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lunelantern · 4 years

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~Sasusaku analysis ~

~Sasusaku analysis ~ ~~ Sasuke and Sakura - - pair analysis ~~ ~THE BRIDGE SCENE~ (Team 7 Reunion - - after the Five Kage Summit)

----PART 3---

And Sasuke knows as well.

Sakura isn't a naive egocentric fool. She is humble enough to admit the limitations of her skills. Inwardly, she didn't think that she'll lay a single finger on Sasuke, let alone kill him.

Which makes the reader (and Sasuke) wonder why exactly is she doing there? What's her motivation? She obviously can't be fool enough to expect that she'll stop him when he survived the Five Kage and Shimura Danzo and has Akatsuki and Team Hawk as allies.

It's suicidal mission from Sakura to attempt something like this which makes us wonder whether she didn't come to plead with him to stop acting so erratically - which she does in the first panels - or kill him.

Maybe Sakura had a change of heart en route after she realized that this isn't the Sasuke that she hoped /expected /prayed to find, and her repentine decision almost cost her life.

It's subtle and barely visible as Sasuke flawlessly hides his emotions and draws the shinobi mask on his irate face, but we can depict a subtle nuance of bittersweet amusement at her foolishness; what exactly is she trying to do, facing him with such obviously conflicting and erratic approaches? Her lack of solid prior plan is unflattering to someone like Sakura, because Sasuke knows exactly what kind of person Sakura is.

He knows that she has a brilliant mind, tactical and analytical skills, creativeness and talent and tremendous skills that she polished under the tutelage of the legendary Sannin and Kage, Tsunade Senju herself.

And this is the best that she can come up with? It's almost like HE doesn't recognize THIS Sakura anymore and her approach becomes a copious source of dark humor mixed into the concoction of this tragi-comedy.

Symbolically however, Sakura's indecision and her pendulating emotions are illustrative for how terrible the battle between the shinobi and the lover is, for both Sasuke and Sakura.

One can have more friends, family members, enemies, teachers, idols or brothers, but a lover is singular. SHE... Is only one. She's unique and thus all the pent up feelings percolate to one single person alone and that puts a lot of pressure on Sasuke.

As for Sakura's part, her pain is so hauntingly lucid that it's almost palpable. We can actually taste the pain on our own tongues as we hear the soul-crushing despair of her unspoken words.

"I don't care!" She states flippantly with such an implied confidence that's almost ignoramus and she follows the trite in the same manner. "I'll follow any order you give me."

Only someone with the author's superb skills can create an almost comical situation in the cusp of a tragic angst that's rapidly escalading to the peak of its drama.

By Sakura's statement I could almost picture Sasuke starting to laugh and hiss something along the lines of: "Are you stupid?"

She will follow any order, who is she, Haku?

Of course, it's just obvious that Sasuke - - as playful as Suigetsu humorously correctly depicts him - - enters this game and starts to play.

If Sakura has no problems in following any ominous order from him that's overtly bordering the Criminal Code, if she wants to be like Haku - - a soulless disposable tool in the hands of a renewed criminal with a penchant for arbitrary murder - - then he'll treat her exactly like this. Emphasizing that if she wants to be a helpless puppet in his hands then she'll become like Karin and share her fate. He practically shows her with a real life example, her hasty words materialized.

You want to follow any of my orders and join me? Then you'll be staying in Karin place too - - half-dead and ignored.

Clearly, she didn't think about what she was mumbling and how stupid it sounded and she didn't strategize before. Sakura should have chosen her words more carefully.

It's only when Sasuke makes his intentions known to her does Sakura realize the extenct of her mistake and implicitly the fact that she is actually in real danger.

Her shock is evident as it hit home. We see the black background as we glimpse into her consciousness and souls, a familiar technique used in the manga when the author lets us glimpse into the characters minds. The transition between the exterior and interior is highlighted by the dark background.

In the end, symbolically their moment stops with the panel of her kunai wavering and stopping as she couldn't pierce through the Uchiha crest meaning that she couldn't quench her love for him as she accepts him for what he is - - Sasuke AND Uchiha.

Her falter must be interpreted in conjunction to Naruto’s words when he says that he and Sasuke will finally make amends when both of them will stop being tied to their designed role and, in a sense, Obito is right when he sarcastically tells Naruto that he is also selfish for trying to force Sasuke to accept his life philosophy (the political triumph of democracy as status quo). In which case, Sasuke's family name becomes a hindrance, an impediment.

But that's not the case with Sakura. No, she falters and stops with her kunai never piercing through the Uchiha crest that's sewed on Sasuke's back (she is not backstabbing him by hitting where it most hurts - - his family).

No, Sakura loves ALL of him. He accepts every part of him with his past and present, she sees him at his lowest and she still loves him with unfaltering despair. Her love stands this test, Uchiha surname is a huge burden even in Sasuke's shoulders but Sakura's unyielding love is benediction and suffices in shouldering even this burden (the Uchiha "curse" / the primordial curse).

Consequently, she eventually takes the same infamous surname, Uchiha, and wears it with pride and love, accepting, assuming what it represents, with both his flaws and qualities.

She doesn't try to change anything in Sasuke. She accepts 3very part of him. She never wavered. She loved him before and she loves him now in fact, she never gave her love a moment of respiro. She loved him continuously with same bravery and ardent passion. Sasuke attacks her when she is on the verge of laughing a physical attack as a logical self-defense, treating her as he'd treat another shinobi who attacks him, with his signature attack.

If Sakura wouldn't have attacked him, Sasuke wouldn't have laid a finger on her. He reacted accordingly to her.

When she was honest with him, his face softened.

When she attacked him with murderous intent, he retaliates never taking her lightly as respecting the strong shinobi that she has become (he didn’t take her skills as subpar, as if it was enough for him to simply step aside to avoid her attack).

She could have pour all her heart out openly and uncensored and he'd have listened to her; he always listened when she said she loved him. Never interrupting her as long as she was sincere with him.

Even so... Even if her emotions are a roller-coaster and she caved in babbling and rambling incoherences, he still calmly converses with her, in fact, Sasuke talks more to her than he normally does. Sasuke isn't a talkative person and yet he chatters with her.

"Are you really willing to betray the Leaf for me?" against, his manner of speaking reels with romantic substrate, akin to lovers` conversation. Me, you, Sasuke hardly use such personal undertone. He gives her one final chance to come clean to him because he says" really", so he tempts her playfully further appealing to her feelings, throwing her words back at her.

He knew that she was more than willing to leave the safety of her village as a child, to leave everything - friends and family - behind and become a traitor for him when she was 12, even though her lack of life experience prevented her from having a clear representation of the consequences of her actions.

What about now when the more mature Sakura DOES have the clear representation of such an act? Did her feelings change? Will she follow him blindly?

Does she still love him?

He's willing to listen, he provoked her even to answer just like wanting to confirm for himself whether she's the same woman who loves him - - who HE loves - - or a complete stranger who grow over her childhood crush (like Karin).

He also tests whether is an infatuation or genuine love for Sasuke has been an unwilling subject of women attention and flirts before (Mei, Ino, Karin, the young employees from the Land of Waves...).

She replies with a seemingly confident tone. "Yes... If that's what you want me to do."

Sasuke knows that 3 years ago, she would have so it unconditionally and he thanked her for that.

Now he's skeptical the atmosphere is not romantic anymore; is cynical, is mischievous, it's reeling in underlying ambitions and dark schemes, is mocking and ironic, is deceiving and cruel, sarcastic, bittersweet with laced irony, is trifling and clownish.

Totally different from the sincere atmosphere that melted our hearts in their farewell scene.

When the 12 years old Sakura in all her earnest innocence and naivety offered to join him and desert the village... He believed it and even thanked her for that devotion in the name of love.

But this Sakura... He doesn't believe anymore and consequently he asks for a PROOF. which he didn't in Part 1 because it wasn't necessary for he believed it.

A lover doesn't need a token for their love because love when honest and reciprocated doesn't need to be proven.

And yet that's what he asks for it and she gets trapped into his game falling badly for it. "Hmpf..." He snorts like he's amused by her pathetic attempt to lure him in a trap, mocking her and playing her game. "Then prove it." he is no more "playing at romance", he's not Sasuke the lover anymore. He's just the wicked shinobi who just killed one of the best shinobi in the Leaf.

"Kill her and I'll accept your offer." the trap is so blatantly obvious and amateurish that's even laughable. Obviously, that in order to kill Karin who's lying right at his feet, Sakura has to come ridiculously close to him - - the enemy. Which is a fatal mistake for a shinobi. You don't casually parade to Karin and pass him by with the intent to kill him and expect Sasuke to be a silent voyeur.

But one can't notice how incredibly erotic and sexy this dialogue is if deconstructed and taken out of the battle context. It is teeming with that archetypal dark and sensual bad-romance that conjure the darkest most sinfully delicious and incredibly erotic love stories in popular fiction world.

The thrill of having a dark hero who's unpredictable, passionate, dangerous, savage, the one who could give a woman glimpses of a scorching passion and fulfill her darkest desires.

Sasusaku is the very epitome of the passionate couple.

A quick glimpse over the dialogue is deliciously hot if taken out of the context and very uncharacteristic for someone like Sasuke.

"Sakura..." the way he says her name in that low baritone voice that sends delicious shivers along the spine.

"What do you want with me?"

"Why would you want to join me? What are you trying to pull?"

"Are you really willing to betray the Leaf for me?"

"Hmpf... Then prove it."

"Kill her and I'll accept your offer."

"well? Can't you handle this Sakura?" this particular line and the mocking way he says it so enticing dangerous like a bad boy... Is overly sexy. Is hot, is dark dangerous and erotic, is the exact type of fiction that entices because it oozes of pure passion. I can't help but replace the j spoken word in my head: "Can't you handle ME... Sakura?" are you capable to be with the current me?

It is hard to discern what's sincere and what's deceiving from this heated interplay between Sasuke and Sakura because it's written intentionally ambiguous and enigmatic to keep us constantly enticed and confused.

There's a fine line between shinobi and lovers and we are just as confused as the two protagonists.

Apparently, one wouldn't associate Sasuke with intimacy passion and erotica but the Uchiha is full of surprises and severely underestimated.

He is perfectly capable to "play at ROMANCE" when he so desires. When he shuts Kakashi down with "You want me to play at ROMANCE?" Sasuke automatically implies that he KNOWS how to do so. He isn't an unschooled rookie in the art of romance, he isn't the disimpassioned man that has no appetite for love and intimacy.

Not in the least.

And this is the only woman that he ever loved romantically and proved to do so only his inconsistent and dynamic character perfectly masked his emotions. He's way more subtle than the others.

He is calm up and composed, even letting her to bypass him closely knowing that she had weapons hidden under her clothes.

Objectively speaking the confrontation is absurd and lacks any verisimilitude. Sakura isn't credible and Sasuke is ironic, calm and abnormally tranquil and playful.

He's way too serene considering who he has just fought. I couldn't guess that Danzo`s death brought Sasuke a pang of relief as he's directly responsible for the downfall of Uchiha but revenge is like a drug; it never brings relief and the more you have the more toy crave for. And one would never satiate. So he experiences a momentary relief.

But that's not the case for the purpose of this entire scene is to emphasize the internal conflict between the shinobi and the lover.

#Sasuke symbolism #Sasusaku explained #Sasusaku pair #Sasusaku romance #sasusaku analysis #Sasusaku #Sasuke and Sakura love #Sasuke and Sakura symbolism

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sariasprincy-writes · 6 years

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Hollow Point 16

One // Two // Three // Four // Five // Six // Seven // Eight // Nine // Ten // Eleven // Twelve // Thirteen // Fourteen // Fifteen // Sixteen (here)

Chapter Sixteen “If I asked you to jump, would you?”

‘You’re a pretty girl,’ Tsunade used to say. Not that she meant it as a compliment. It was simply a fact.

Because there was something about pretty girls that tended to draw people in. Trust them more. As if being attractive meant all the world’s secrets were safe behind those easy smiles. Maybe that was how Sakura had managed to dismantle Gaara’s empire singlehandedly. Or maybe she really was as good at what she did as everyone thought. Or perhaps it was all luck.

In any case, it was a wonder sometimes that she was still alive. Like a cat with nine lives, she tiptoed around Death, taunting him. Daring him. One misstep away. Always teetering on the edge. Swaying back and forth.

Sakura stood at the window, phone pressed to her ear. The other line rang once, twice. Five times before going to voicemail. She didn't bother leaving a message.

Behind her, footsteps echoed in the empty condo. Ino crossed the large room, her heels clicking against the wood floors before silencing in the middle of the room.

“You bought this?” Ino asked, glancing around the wide living space.

Sakura hummed her reply as she tucked her phone into her back pocket. Her gaze returned out the window, to the ocean and the distant horizon.

“This is like your fifth purchase in the last week,” Ino told her needlessly. “Why are you buying so many places?”

Actually, it was Sakura's eighth but she didn't correct her. Instead she turned her back on the stunning view to look at the blonde. “Because it would be stupid of me to hide my entire stock in one spot. I need more safehouses to store my product.”

And more places to hide. The end of her strange relationship with Tobirama had left her a little paranoid. Perhaps she had been arrogant, reckless to think that sharing a bed with Tobirama would protect her from Hashirama or the Uchiha brothers. She had unintentionally lowered her guard. Having Tobirama show up in the dead of the night had woken her like a bucket of ice water. Or a gun to the head.

“Naruto told me you had another shipment coming in later this week,” Ino said. “Though, he’s not sure yet where they’re going.”

Sakura heard the unspoken question. “I’ll give him the locations later today. There’re a few clients looking to restock their store. I do need him to set a container aside for me though. I need to send one back overseas.”

“Back to the Med?”

Sakura shook her head, her gaze returning out the window. “China. The Hyuugas need some backup. They’re having issues with a few triads in Hong Kong. And I owe them a favor.”

The blonde peered at her curiously, as if awaiting a further explanation. When Sakura didn’t offer one, she let it go with a half-shrug. “Do we need to prepare another container for the Senju?”

A brief silence passed as Sakura weighed her answer. Eventually she shook her head. “No, they should be good with what they have now and I’m not in the mood to be generous. I got Kabuto’s payment last week so I’ll have Naruto arrange a store for him and whatever is leftover can go to Hashirama.”

Even without looking, Sakura could feel Ino’s eyes burning into the side of her head. Could feel the wheels in her head turning as she pieced her next words together. “Is this because of Tobirama?”

“What?” Sakura asked. She turned sharply to look at her.

Ino just met her stare unwavering. “Oh, come on. You’re really not going to tell me anything? I know you’re sleeping with someone. It’s obviously not Hashirama, and Madara and Izuna are too...well themselves for you to ever get into bed with them. So, it’s either Tobirama or…Did you and Kakashi…?”

“I’m not sleeping with Kakashi,” Sakura said flatly. When Ino continued to stare, she glared, “I’ve never slept with Kakashi.”

“So, it is Tobirama.”

Sakura shot the blonde a look that was clearly a warning. When Ino didn’t back down, Sakura sighed. “Yes, I fucked Tobirama,” she admitted impatiently. “But that’s not the reason I’m pissed off.”

“Okay, so what is it?” Ino asked, the amusement fading from her expression.

Sakura simply stared at her longtime friend. Trying to find the words to explain that she wasn’t really mad at Tobirama. Annoyed he had held a gun to her head maybe, but not honestly mad. He had been right to suspect her as a mole.

As it turned out, one of Hashirama’s men had hidden deep undercover, spying on the Senju brothers and passing along information to Akatsuki. Sakura had heard of the man’s death over the news. Left in pieces throughout an Akatsuki port. Like a bloody jigsaw puzzle. Curtesy of Tobirama.

Rather, she had pinpointed her restlessness back to Hashirama directly. Her life would have never been like this if he hadn’t taken her from that orphanage. And she didn’t know if she was grateful or if she hated him for it. It was a very thin line she paced. Every move seemed one step away from swaying her one way or the other.

Sakura considered telling Ino all of this. There was no judgement in her eyes, only patience and quiet curiosity. But Sakura couldn’t find the words to say any of it. She never could.

Instead, she shook her head. “It’s too long to go into the details now. Tell Naruto the plan. I’ll reach out to Kabuto and get you his current location for shipment.”

Ino looked like she had more to say but fortunately kept her mouth shut.

They were spared the tense silence by Sakura’s phone suddenly buzzing in her back pocket. She laughed ironically when she read the caller ID.

“Hashirama,” she answered less than welcomingly. “What can I do for you this time?”

If he heard the curt tone in her voice, he gave no indication. Merely replied levelly, “I need another shipment.”

“Oh?” Sakura asked, holding up her hand towards Ino to halt her retreat. Ino eyed her curiously but remained silent. “Your boys in the South in need of new gear already? I figured you would have some leftovers with your ranks as thin as they currently are.”

“Not mine,” Hashirama told her, ignoring her ruthless jab. On the other end, the faint background noise suddenly faded as though he had slipped into another room. “There was a problem with another supplier. Izuna-”

“No,” Sakura cut him off.

He paused, either surprised by her blatant refusal or because he was choosing his next words carefully. When he spoke again, his voice was pleasant and calm. Deadly calm. “You do not even know what I am asking.”

“Well unless you are asking me to off Izuna, which I seriously doubt, my answer is no. I am not doing that man any favors.”

“Consider it a favor to me then.” When she didn’t reply, Hashirama sighed. “I will pay you double.”

Sakura laughed. “No.”

“Triple.”

This time she was the one to pause. Weighing the pros and cons. Really, giving the guns to Izuna didn’t affect her business and with triple the normal rate...well it was almost like taking candy from a baby. It really wasn’t fair to Izuna. Good.

“Fine,” Sakura relented. “Send me the address where he wants them.”

“I will have Izuna call you.”

“What? Don’t-!”

But Hashirama had already hung up.

Sakura growled as she lowered her phone. Hashirama could be so petty when he wanted to be.

A minute lapsed with the room in silence before Ino slowly prodded, “So, don’t tell Naruto to bring the shipment to Kabuto?”

Raking a hand through her hair, Sakura thought. She sorted through the clients that had orders pending, those that were paying the most and those had been waiting the longest. A deep sigh passed between Sakura’s lips.

“No, tell Naruto Kabuto’s shipment is being rerouted,” she told Ino. “He’ll have to wait until the next one. As soon as Izuna gives me an address, I’ll let him know where it’s going-”

As if she had summoned the devil himself, Sakura’s phone rang a second time. The number was unsaved, but she was confident enough to take a wild stab. “Hello, bastard,” she said pleasantly.

There was a pause on the other end. Only the sound of a very patient breath being drawn. “I hate you,” Izuna said.

Sakura couldn't resist her smile. “The feeling is mutual. So, let’s get this over as quickly as possible, shall we. Where do you want the delivery?”

“The Grand Lotus hotel. They have their food deliveries arrive at 11pm. You can disguise the shipment in a truck and exchange it with my contact tomorrow night,” Izuna told her.

She stared out the window as he spoke. Listening while she watched the large cargo ships move about the bay. Some heading into port, others out to sea while some remained anchored in the harbor, waiting for their shipments to arrive.

“Fine,” she agreed. “Book a room. We’ll exchange the keys there. And Izuna,” she said before he hung up, “tell Hashirama the money better be in my account beforehand. No payment, no deal.”

Through the phone, she heard him take another measured breath. “I will uphold my end of the deal. Just make sure you do the same. I swear, if you fuck this up-”

Sakura didn’t hear the rest of his threat as she ended the call. She smirked, a little too pleased with herself. Ino actively resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Sakura’s antics. “You know that doesn’t help.”

“Does me,” Sakura shrugged. “Anyway, we better get going. If we’re going to be ready for tomorrow night, we need to move.”

That disapproving look was still on Ino’s face but she followed Sakura out of the condo nonetheless. The door echoing in the utter emptiness as it shut behind them.

Just as planned, Naruto drove the shipment to The Grand Lotus hotel, dressed in one of those ugly, brown delivery outfits. Hat and all. For some reason the look at fit him well, which amused Sakura to no end. Much to the annoyance of the blond.

Across the street, Kakashi sat perched on a roof, overlooking the five-story building.

Sakura waited for confirmation they were both in position before she had a cab drop her four blocks from the hotel. She walked the rest of the way, hands deep in her pockets as her breath fanned out before her in pale, white wisps.

The heat inside the lobby immediately chased the chill from Sakura’s skin. She popped the top button of her jacket off and pulled her blonde hair out from inside the collar as she made her way towards the front desk. It wasn’t her favorite wig by any means, but it concealed her natural hair flawlessly.

“Good evening, Miss. Checking in?” the woman asked politely. She probably wasn’t much older than Sakura herself.

Sakura smiled in return. “Yes. Senju Tsunade for one night.”

The hotel employee turned to her computer and punched in a few numbers. “I have you in Room 308 on the third floor. Single queen-sized bed.”

“Perfect.”

“It looks like we have your credit card on file so all I need is a signature and I can send you right up. Can we help you with your bags?”

Sakura shook her head as she accepted the usual nondisclosure and hotel rules contract. She signed the agreement, printing Tsunade’s name in perfect cursive with a well-practiced hand. As the woman filed away her paperwork and registered her door key, Sakura gazed around, briefly reading the flyers on the desk: free Wi-Fi, pool hours. The hotel’s apologies that the workout room was currently undergoing construction and would not available for guest use.

“Your door will be the second to last on the right,” the woman said, handing over Sakura’s paperwork. “Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to make your stay more enjoyable.”

Sakura smiled her thanks. Once she was sure she had everything, she headed towards the elevator. The lift chimed pleasantly before the doors opened. She waited for an elderly couple to exit before she stepped in.

Just before the doors closed, Sakura glanced back at the receptionist. Only to find her still watching Sakura, phone pressed to her ear.

A sinking feeling settled deep in Sakura’s stomach. It was probably nothing but she hit the button for the fourth floor, one level above her own. The hallway was empty, except for two bellmen. They were heading towards her, pushing an empty luggage cart.

Sakura smiled at them as they drew closer, taking in their pristine, red hotel uniforms. Her first clue something was wrong were the nearly invisible earpieces in their ears. Her eyes dropped to her hotel card, feigning confusion as she looked at it and then the room number around her.

“Excuse me,” she said as they crossed paths. “I’m afraid I’m a little turned around. Can you tell me where Room 408 is?”

The closest man glanced at her hotel card, her thumb conveniently covering the ‘3’ written on her card, before he glanced at the door numbers. “408 is at the end of the hall,” he pointed. “Take a right at the corner and it’ll be the second to last on your right.”

“Perfect,” Sakura said gratefully. She took a step down the hall, only to turn around again. “Oh, and can you tell me, is the workout room twenty-fours or does it open in the morning?”

He half-turned back to her. “It’s twenty-four hours.”

Only it was closed for construction. And Sakura had been around guns long enough to recognize that strange bulge on his hip beneath his clean, tight suit. The butt of a weapon. He was armed. And if she had to guess, a federal agent.

She smiled again even as adrenaline began to spread through her veins. “Thank you.”

Staying calm, Sakura continued down the hall, even as she felt the men’s eyes follow her. She scanned the hallway carefully, searching for any cameras hidden in the ceiling or in the corners of the walls. Her mounting alarm cooled somewhat when she found none.

Ducking around the corner, Sakura pressed her back to the wall and waited with baited breath. Sure enough, a few seconds later she heard their footsteps, muffled by the carpet.

The gun was the first thing Sakura saw. She grabbed the first man’s wrist and swung him around until he hit the wall. His face struck first, knocking him unconscious. She let him drop as she turned to his partner. His gun was trained on her, but she was close enough to slip under his guard and hit a painful pressure point until he dropped his weapon.

Sakura dodged his first swing, using Kakashi’s close combat training to kick the side of his knee. He dropped to the ground and turned to grab her in the same motion, but she was faster. Using a supported elbow, she knocked him in the back of the head. He collapsed to the floor, boneless.

It was all over in less than thirty seconds. Still, Sakura remained motionless, listening for any voices or more approaching footsteps. When all was quiet, her eyes returned to the unconscious men at her feet. She searched them quickly, her heart jumping in her chest when she found both had badges: FBI.

Pulling her phone out, Sakura called Kakashi. “We’re aborting this. Now.”

“What’s wrong?”

Through the phone she heard the scrap of his equipment as he hastily dismantled his scope. “FBI are here. I don’t know why and I don’t have time to explain how I know. Get Naruto. Make sure you both get out.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

After ending the call, she pocketed her phone before she returned to one of the unconscious agents. On his hip, she found a radio. She grabbed it before she headed towards the stairwell, only pausing to rip the hotel floor plan required by law posted on the wall.

“Front desk confirmed 308 checked in. Second floor is secured,” the radio crackled. “Moving in on the third now.”

Listening, Sakura studied the map, her only focus on getting out. There were only two stairwells, one on either side of the building. With the FBI focused on the hotel room she had intended to meet Izuna’s contact, it was likely they were covering the stairs on the north side.

She would have to try the south side.

With only a second look to ensure the two agents were still unconscious, Sakura headed towards the opposite stairwell. She held the radio towards her ear to listen for updates as she moved, only lowering it when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

Sakura gave pause when she recognized Itachi’s number. She had sent him a text message last night, updating him on Izuna and Madara’s plans. Because even though she hated working with the CIA, she hated Izuna more.

Now, however, she felt her temper rise. She had kept all the details regarding her delivery tonight secret, but it wouldn’t surprise her if Itachi had put a tail on her. This was exactly why she didn’t strike deals.

“Did you do this-?”

“Please tell me you are not at the Grand Lotus hotel right now,” Itachi interrupted, surprising her.

There was something about his tone that cooled her building anger. He sounded almost worried. Anxious perhaps? Still, she held onto her misgivings. “Why is the FBI here? Did you call them?”

“Of course not,” he snapped, almost offended that she would suggest such a thing. “You didn’t tell me anything, other than you were meeting one of Izuna’s men tonight. And if it is who I think it is, it was supposed to be Izuna’s primary link to Hong Kong, one of the biggest arms dealers in China. He’s been on the FBI’s watchlist for years.”

“So why did they choose to move in today?”

“I don’t know,” he said quickly, his words a little breathless like he was running. “You need to get out.”

“Yeah, I’m working on it,” Sakura replied curtly.

She paused when she reached the other end of the hall to peer through the glass. She didn’t see anyone but she pushed the door open silently and gazed down at the lower landing. Sure enough, there were a dozen uniformed police armed to the teeth, ready to move on command.

Sakura slipped back onto the floor, closing the door soundlessly behind her. “They have the floor secured,” she said as the radio crackled to life in her hand. The agents were about to move up.

On the other end, Itachi was silent. Then he said, “Go to the roof.”

Confused, she wondered how that would help her. The surrounding buildings were much taller than the hotel. There was no chance she could jump to the neighboring buildings.

But they were right on the water.

Sakura ground her teeth together. “It’s forty-five degrees out,” she hissed.

“And so is the water temperature,” Itachi stated almost matter-of-fact. “You can survive fifteen minutes.”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”

“If you don’t, you’re caught. And I cannot help you,” he told her.

Her grip around her phone tightened. Processing, weighing, deciding. Her lack of answer was all Itachi needed.

“There is a park less than a quarter mile south,” he said. “The current will help you. I will meet you there.”

Then he hung up and she was alone again.

Sakura stood there for a long moment. But then the radio crackled to life again in her hand and she was moving. She pushed her phone back into her jacket pocket before she slipped out into the stairwell once more. The agents were still only a level down, their quiet shuffling the only sound echoing against the steel and cement. With breath held, she began her climb up.

Up on the roof, the wind was even more biting. The building to the north blocked the worst of it, but it still chilled her skin. Sakura went to the edge and peered down. Below, the water was black and encompassing. Like it was just waiting to swallow her whole.

Out of all the crazy things Sakura had done in her life, this definitely ranked near the top. But at least she had a story. If she survived.

Taking a step away from the edge, Sakura bent down to tuck her pant legs into her boots. She pulled on her winter gloves next and folded the sleeves of her shirt and jacket into them as much as possible, doing everything she could to lessen the flow of water through her clothes.

She would definitely get wet. That was a fact she couldn’t change. But maybe she could use her clothes to work as a sort of crappy wetsuit. At least she had brought her winter jacket with her. Though she still wasn’t sure if that would help or hinder her.

“Secondary suspect is still in the building. Two officers down. Fourth floor, east wing,” the radio suddenly said.

“Securing the fifth floor now,” another replied.

Sakura couldn’t wait any longer. Stepping forward again, she climbed the three-foot-high, solid railing. The wind whipped around her as she perched precariously, like hands nudging her forward, tempting her to just jump. Her adrenaline rushed through her veins sharply. Painfully. Her body’s last attempt to beg her to stop.

That’s when the door to the roof banged open.

And that’s when Sakura stepped forward and plunged into darkness.

to be continued...

#itachi #sakura #itasaku #hollow point #chapter 16 #Saria Writes #crime au #arms dealer au #clifferhanger #whoops

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