Affinity

Prompt: West

Title: Grit and Whiskey

"Another round," the sheriff drawls after he empties his nth cup of whiskey.

"Are ya sure?" the bartender, a lazy-mannered man with a spikey ponytail asks. "What if there's trouble tonight?"

"There's trouble every night," the sheriff grumbles, "Now fill my glass up, Shikamaru."

"Yes sir, Sheriff Uchiha."

The bartender sets a cloudy glass filled with whiskey of questionable quality in front of the sheriff, who greedily accepts. As the patron greedily drinks the freshly poured liquor, a busty, blonde saloon girl takes to the small stage at the front of the dirty bar.

"Gentlemen," she announces with a wink at some of the lads in the audience, "I've got a special show for you tonight, be sure to give the new girls some extra attention."

With that said, she signals to the piano player in the back, and upbeat music begins to fill the rundown saloon.

One by one, ladies in frilly dresses of all colors take to the stage, lifting their skirts and shaking their busts. The men practically drool at the scene, but the sheriff himself remains indifferent. They continue with their dance and eventually it's time for the women to enter the audience for more personalized entertainment.

"Don't look so annoyed, Sasuke," Shikamaru jeers at the sheriff's eye roll.

He ignores the bartender, the girls here have learned not to proposition him. However, when he looks up, a pink-haired beauty he's never seen before is sauntering up to him.

"Hey there, cowboy," she sets a heeled boot one the stool next to him and lifts her dress, letting him get a view of the black lace and creamy skin hidden beneath her bright red skirts.

"Not interested," he bites out, flashing his badge.

"Even sheriffs need some entertainment," she urges, leaning forward so that her cleavage practically spills over the edge of her corset. Reaching, she rubs a dainty hand over his leg.

Sasuke grabs the appendage, ignoring the gasp that escapes her. "I said, not interested." With that, he pushes her away and exits the bar.

"I'm very interested, ma'am," a boy with a baby face and too tight of britches tells the girl.

"Sorry sugar," she responds, her green eyes betraying her lack of sincerity, "but I have an arrangement with Sheriff Uchiha."

Ignoring the boy's fallen face, she follows after the brooding man, the commotion from inside the bar audible from the streets. The night is warm, as is typical for the dusty west, as she chases after the dark-haired shadow.

He veers down an alleyway, and she follows, ready to execute her carefully thought out plan. However, once she turns the corner, the grumpy sheriff is nowhere to be seen.

At the sound of a gun hammer being cocked, the pink-haired girl twitches and slowly turns.

"I told ya, I wasn't interest," Sasuke bites out dangerously, his gun barrel aimed in between her eyes. "Best get back down to the saloon before Miss Yamanaka notices you're gone."

She sighs and gives him a skeptical look. He notices her odd demeanor, and more importantly, her lack of nervousness when being faced with a gun, causing warning bells to go off in his head.

"Who are you?" he begins as she gently pushes his pistol away from her face, a challenge burning in her green irises.

"We wouldn't want anybody to get hurt, Sasuke" she says before walking past him, back into the deserted town.

"Hey! Get back here," Sasuke shouts as the peculiar girl makes her way back to the saloon. Feeling as he has no choice but investigate her odd behavior, he follows her all the way inside and up the back stairs.

Opening a door, she ushers him in one of the heavily perfumed rooms.

"You know," she begins as she removes the decorative skirts, "you're the first man that I've had to chase down to get to come to my room." She slides off the lacy garter belt and stockings, and loosens the corset. "Give me a hand?" she asks, gesturing to the silky ties. "I'm not trying to seduce you," she snaps at his hesitation.

Slowly, he reaches up to her bosom and begins pulling the ties free. "You can at least tell me your name," he says while trying to advert her eyes from her breasts, which are much closer now.

"Sakura," she tells him without any hint of embarrassment at his proximity to her assets.

"Fitting," Sasuke murmurs, as he pulls the constricting ties free. He adverts his eyes as she continues to get undressed. "How do you know my name?" he asks, his tone turning dangerous as he gets down to business.

She pulls the corset off and inhales deeply. "You've no idea how difficult it is to breathe in one of those damned things," she says, avoiding his question, before kicking off her heels and grabbing a cream button down shirt.

As she slips it on, his irritation finally peaks at her nonchalance.

"So, who the hell are you?" he asks. She continues tying the side of the shirt – exposing her bare midriff and the navy strips of cloth barely covering her breasts.

"I'm a bounty hunter, but I'm not after you," she says as she pulls on some denim shorts at leave her legs in full view.

"Then who are you after?" he asks, aiming his gun at her once more, if he's learned one thing out here, it's to never trust a bounty hunter.

"When are you gonna get the fact that I'm not scared of you?" she asks, turning her back to him and searching the ground for something.

Her cocky tone sets something off in him and he moves forward, pinning her to the wall. He presses the barrel of the gun under her chin and speaks dangerously low, "Don't take me lightly, who are you after?"

Her breathing elevates slightly as she stares up at him with those big viridian eyes. She swallows before answering, his threatening behavior obviously starting to rattle her too calm demeanor. "Madara Uchiha."

His eyes harden as the name registers. Releasing her roughly, he gestures with his gun towards the door. "Do yourself a favor and forget about that man, no matter how big the bounty is."

"You see," Sakura begins as she moves towards the vanity. "I have to go after him and not just for the money." She pulls a gun out from a decorative box sitting on the vanity and cocks the hammer. "I have my own personal score to settle with ol' Madara."

"Whatever it is," Sasuke begins as the girl closes one eye and checks the sight of her pistol, "it's not worth it."

"I would've thought you'd be all for helping us put him down," she pauses, her tone turning more serious, "after what he did to your brother."

Sasuke's stomach turns at memories of blood coating the desert sand. Revenge has always been resting in the back of his mind, the prospect of putting a bullet in Madara's skull gnawing at him. The temptation at the idea is great, but is it worth putting his trust in this girl?

No. He turns toward the door, intent on leaving, however the next words out of the bounty hunter's mouth makes his blood run cold.

"Naruto Uzumaki sends his regards."

His hand pauses on the handle, an unspoken past lingering in the silence. That name, one he's tried to banish, one he's mourned; it stirs something within him.

"You're mistaken, Uzumaki is dead," he spits out, still not turning away from the door.

"Oh yeah?" Sakura questions, amusement evident in her voice. "He looks pretty alive to me."

Sasuke turns to see Sakura's green eyes turned towards the window. Slowly, he steps forward, ignoring the feeling of hope starting to claw its way into his dark heart. Peering down from the glass he sees a familiar blonde-haired figure mounted on a horse. Even in the dim moonlight he recognizes those blue eyes, ones he saw the life leave from all those years ago.

"How?" he questions.

"The offer still stands," this time Sakura moves towards the door, obviously with no intention of returning to the room. "Help us kill Madara and we'll make it worth your while."

Without a word, Sasuke follows her out of the rickety saloon and into the dusty night.