Akatsuki's Presents

Chapter Nine

Sakura huffed and puffed her way down the hall of the base. The Holiday spirit had all but let her at this point, and her pussy was much worse for ware. She indignantly needed someone's company who wasn't remotely going to molest her. Her frazzled brain couldn't take anymore insanity!

It was a well known fact around the base that she was a single and sometimes down right horny gal, but she didn't think it'd make her the center of the attention of a group of hormonally uncontrollable men. Not to say she didn't enjoy the attention, oh yes, but for some reason or another this Holiday season seemed to stir up more than the usual flirt and grope.

Sakura shuffled here and there with a lack of interest in particular until a certain thought crossed her mind. Where had Zetsu stolen away for the day? Last she saw of him was earlier at the breakfast table, but she hasn't since seen him, not even when they opened gifts together. She wondered vaguely if it wise to seek him out seeing as how that thought process with Sasori had left her embarrassed and bent out of shape.

She decided against it seeing as didn't know how well it would turn out, but then again... Sakura shut off her inner musings and decided against that thought. She'd be polite today and pay him a visit. Just in a more public place.

Stretching slightly, she hurried along to where she absolutely knew him to be. Zetsu has an odd habit of disappearing for long hours into a garden in the far end of the base where he grew astounding plants from toxins to flowers. She loved this garden the most due to the sheer variety of plants, not the size.

Sakura found herself there faster than she thought, and she felt the bubbling of nerves in the pit of the stomach. She pushed open the door and all doubts left her. The smell of fresh and clean air swept into her lungs and she loved every second of it. Closing the door behind her, she briefly glanced around and wound her way down the path to her favorite patch of lilies. She bent over, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Hello, Sakura-san."

Sakura smiled and straightened herself out before turning to glance at the owner of the grove. She shot a glance at the flower encased in his bi-colored hands, and then back up to his face. Sakura shook her head slightly and turned away from him to look about.

"Zetsu-san, you never cease to amaze me with your handiwork. It would take a normal shinobi years to gather and cultivate this many plants, but you did all this nonetheless."

She felt his presence close in as he moved to stand beside her. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes while he knelt down and carefully arranged the flower in with the others. He then moved again to take his place further back. They stood silently like this for minutes.

Sakura, impatient as always, twisted around to face him again.

"That's the rose I gave you, isn't it?"

Zetsu's face gave nothing away as he stood unaffected by her demanding nature. Sakura huffed and placed her hands on her hips.

"Perhaps so." He drawled in a lighter tone.

Sakura shook her and head and chuckled in the back of her throat. She knew he wouldn't give her a straight answer. He was quite the secretive man. A secretive man whom she knew was never too far behind Tobi. That thought alone had a shiver crawling up her spine.

Shifting her attention back to him, she thought allusively about the character before her. Sure, he wasn't horrible on the eyes. The bi-color nature of his body was interesting enough, but his alluring eyes and his shaggy green hair were most definitely the pinnacle of him. Perhaps she would never admit this aloud, but he was pleasant to spend time with. He wasn't as chatty as she would prefer, but when he did have something to say it was of heightened importance or intriguing. That and she felt more sane listening to him converse with himself.

Zetsu had moved about and she watched him with inspecting eyes. For someone with a large Venus Fly trap extension, he sure was agile! Sakura giggled at the thought and almost regretted it when he shot around to face her.

"Sorry," she muttered, "I just was thinking."

"About?"

Sakura blanched at this. "You."

He shifted about, his eyes gleaming at her and she knew she should have said something better.

"What of me?" he drawled in his darkened tone.

Sakura struggled for a moment as he was quickly in front of her. She stared up into his eyes and lost all train of thought. Zetsu leaned forward using his added height to remotely press the importance of his question. She smiled up at him disregarding his inquiry. She stood on her toes and pressed her hands against his chest. He continued to stare down at her unaffected by her touch. She leaned in and pressed her lips to his in a chastise kiss.

She didn't know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised when his lips molded into hers. Sakura smiled further into the kiss. She pulled apart briefly to add some distance and she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. She side stepped him, and left the garden.

Sakura wasn't sure what compelled her to be so bold, but she felt content with the moment.