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Tidal Wave - The Shark and the Blossom	By : LemonCrisis Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 2457 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and make no claim to. I also do not make any money out of writing my fics!

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
.s.
The morning passed far too quickly for Sakura's liking. The dawn staff meeting had gone as usual, until her boss had kept her back while the others left to go about their morning duties. He sat her down in his private office and informed her that a certain loyal customer at the onsen had paid for her time this evening, and had indicated his interest for more should this one go to his liking.
It wasn't unusual for the girls here to garner interest of that sort, but the resort was first and foremost a professionally run business, and any deals brokered of that kind were very discreet. Girls involved were given the option to decline, though some welcomed the break from their usual work along with the boost in income; especially if the client happened to be attractive. Sakura had noticed that the owner of the onsen; a middle-aged, portly man known to them as Shimizu-san, looked after his staff a great deal. If the girls didn't want to do any extras, then that was fine. He wouldn't push them into it. And he didn't tolerate any physical or verbal abuse towards any member of staff either. After the dawn meeting Shimizu-san had also let Sakura know that the male guest from the day before had been sent packing. The news brought her some small measure of satisfaction, but it was short lived; the impending evening was weighing heavily on her mind.
What Sakura had been surprised by was that Kisame had gone the 'official' route. She had already agreed to the bet directly with him, and so there was no real reason for him to pay for her time. However she accepted the arrangement gratefully as it meant she would finish her normal shift early; giving her time to eat, shower and change. Because of the expensive nature of the 'extras' provided by the onsen and thus far greater profit for the owner, the girl involved had her normal work hours reduced - finishing earlier and starting later the next day. Going the official way also eased Sakura's headache somewhat as there would be no need to rush to eat and get ready after work, sneak to Kisame's room without being seen, and then have to get up early to blunder her way through the crack-of-dawn shift. Her rota had already been generously adjusted, giving her only a couple of two-hour shifts per day from twelve until half four in the afternoon. She narrowed her eyes as she remembered checking the rota for her new hours. Shimizu-san had already adjusted her hours for the next three days, which meant that apart from tonight, Kisame would be here another two nights at least, and that he was planning things as if she'd already lost. The bastard.
Sakura folded a guest's futon and tucked it in the designated cupboard, then straightened, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. She’d left it half down today; only twisting the top layer into a pinned bun and leaving the under layers loose. Morning room cleaning duties were nearly finished, and she relished the idea of her second and final job on the rota - waitressing over the lunch hours. It meant she'd be nice and busy with no time to think and fret about what awaited her that evening.
At least, that's what she'd thought.
He was sitting there, casually. Tucked away in a corner table booth, long denim-clad legs sprawled out in front of him and sipping a cocktail for all the world like he wasn't one of the most wanted S-rank missing nins. She hadn't actually noticed him there when she first started her shift. A good ten minutes had passed before something made her glance into the corner while she whisked an order over to another customer. She nearly dropped the tea tray she was carrying as she did a double take. The bastard even had the balls to salute with his cocktail as he grinned at her, then looked pointedly at the ornately carved clock on the wall. Sakura felt heat suffuse her face and she had to forcibly suppress the urge to bolt like a cornered rabbit - he would probably enjoy that far more than was healthy. Instead, she very deliberately ignored him for the next half an hour or so, and when she dared a quick glance into the corner again he was gone, a drained cocktail glass the only evidence he'd ever been there. She spotted something tucked under the glass and made her way over as soon as she got the chance, curious but wary at the same time. It looked like paper and the thought of him slapping an explosive tag down as a 'surprise' wasn't as far-fetched as she'd like it to be. But as she reached the table she saw he'd actually just left a tip. A large one. Sakura had no doubt that he'd left it specifically for her, but she wadded the notes up in her hand and went over to the small counter that served as a mini-bar, ordering area and staff hub. The only way she could defy him in this matter - aside from throwing the money back at him when she next saw him - was to stuff it in the communal tip pot instead, to be split up between all the restaurant staff at the end of the day. So she did just that. Her lips curved into a satisfied smile at the thought of his money being spread out between her civilian colleagues. The way he was throwing money at her in addition to what he'd already paid made Sakura feel like she was being bought, and that in turn made her uncomfortable.
Sakura continued her shift, slightly disturbed at the fact that a part of her had been disappointed Kisame got up and left, disappointed he wasn't watching her while she went about her shift. She wondered what that made her, if she felt that way about an enemy? Or perhaps it was because he was an enemy that she found it slightly thrilling. Either way, she promised herself she'd get herself booked in to the psych ward once she got home to Konoha. Bad enough feeling this way on a political mission, but if that happened on a mission when her life - and her team's - were on the line.... She shuddered to think about it. Yep, she'd definitely get herself checked out. In the meantime she decided to stop psychoanalysing herself, as the findings were somewhat unsettling.
When her shift ended, Sakura had her dinner in the kitchens, then made her way back to the staff house with just over two hours to spare. She took a dip in the hot spring, the heat helping to ease away a small amount of her nervousness. And she was nervous; who wouldn't be? She'd be spending the night with an attractive S-ranked missing-nin while she tried to save her mission by NOT enjoying herself. Sakura sighed and slipped out of the water to wrap a fluffy towel around her body, feet leaving small wet prints on the cool stone as she went into the changing room. As she dried off her reflection caught her eye in the mirror again and she straightened, staring the face that was her-but-not-her in the eyes.
"No pressure," She told the brunette, "What could possibly go wrong?".
Her reflection quirked the corner of her lip up in wry amusement.
She donned a towelling robe and made her way back to her room. In addition to their staff uniform, employees were also given a reasonable selection of traditional formal wear. They were for use mainly when there were private functions on, or on public holidays, but were also good for times like this. She flicked aside a few kimonos in the wardrobe until her hand paused on a dark, royal blue one. She fingered the good quality material, pondering. It would go rather nicely with her current hair colour. Not that she was bothered about dressing up for the sake of it, but a job was a job, and she'd damn well dress the part.
Kisame was turning out to be an anomaly. This was the first time she’d run into him in a non-combat situation, and he’d surprised her by not immediately resorting to violence. From what she knew about him from their encounters and from the Bingo Book, she’d figured he loved fighting and the brutality associated with it. She hadn’t imagined that he might actually have a more ‘normal’ side to him; a side that had him staying in an onsen of all places for his R&R – a decidedly un-violent place for someone with a reputation such as his. She didn’t want to think of him as a person. It was much easier if the enemies she was sent on missions to apprehend remained psycho killing machines. And now she was having to spend time with one of those enemies.
She decided to look at it from another angle and see if that helped. She'd done missions of a sexual nature before - as had many of her fellow kunoichis - varying in intensity levels, and all had been with men she'd had to fake attraction to. She could do that side of it, was used to it even. This would be her first experience with the total opposite; trying to act indifferent with a man she was attracted to. Sure, it wasn't a mission per-se, but it was a situation that she hadn't chosen to be in, which in her books was as good as really. It would be good practise for herself, she decided. After all, she'd been paid to do it now too, which meant she could look at it as just another job. She wondered idly for a moment if he’d done that on purpose. There was no mistaking the shrewd intelligence in the man’s eyes.
As she padded down the corridor to the guest rooms in her kimono, Sakura willed her inner turmoil down to a more manageable level, though it still felt like all the world's population of butterflies had taken up residence inside her abdomen. All she had to do was meet his challenge head on and win. But even so, how could she let him lay his hands on her and remain unaffected?
.s.

A/N - That's all for this week! Next chapter will be the yellow-hued citrus fruit that many of you have been waiting for. As always, reviews are LOVED. If you have the time and inclination, please do let me know what you liked and/or didn't like. I'm not that insecure that I can't take a bit of critique ;). Failing that, feel free to vote.
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Tidal Wave - The Shark and the Blossom