Her hidden figure slowly crept along the ceiling leaving only a small shimmer in the air to indicate her passing. She was steadily making her way towards her target's quarters, her fingers faintly emitting just enough chakra to keep her stabilized along the celling.

Every couple of minutes a guard patrolling the hall would pass under her. She knew they couldn't sense her, and even if one of them happened to glance up, all they would see would be a plain ceiling, ANBU's specialty shadow enhancing justu ensured that.

As Sakura turned the final the corner, she noted the two guards standing in front of her target's bedroom and inwardly sighed. She wished she could just kill them and be done with it, but her missions were always leave no evidence of foul play and two dead guards was the exact opposite of that.

She turned around and gently shuffled back down the dimly lit hall only pausing slightly whenever a guard appeared beneath her.

This Crime Lord was quite smart. Her targets room was only accessible through that door. She had previously scouted the outside of the compound hoping to find window access and had been severely disappointed. After double and triple checking that there had been no hidden windows, she had eventually settled on checking out the inside of the compound. Her last hope had been an unguarded door, so that she could easily sneak in. Unfortunately, that had not been the case and she was now going to have to gain access the old fashion way. Sadly, this also meant that this would no longer be an easy mission.

When she reached the back entrance of the compound, reserved only for servants, she silently dropped to the ground and slipped out the door. The two guards on duty were both too drunk to notice her dark figure creep into the shadows of the woods beyond. She made sure to keep to the trees while she slowly but surely edged her way away from the compound.

It was only when the lights of the large house were but small flickers in the distance did she break out into a full run. Finally letting go of her shadow enhancing jutsu she re-appeared in the forest startling a few rodents who quickly scurried away. Her feet barely touched the ground as she left no trail, going back a couple of times and looping around just to be safe.

A mile away from the compound, she slowed back to a light jog and crunched her shoes in the dead leaves that littered the ground. Opening her mouth, she sang a couple of bird-like notes and paused, straining her ears to wait for the reply. It came not 30 seconds later, and she made her way towards the sound.

Crouched on the fourth branch of a large oak tree Tiger stared down and watched her approach.

All clear? She signed now that he could see her.

All clear.

"You're back soon. Are you done already?" He asked when she leapt up onto the tree and sat down next to him.

Tiger was, for all intents and purposes, her guard. She was the one who snuck in and killed the targets, while his job was to watch her back. He had been her partner from the very beginning, and she trusted him with her life.

"No." She groaned, "We have to do plan B."

"Nice."

If she could see his face, she knew he would be smiling at her with that gleeful glint in his eye. He knew she hated plan B, and because she hated it, he loved it. Plan B also meant that he would be doing more than just sitting in a tree a mile away waiting for something bad to happen.

She reached behind him on the tree and grabbed her travel pack. Rummaging through it she finally pulled out a sealing scroll. Unrolling the scroll onto her thigh she pressed her palm into the middle of the circular sealing pattern and allowed her chakra to flow into the paper. Out fell a low-cut silk white nightie and a blue silk robe with embroidered flowers.

"New outfit?" Tiger said while pulling out a scroll of his own.

"Shut up Tiger." She teased.

She jumped down from the tree and started to peel off her ANBU armor. Once she was fully stripped, she shimmied into the nightie and tied the robe around her waist. She knew a lot of shinobi who would feel naked without any weapons. Yet, for her it was only a minor irritant. This was why she was tasked with these missions; her hands were the weapons.

She took off her Falcon mask and undid her long blond braid, letting it fall in waves past her shoulders. Even without the mask though, no one would recognize her. When she went on missions ANBU provided her with a special hair dye that she used on her light pink hair. With her dark blue contact lenses and heavy cosmetics, she looked like a completely different person. If Tiger ever recognized her for who she really was, he didn't let on.

She didn't know who he was either. She was sure he also used ANBU's feature distortion services, probably contact lenses and hair dye like her at the minimum. It all depended on how recognizable you were, and Sakura Haruno was very recognizable.

As Asa though, Sakura found herself very alluring. Even in a world were women could secretly be killers, men still had a soft spot for attractive women. So, like every other kunoichi, her disguise was exactly that. With blond hair and blue eyes men tripped over themselves to get her attention, and if a crime ever got connected back to her Asa disguise, well, blue eyes and long blond hair is not exactly an uncommon combination.

When she turned back towards Tiger, he was ready as well. With his dark brown shaggy hair, piercing green eyes and tan skin, he was breathtaking.

She was a high-class hooker and he was her rich care-taker trying to gain the Crime Lord's favour by offering her as a gift to his young son.

This was plan B and it always worked.

Men were so predictable. They never refused free and easy women, no matter the situation. Granted, their targets had always been civilians and low-level shinobi, who happen to be much less suspicious than the Elite.

"Ready my sweet?" Tiger asked, already in character. He flashed her a dazzling smile and her heart melted.

It was only recently that Sakura had come to terms with her inappropriate school-girl crush. When they first started to work together things had been strained. She had always been used to having to hold her own and work off of her own merit. Having been on a team with both Naruto and Sasuke, who had both had better things to do than look after her, she had learned to take care of herself. So, when she found out that Tiger was supposed to do her fighting for her, well, she had been positively livid. She had not wanted to have to rely on a man to fight her battles.

Eventually, through training together and missions she had grown to really admire the man and she had developed quite the fantasy. She loved the way his body moved when he fought, how well their styles worked together, and how easy and comfortable their relationship now was after two long years.

Her admiration only became a full-blown crush when they got ambushed on their way back from a mission. Fighting together, back-to-back, had been an inspiring experience. Healing Tiger afterwards had been strangely intimate, like no other healing she had ever done. Now, whenever Tiger had to fight, inwardly Sakura swooned because she knew he was fighting for her.

"Yes," she groaned through her teeth. Tiger just gave her a look and his lip twitched up slightly to tell her he was holding back a grin. Sighing she continued, "Let's just go…"

She could never tell him how she felt. Though relationships between partners and other ANBU members were discouraged, they weren't forbidden. It was quite common, in fact, for partners to find comfort in each other during dangerous stressful times. But a true relationship, she could never have that with him. It was forbidden to tell another ANBU your true identity and though she trusted him with her life, she could never become involved with someone else without knowing who they really were.

Together they made their way to the main road and approached the compound like regular civilians. Even though it was almost midnight, the fact that they were coming now was not unusual. Hookers were, after-all, night-time workers, so this sort of arrangement usually occurred around this time of night anyways.

"So, Asa…" Tiger started, glancing down at her while he stretched his arms behind his back, treading his fingers together, and resting them against his neck, "Where'd you get those new clothes?" He winked and gave her a sly smile.

She knew this was part of his character, but when he looked at her like that, she wished they could ditch the mission and go find a tree to break.

"My last client was very generous and made me promise to get a white nightie." She said with false cheerfulness, twirling her hair in her finger and looking up at him through her lashes as they continued to walk down the path.

"White, huh?" He mused with his finger on his mouth, "I think red would look way better on you."

Looking up at him, her gaze caught on his lips as he subconsciously wet them with his tongue. Catching herself she quickly looked away.

"Really? Why do you think that?" She asked fighting the blush that threatened to erupt across her face from the thoughts her mind had concocted about his sensual mouth.

"Red's sexy you see…"

Reigning in her dirty mind she put on a teasing face and looked back up at him.

His eyes shinned with a playful glitter and his smile grew even wider as she pouted, "I thought I was already sexy Hiro. Don't you think so?"

For as long as she could remember they had played this flirtatious game. Yet, she could never tell if it was just part of the character for him or if he was really flirting with her.

Humming Tiger looked up at the canopy of trees above them, eyes lost in thought. "You know what." He murmured at last, his voice flat, all playfulness gone, "I don't think I would want anyone to see you in red."

Her stomach fluttered at the implications of his words. Speechless, she could only stare at him and wonder if he truly meant that.

When he looked back down moments later his face was once again bright with a teasing smile, "I couldn't keep them off you otherwise!"

Ignoring his momentary lapse, she smiled brightly and blushed. "You're too kind." Before he had the chance to reply she continued, "Oh look," she declared, looking for an excuse to change the subject, "There's the house! Ooo… It's so big."

Nodding in agreement they settled into a comfortable silence the rest of the way to the compound.

As they approached the entrance Tiger spoke once more, "Looks like we're almost there Asa, are you ready?" His tone was cheerful, but she could see the underlying question.

"Yes." Though she hated this aspect of the mission, it wasn't something new. She was ready.

Right before they reached the front of the compound, she re-adjusted her robe allowing it to peak open slightly. She fixed her medium-sized breasts to the point where they were pushed up so high, she felt they might spill out if she moved too quickly. Softening her facial features Sakura put on the sultriest pout she could muster and looked over at Tiger. Winking at him she couldn't help but sigh inwardly as he blushed.

This was another reason she would never tell her old team what she did in ANBU. If they knew what she had to do sometimes to get to her target, they wouldn't look at her the same. For all their heroics both Naruto and Sasuke were painfully uneducated in the darker aspects of being a female shinobi. She had always known that she might have to utilize her feminine charm, but it wasn't until she joined ANBU that she realized how important seduction was in the shadow world, for both men and women.

As they reached the front door, one of the four guards stationed at the compound entrance called out, "State your business!"

"Hello, I'm here to see Jun. I have a gift for his son," Tiger said while he gestured to Sakura with a beaming smile on his face, "one of my best." She gave the guards a sly smile and winked.

Grinning widely the same guard replied quickly, "Alright, follow me."

The other guards plainly leered at her while they went through the door. Sakura tried not to hiss in disgust as one of them reached out and slapped her ass as she walked by.

The guard lead them down the main hall and into a large open room, where no doubt the Crime Lord held his business meetings. Jun sat in a chair at the end of a large table and looked up from the papers he was reading when they came in. When his gaze fell upon Sakura he smirked wickedly and stood up to great them.

"Welcome, welcome. Now where does this beauty hail from?" He asked Tiger while still looking at her. She took the opportunity to lazily brush her hair back from her face and give him her best sultry gaze. Hopefully, that would ease any hesitancy he held for them.

"I own the new high-end brothel in Keishi," Tiger answered, "I wanted to pay my respects to your son's 20th birthday by offering my very best. Free of charge of course."

Jun smiled and clapped his hands together. "Great! I know Yasuo will be quite happy with this beauty."

Sakura wanted to cry in frustration. After all that trouble she went through trying to get into the young Lord's room, the Crime Lord didn't even bat a lash at the unexpected prostitute. He didn't even ask to see credentials or proof of who they were. She had come to expect a little more from this Crime Lord and was vaguely disappointed.

Yasuo was wanted for raping and murdering a young merchant's daughter in Konoha. Her father had paid them handsomely for this revenge. Since Yasuo's father was a Crime Lord however, it had to be done discretely and look natural. Konoha did not want to attract the attention of one of the five major Crime Lords in the Elemental Nations. Which is why she was here.

"Yuko," Jun called out to the guard who'd escorted them here, "Will you bring this lovely young lady to Yasuo's room. In the meantime, would you like something to drink?" He directed his last statement to Tiger who had pushed her in the guard's direction.

"Yes please, some tea would be nice." Tiger answered, then he turned to her, "Go on now, I'll be here when you're done." He gave her a wink and a kiss to her cheek before he let her go. His lips lingering for a second longer then necessary and leaving her burning. I'll be close by if you need me, his eyes silently told her.

"Yes master," She answered, I know. She gave them a flirty bow before following after the guard.

Yuko lead her to the door she had been scouting earlier and nodded to the two guards that were stationed there. They both gave her wide knowing smiles, eyes twinkling, as she sauntered towards the room. Playing her part, she smiled back at them, letting her sultry gaze lightly look them over. With one last teasing glance over her shoulder she walked through the door.

Yasuo was lounging on a couch in the corner of the large room. The minute she walked in she felt the heat of his gaze roam her body unabashedly.

Giving him a sweet smile Sakura slowly walked towards where he was sitting, letting her hips move gracefully from side to side. She crossed her hands behind her back and pushed her chest out. She knew that caught his attention because she saw his eyes flutter back up to her breasts while he looked her over appreciatively.

"Wow aren't you a pretty thing." He grinned, "What's your name sweetheart?"

His lips were thin and when he smiled, they appeared almost non-existent. Examining him she noticed that his teeth were straight but slightly yellow with a small chip on the left front tooth. His eyes were a dark brown and looked too small for his large head. His only redeeming quality was his hair, it was dark like midnight and fell around his face in thick waves.

"You may call me Asa, young Lord." She bowed demurely. Men who took part in rape often enjoyed their women weak and powerless.

"And you may call me Master for the time we have together." He warned, his chipped tooth looking out of place in his strangely soft smile.

She bowed again, even lower this time, "Yes master."

He beckoned her with his finger, "Come closer Asa let me have a look at you."

She came and stood right in front of him while he leaned back on the couch. His eyes roamed her body and she could tell he liked what he saw. His eyes darkened with lust as he gazed upon her barely covered breasts.

"You like what you see, master?" She breathed while her hand went to the knot keeping her robe together. "Would you like to see more?" She asked quietly keeping her voice low and breathy. Sakura knew men loved to hear when women were aroused, and it was easy enough to learn how to fake.

"Fuck yes." He answered quickly, "You're the hottest hooker I've had in a while, take off those clothes." His voice was breathy, yet screechy, as though she could still hear the higher than normal pitch his voice naturally took.

She slowly undid the knot and let the robe slip off her figure leaving her standing there in front of him in only her nightie. Her nipples hardened suddenly from the chill of the room. Yasuo's gaze immediately slid to them, while his smile only grew.

She crawled onto his lap laid her hands on his shoulders while her thighs went to both sides of his body. Without asking for permission she started to rub slow sensual circles onto his chest. Meanwhile her chakra slowly seeped into his body. One thread she sent up to his brain to increase the amount of dopamine produced, making him feel pleasure unlike any he's ever felt. She could feel the result of that poking her in her inner thigh as his breath started to come out faster in heavy pants.

"Oh yeah…" He sighed. "That's it..." Her hands had shifted downwards to hook the hem of his shirt and he let her pull it right off of his head.

Her hands immediately returned to his chest and began the journey downwards. Sakura then sent another chakra thread to his heart forcing it to beat faster, and faster, and faster.

"Fuck-fuck-fuck" He groaned out, as she reached the hem of his pants. "How…does… this… feel… so… good?" He heaved between pants.

"I'm really good at my job." She whispered into his ear and gave him some small kisses on his neck to keep up the ruse. The smell of sweat and booze filled her nostrils and she almost gagged in disgust. As her chakra continued to pump his heart faster, her hands slipped into his pants and she began to rub the hard bulge.

"Fuck, yeah." His voice was raspy, coming out of his throat almost high pitched. Her chakra thread increased his dopamine production even more as his heart was now beating unnaturally fast and she didn't want to risk him noticing something was wrong.

As his heart reach critical level and he could barely breathe he tried to get her to stop her ministrations. "Get… off…" He eventually managed to say. "… need… break."

"Is something wrong?" Sakura asked with fake concern. She stopped rubbing him but only moved her hands back up to his chest and increased his heart even more… She was almost there, just around 30 seconds more… 25…

"Yes" He managed to say just barely a whisper. His face was becoming red, and his mouth was hanging open in an attempt to suck in air. She doubted he would be able to speak again, time to get the witnesses.

"GUARDS!" Sakura shouted, "Something's wrong with Yasuo!"

She kept her hands on his chest to keep the chakra going, just in case, but this time instead of sensual circles she began making gestures of concern. 10…

The guards burst into the door as she shook him, making sure to keep her hands connected.

Sakura glanced back at them, her expression frantic, "I think he's having a heart attack!" She choked out as they rushed over to the couch.

Yasuo's eyes were bugged wide and he was barely breathing. His face had turned a dark shade of red and he was no longer able to hold himself up.

"Help him please!" She begged with her hands still on his chest as his head rolled back. 5… 4… 3…

"Move back girl, we got it!" The tall guard barked at her when they finally got to the couch.

1…

She gave his heart one final squeeze for insurance and then let go of his chest and scrambled away from the man, allowing the two guards to shove her behind them.

"He's dying!" She wailed, "Do something!" her voice cracked as she started to force tears into her eyes.

Sakura could see his chest barely moving. His lids were still open, and the whites of his eyes were strangely bright in the dim room. Her fake tears were flowing easily down her face now as she continued to shout at them to do something, to save him.

"Get her out of here!" The tall guard commanded to the other, "Bring her back to her Master, he's in the office with Jun… And get Jun while you're at!"

The second guard turned away from the couch grabbed her by her arm. As soon as he got a hold of her, she leaned up against him and started to nuzzle her face in his shoulder for comfort. He smelt strongly like tobacco, but Sakura forced herself to remain in his arms as he dragged her out of the room.

Just as they were about to walk through the doorway, she glanced back up beneath her tear-filled eyes to see that Yasuo's heart had stopped beating and the guard had started compressions. She allowed herself to smile faintly into the chest of the guard, her job was done. He was dead.

Sakura continued to sniffle and lean heavily against the man as he hustled her quickly back down the hall towards the main room.

"What's wrong?" Jun asked, when the guard burst into the room with her in tow.

"Yasuo is having a heart attack! Come quick!"

Jun visibly palled and took a look at her all red-eyed and snotty. His gaze quickly went back to the guard, dismissing her.

Jun came strutting forwards and placed his hands aggressively on the man's shoulders. He shook them roughly, angrily, "Tell me what happened." He commanded.

Jun's face was ghostly pale, and his lips were pulled tightly together, but it was his eyes that scared her. They were cold, dark, and emotionless, but oh so very calculating. He seemed to be already trying to deduce how this could have happened to his young and healthy son.

Shit, he was smart, they needed to get out of here or risk getting caught by him.

"Along the way, we have to go." The guard stammered, "He might not have much time."

Perfect.

Jun looked at them briefly, slightly undecided about what he wanted to do. Shaking his head, he shouted at one of the nearby guards to escort them off the property before he promptly disappeared out the door.

As soon as the Crime Lord was gone Tiger raced towards her and she slumped into his arms crying.

"Are you alright?" He whispered into her ear; his voice full of concern. She only sobbed harder. His strong arms tightened around her, to hold her closer, and she wished that this wasn't a part of their act and that he could hold her like this for real.

As a guard lead them back out the compound Tiger murmured softly in her ear sweet little words of comfort. She clutched him and didn't let go until they took a sharp turn on the main road and the house faded into the distance. She almost sighed in disappointment when they reached a safe distance from the house and she had to untangle herself from him.

The walk back to their bags was spent in comfortable silence. It was only when a small breeze broke through the trees that she realized in all the ruckus she'd forgotten her robe. It seemed Tiger had noticed too because he peeled off his own jacket and gave it to her without a word. She'd mumbled a thanks and they continued on their way.

When they were walking Tiger always walked slightly ahead of her and she took the opportunity to study him mask-less. He really was handsome. Strong jawline, narrow sharp nose, full lips and beautiful eyes. His green eyes reminded her of her own natural green eyes. They were probably contact lenses, but she'd always loved it when men had beautiful eyes.

"So, I wanted to talk to you about something…" Tiger began awkwardly. He was scratching his neck the same way Naruto did whenever he was uncomfortable.

"Mmm?" She mumbled absentmindedly.

It was curious, Tiger was almost never uncomfortable. In all their time together, he always seemed so sure of himself. She admired that about him. His posture was always confident, his face never betrayed any unnecessary emotions and whenever he fought for her, fuck he was amazing.

Since hiding your identity is so important in ANBU, whenever they got into fights, they always used basic skills, there hadn't been a time yet where they'd had to resort to their unique abilities. But what she had seen from Tigers fighting, well, he was an animal. It's why even though all her missions were dangerous she almost never felt at risk knowing he had her back. Theirs had grown into a true partnership.

"This is probably going to be my last ANBU mission."

Her heart skipped a beat at those words. Her mouth opened and closed like an awkward fish. Her mind was blank, she didn't know what to say.

Before the silence turned uncomfortable Sakura forced herself to speak, "Are you retiring? You're not that old yet!" She laughed, awkwardly trying to keep the inner turmoil out of her voice.

They never talked about their feelings or how much they depended on one another or how much she had grown to look forwards to their missions just so she could spend some time with him. She knew he cared for her and he knew she cared for him, but it was something they never discussed. It was subconscious, barely detectable beneath their regular banter. It had only been glaring that one time she had healed him after the ambush, and yet neither of them had mentioned it.

"Yeah, well… I got a promotion and… I'm going to need to be full-time visible in the village now."

Woah, who was Tiger?

"What do you mean? What kind of job needs full time village visibility?" She asked, dumbfound.

"I wish I could tell you Falcon," He sighed, running his hands through his thick hair, "I really do. But it's highly classified right now, so I can't say anything."

"Oh." She honestly didn't know what else to say.

"I just wanted to tell you, give you a heads up you know, so next mission when you show up expecting this hottie you won't be too disappointed to find my replacement." He grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

Next mission? Was she even going to continue without him?

Sakura had always thought that they were in it together, for the long run. She'd assumed that they would both retire at the same time because neither of them would be able to continue without the other.

Maybe she had imagined all of it, including his feelings for her. "Right."

It was in that moment that they reached their bags. She gave him back his jacket before stripping down into the nude to change back into her ANBU armour. Just as she was pulling on her mesh undershirt, she felt his hand on her arm.

"Falcon." She turned her head towards him and looked up into his deep beautiful eyes. "I am sorry. I would stay if I could, but I have no choice. This promotion, it's been my dream for as long as I can remember and well, I can't do both." The sad smile he gave her honestly broke her heart.

She covered his hand with hers and spun to completely face him. "I know, I'm sorry." She hesitated before continuing, "You were my first partner, and we've never talked about this kind of stuff before but, you make me feel safe. Even when you were a mile away, I always knew I could count on you to protect me. You've taught me so much since I've joined ANBU, things that have saved my life. You've saved my life! All I'm trying to say is, I'll miss you. But if this promotion really has been your dream then, I am truly happy for you." She smiled up at him.

When her eyes met his she almost gasped in surprise. His gaze was intense, it was the kind she saw in his eyes when he got serious in his fights. Seconds later, it was gone, and it made her wonder if she'd even seen it in the first place.

"You're such a girl Falcon!" He smiled down at her contently. "But truly, thank you for that heartfelt moment, even if it's going to make leaving you harder." He winked, then turned away to finish his own transformation back into ANBU.

When they were both dressed and ready to go they leapt up into the trees and began the long journey back to the village. They ran in comfortable silence, as was protocol, only stopping twice for water and food. They were outside the village gates by noon the next day.

Opting to use one of the specially hidden underground ANBU entrances they avoided the shinobi on guard and followed to tunnel straight for ANBU headquarters. Once inside the compound they reported in to the current ANBU in charge and gave their verbal description of the mission. Two hours later after repeating the events three separate times to ensure their accuracy and reliability they were dismissed.

As they headed to the locker rooms Sakura's mind was running wild. She so desperately wanted to come up with something to say to force him to see her, to make him rethink abandoning her. Yet she knew there was nothing she could say that would be enough.

She knew him, even if she didn't know his name or what he really looked like she knew him on the inside. The way he spoke about that promotion, she knew that there was nothing she could say that would ever change his mind.

When they finally reached the split off for the men and women's locker room, she hesitated.

"I-" "Ju-" They both tried to speak at once.

Chuckling lightly Tiger continued first, "I had a great time, thank you for making these past two years not unbearable." She wished he didn't have his mask on, because she was dying to see his face one more time.

"No, problem," She said, smiling faintly, "and… uh… good luck out there."

"Thanks. I guess." He shrugged. It looked like he wanted to say more but stayed quiet. They stared at each other, unsure of what more to say or do.

Theirs had been a perfect partnership. His fighting style had complemented hers like no other, his quiet rage had been the perfect match for her fiery temper. He had treated her with respect and admiration based on nothing but her skill, something she had never experienced before, and it was now coming to an end.

"Well… bye then" she finally mumbled and turned towards the women's locker room.

She didn't want to stand there like a love-sick girl waiting for him to give her a hint. Waiting for him to make the first move. She was sick of it, maybe their parting was for the better. This way she could forget about him and try to move on. Maybe she would retire from ANBU too, leave all of this behind.

Just as she was past the door and heading down the hall she froze at the sound of his soft voice as he whispered to himself, just barely loud enough for her to hear.

"I'll miss you too, my falcon."

MY falcon, MY falcon?! What the hell did he mean by my falcon?

Sakura was sitting on the bench in the dimly light women's locker room with her hands glued to her forehead. What Tiger had said had confused the crap out of her. She didn't know what to think.

Was this the hint she had been waiting for?

She reached to the side and grabbed her Falcon mask peering deeply into it hoping it would give her the answer.

When she'd heard those words come out of his mouth she had frozen in shock. Scared that he knew she'd heard him, she stayed in place, standing smack in the middle of the hall, until she was sure he was gone. When she finally made her way into the locker-room her mind had been reeling.

He didn't know she'd heard, maybe this was his way of saying goodbye. A weird way of saying goodbye, my falcon sounded extremely possessive, not something she'd expect to hear from someone abandoning her.

Is this how he'd always seen their relationship?

At that thought her heart fluttered, she also saw herself as being his falcon, just like he was her tiger. She didn't want to work with anyone else. She didn't want anyone else, period.

Did he want her too?

Frustratingly she threw the mask back onto the bench and rubbed her now contactless eyes. After getting up off the bench, she crossed the narrow room to look into one of the many mirrors at her dishevelled appearance.

Her still blond hair was lightly tangled with small kinks in it from when it had been in a bun on the back of her head. Her emerald green eyes shined with moisture from frustration and dry contact lenses. She reached into the sink in front of her and splashed some water onto her face.

She didn't know what to do. Go back to him and demand answers or stay in the dark… forever?

She looked back up into the mirror and wondered. She didn't know who he was, if he left today, she would never find out the truth and she would always be left wondering why she hadn't taken the risk. They had been tip-toeing around their feelings ever since that ambush and frankly she was sick of it. She needed to know, and this was the best opportunity she was ever going to get and if he turned her down, she didn't have to see him again.

With one last determined look in the mirror she spun around and stalked back out of the women's locker room.

Tiger had his back turned to her when she entered the empty room. He was standing in front of a locker rummaging through a navy bag. Before she lost her nerve, she closed the space between them and grabbed his arm to spin him around.

Instead, she found herself trapped between a cold hard locker and a muscular warm body with a kunai pressing against her throat.

"Falcon?" He stared down at her startled face, dumfound. "What the hell!?" The grip on the kunai loosened and it clattered to the floor.

"I need to know." She inhaled slightly and the smell of him filled her; lemongrass and blue cypress.

"Know what?" His expression was soft, almost expectant.

She took a deep breath and enjoyed the feel of his body still pressed against hers one last time before she opened her mouth to change everything.

"This." And before he could do anything to stop her, she softly pressed her lips to his.

His reaction was instantaneous. His lips parted alongside hers and she felt as though she was taking a breath of fresh air for the first time. He met her stroke for stroke, his passion matched hers. It was like finally knowing what had been missing in her life and finding it. Finding it in him.

All of him, he was intoxicating, and he was everywhere. His fingers tangled themselves in her hair as he pressed her harder against the locker. Her hands clenched tightly around his neck as she tried to get closer to him. His tongue in her mouth added fuel to the burning fire that had erupted in her lower stomach.

"I didn't…" She finally trembled when he paused for a breath. "I mean, I-"

He interrupted her, his voice deep, husky and so unbelievably sexy, "Do you want this?" He groaned.

His dark eyes searched her own for hesitation. His expression almost soft, like he didn't want to scare her away. Like he was afraid of what had just happened and what could happen. But she was not afraid, she had wanted this for so long, he had changed her life. This one time she would allow herself to live her fantasy.

Yes, she silently told him, her skin shivered from the promise of pleasure as he reached out and trailed a finger up her neck to lift her face towards his.

Please.

This time he kissed her deep and passionately. His tongue sending waves of pleasure through her body as he thoroughly took her mouth. His hands roamed her, dipping down to her stomach and back up to massage her breasts. It took all she had to remain upright as he brushed his thumb over her clothed breast, releasing a small moan from her mouth. His presence was irresistible, enveloping her and she somehow felt deep in her soul how utterly right this was.

He made quick work of her shirt pulling it up off her head with speed she only saw when they sparred. She had no such tact and promptly ripped his shirt.

His laugh was hoarse as he kissed her again while she tried to unbutton his pants. His hands kept distracting her as he lightly trailed his fingers up and down the sides of her naked chest sending shivers up and down her body.

His voice was low, and beautifully seductive when he finally asked her, "Do you want to just rip those too?"

Instead of answering she dropped down onto her knees and quickly undid his pants.

The sound that left his throat when she took him in her mouth was indescribable, and she knew she would do anything just to hear it again. He tasted like salty like an ocean breeze, and she loved it. In fact, she couldn't get enough of it. Every time she took him all the way she could feel his hands tightening in her hair, and she swore she heard him sigh.

"As much as I love to see you on your knees," He finally ground out between clenched teeth. He pulled her up and pressed her back against the locker. His fingers hooking themselves inside the hem of her pants. He leaned into her and trailed heated kisses up her neck until finally he whispered in her ear, "That's not all I want to do with to you." And then promptly ripped her own pants off, leaving her in her underwear.

Seconds later his body was pressing hotly against hers and his fingers were rubbing circles around her breasts. He was watching her reaction as he slowly passed a thumb over her and she just about shuddered in pleasure. His eyes gleamed erotically as he leaned down to take it in his mouth never breaking eye contact with her. She writhed in pleasure, needing to relieve the growing pressure between her thighs.

"I-" she breathed. "Please!" she suddenly cried out as he flicked her with his finger while he lightly bit her other breast.

He looked up at her with hooded eyes, full of desire and finally bucked his hips against hers. She moaned loudly from the contact and he finally let go of her breasts. Positioning his hips against hers he began to grind slowly against her.

"Fuck!" He moaned into her mouth. His tongue tangling itself in her own. "Do you know how long I've wanted to do this?" He growled into her ear as he began to trail his tongue along her neck biting and sucking at her skin, leaving behind a trail of pink and red spots.

She needed more of him and he seemed to be in agreement because as she began to press her hips harder against him, his hands reached behind her to grab a hold of her ass and hoist her up.

He laid her down on the bench and glanced up into her hazy eyes with the biggest smirk on his face. His fingers trailed the insides of her legs and pushed them apart as he began to lay fiery kisses up, and up and up, until the only thing separating his mouth from her skin was the thin lace from her underwear.

Her brain was mush, so heightened from the intensity and passion of their actions that she barely noticed him slide her panties down off her body. It was only when he reached down and gave her a nice long kiss that she understood. She bucked forwards, her mouth falling open in a loud moan as he began to suck and rub her with his tongue.

She was half dazed when she heard him groan into her, "you taste so good."

Then his mouth left her, and he pulled her up into a sitting position on bench. He was kneeling down in front of her and his arm snaked back to grab the back of her head as he pulled her into a passionate open-mouthed kiss. "You taste good everywhere."

His words sent shudders down her body and she realized that she'd never wanted anyone as bad as she wanted him in that moment.

She told him just as much, her own voice low and breathy from arousal, "I want you." She kissed him fiercely and urged him up to a standing position. "Now."

At her words his gaze darkened even more, and he yanked her up off the bench and lifted her up into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his hips and he backed them up until her back was once again against the lockers.

In one fluid motion, he shifted his hips and plunged fully into her. As he settled deeply inside, she heard that beautiful sound once more. Almost between a moan, a groan and a growl, she knew he was holding back. Like with his fighting it was in that sound that she knew he fucked like an animal.

He began slowly, almost sweetly, as he placed kisses upon kisses across her face, neck, and chest. But she wanted more. She wanted him, not this toned-down version. She wanted him wild and free.

"More." She breathed against his lips. "I want more."

She grabbed his face and pulled it back away from her, so she could gaze upon him fully. He stopped moving his hips and looked at her expectantly. "I want you."

This time he understood, something akin to red flashed in his eyes and his whole demeanor changed into something much more familiar.

He grinned wickedly, and she swore she saw long canines that weren't there before appear in his mouth. He nuzzled her neck letting his teeth drag softly against her skin. His voice husky, "I've been waiting for you to say that." And then his teeth broke her skin at the exact moment that he decided to start to move inside her again and she screamed in the perfect mixture of pleasure and pain.

This time his love-making was rough, animalistic and exactly what Sakura had been hoping for. He ground into her deeply, pulling almost all the way out before slamming back in. His hands supporting her butt clenched her tightly, through the haze of pleasure she wondered if she felt his nails digging into her, breaking the skin. But his mouth was what held most of her attention, his kisses were now frenzied, his teeth had broken the inside of her lip and as he fucked her senseless, he managed to lick the blood off like it was the most delicious popsicle.

"You feel so good" He growled into her ear.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck and her head had fallen back to lean against the locker as he began to suck on her breasts once more. With this change in position she felt him hit her deeper still and her breath shuddered as she moaned.

The combined action of his teeth grazing her and him inside, exactly so that he hit that sweet spot, began to shift her closer and closer to pure bliss. She knew he was looking up at her from under his lashes while he played her breasts, and his expression aroused her even more, if that was possible. When moved his mouth away she almost growled in protest.

"I want to see you" was all he said as he readjusted his position, so he could hold her up with one arm as the other snaked forwards to rub her between her thighs.

She closed her eyes from the intensity of the sensation.

He was amazing, he was nothing she had ever experienced before. He stood on his own, apart from everyone else. As he brought her closer and closer to the edge, she felt something stir deep inside her that told her, this man, he was made for her.

His breath, as he panted above her, she loved.

His arms as he held her up securely, she loved.

His lips that kissed her so tenderly and so viciously at the same time, she loved.

It had been a long time coming but somewhere deep in her brain she knew she loved him, regardless of whatever his name was, regardless of who he was outside these walls. As she reached that peak and clenched around him, she also knew that this would be the only time.

He leaned his forehead against hers as they both came back down from a high so unimaginable, she couldn't describe it. His soft breath was coming out in quick pants above her lips. His eyes were closed while she studied his face, memorizing it. His brown hair was plastered to his forehead and neck was slick with sweat and yet she didn't find it unappealing. His arms still held her up and her legs were still wrapped around his thighs. He was still inside her and she was in no rush to disconnect.

After a long moment he set her back down on the ground, steadying her as she struggled to regain her footing. He looked her deep in the eyes and said the words they both knew were true, "This can't happen again."

"I know." She agreed. "I know."

He leaned down and kissed her once more. His lips soft and swollen gently moving against her own, saying goodbye. His tongue lightly trailed along inside of her mouth as they both poured everything into this last kiss.

When they finally broke apart, she turned away first moving to put her underwear and shirt back on. As she made her way back down the locker-room and towards the door, she turned back towards him one last time.

He was watching her, his eyes sad and his expression grim. But something about his face registered within her for the first time since she had come rushing into the locker-room. She gave him a wide smile as she turned away and walked out the door almost skipping as she thought happily,

Tiger's real eyes are blue.

Back in the men's locker-room Naruto sat down on the bench after just watching his favourite person walk out the door for the last time. But he wasn't all disappointed because as she had looked back at him that last time and smiled such a beautiful smile, he'd realized that he'd completely missed something about her appearance from when she'd first walked in to confront him. He smiled wickedly to himself as he thought,

Falcon's real eyes are green.