could feel a strange kind of power radiating off of her and he was more than surprised to see that she had light Rukh flying around her. There was something she wasn't telling them…..

Judar was broken out of his thoughts by a mirthful giggle. He watched as she waved after the little bird that had flown away before resting her hand on her lap with a serene smile on her face. All of a sudden, the wind started to pick up making the soft petals of the sakura tree fall. They danced around her and some of them settled on her hair and her kimono. 'Beautif-What the hell?! Tsk! How annoying…..'

"Oi, stop squealing. You are disturbing my sleep."

She looked up at the tree branch he was resting on in surprise. "Judar-san! I didn't notice you there." Despite everything, she smiled at him sweetly. 'What the hell…..'

"Yeah, yeah. You making all that noise is bothering me."

"Is that so? I ask you to forgive me. It was not my intention." She said calmly but made no move to stand up or leave.

"Whatever. Now, shoo. I want to sleep."

"But this is such a beautiful place. I would like to enjoy the peace and quite a bit longer if you don't mind." She was so calm as she spoke to him that it surprised him. Usually, even the mere sight of him made her scowl.

"I do mind actually."

"Is that so? Why don't you come to sit here with me then? I might change your mind…"

Now that took him completely by surprise. What was she saying? She couldn't be serious…..could she? The mere thought of sitting down and talking with her, just the two of them, was ludicrous on its own. Add to that the fact that she was the one suggesting it…The situation was as suspicious as it could get. He stared deeply into her eyes, trying to decipher any form of lie or ulterior motive. He narrowed his eyes at her when he found none and it was with great annoyance that he noted the sincerity in her eyes. He wasn't one to sit and talk but in her case…..He would humor her. He might as well use this opportunity to uncover whatever it was that she was hiding…..

With a long-suffering sigh he jumped down from his spot on the tree branch and plopped down beside her on the bench….

XxxOxOxOxxX

She knew that she had surprised him. She could see it in his scarlet eyes. But this was her only chance to set things straight with him and try to be civilized with each other. She met his intense gaze with a smile and waited for him to make the next move.

She watched him as he jumped down from the tree and came to sit beside her. She took a couple of seconds to observe him. With unruly dark hair, scarlet-red eyes on a young face and his slender muscular build, she would have considered him handsome had it not been for his brash manners and biting tongue. He appeared relaxed with his back leaning back and his eyes closed but she could tell that he was alert. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the conversation that was to come.

"Look Judar-san, I do-"

"How do you dye your hair like that?"

Sakura looked up at him surprised. "Umm, my hair color is natural but that's not what I wanted to talk to-"

"Seriously now, how do you do it?"

Sakura's eye twitched. 'Calm down, Sakura. Don't let him get to you. Just calm down…..' "It is natural, I assure you-"

"How freaky a hair color…."

The pink-haired woman growled. 'The nerve of this guy!' So much for staying calm…."Says the guy who wears purple make-up over his eyes."

Judar scowled at her. "Tsk. That's weak even for you."

"Not at all. Where I come from real men don't wear make-up." She smirked when she heard him growl at the 'real men' comment. She chose to forget about Kankuro. But, as the Sand Sibling would say, that was war paint. "But don't worry. Should you ever need boy advice, you can come to me. I don't judge." The horrified expression on his face was all the reward she needed.

"Watch your mouth woman. I just might decide that you are not so important after all….."

"Is that a threat, Judar-kun?" The way she said his name had him snarling at her, his hand itching to reach for his wand.

"I'm going to kill you and enjoy every minute of it."

"I'd like to see you try."

Quick as a snake, he grabbed her wrist and tightened his hold on her. A jolt of lightning surged through both of them at the touch but they chose to ignore it for the time being. Judar growled when he got no reaction from her other than a scowl of annoyance.

"You have a very big mouth." he started with a sudden smirk that made Sakura wary. "For a girl as flat as you…." She almost didn't register the triumphant smirk on his young face.

'Flat…..Did he just say flat? Flat?! That's it! To hell with diplomacy! The guy is as good as dead!'

It is said that that when angry, people tend to do impulsive and downright stupid things. And that was exactly what Sakura did. Mind clouded by anger and with a lack of better judgment, Sakura didn't even think twice before she tackled Judar causing the two of them to fall in a rather ungraceful heap on the ground. She never realized how she ended up on top of Judar with his hands on her waist and her own hands pressed up against his bare midriff or when her bun became undone making her hair fall around their faces like a waterfall of sakura petals. And more importantly….She never realized how her lips ended up pressed against Judar's. It was nothing but an accidental lip lock but both of them could feel a particular jolt of lightning surge through them. Sakura couldn't help but think that Judar's lips felt surprisingly soft against her own. It was only for a few seconds but it felt like ages before they eventually pulled apart. Shocked emerald eyes clashed with stunned scarlet. For a moment their gazes locked, an unreadable look in both their eyes.

Suddenly realizing the position they were in, red bloomed on her cheeks and Sakura jumped up with as much grace and swiftness as her kimono allowed her before stammering an apology and quickly walking away.

Judar stared after her as she walked away with her rose hair swaying in the breeze. The shock of the kiss hadn't worn off yet and he found his mind stuck on a particular image that refused to leave him no matter how much he tried. It was the image of the young woman's face staring down at him with wide deep emerald eyes, pink cheeks and slightly agape wet lips as her rosy hair fell around them obscuring the view of the outside world…

Judar shook his head to get rid of those thoughts but the tingling feeling on his lips remained. 'What the hell is wrong with me?' Yet his eyes continued to stare off in the direction the rosette had gone off to long after she disappeared. On an impulse he licked his lips only to curse right after.

'She tastes like peaches….Oh, damn…..'

The End

Hell yeah! Continuation of the series of individual one-shots that I have personally deemed "The Weirdest of the Weird". And here, as you can probably guess, we have a winner! I don't even know what possessed me to write a Sakura/Judar one-shot so don't ask. All I know is that I just opened a blank document and started typing. I hope Judar isn't too OOC. I have to admit that it was hard keeping him in character. I mean, seriously? Judar? Being all lovey-dovey/butterflies in the stomach and all that? Not a chance! At the point where he almost called Sakura beautiful I was like "Who are you and what have you done to Judar?!" But I really hope I pulled it off without disappointing you too much.

Also, don't forget to vote your favorite pairing! The poll's still on my profile so please spare a couple of minutes to vote. Your vote is going to help me a lot with my upcoming Naruto/Magi multi-chapter crossover story.

That's it for now folks! I hope you liked this one-shot. And yes, reviews do make me happy so please READ AND REVIEW!

Lots of love!