The Underground Chapter 2

“So, this is the girl?” Kabuto cocked his head to the side, taking a good look at the girl. She was skinny, but healthily so, and seemed to be in a deep sleep. Well, of course she was – he supplied the drugs, after all.

Deidara, who had just got off the stage to let one of the other announcer-people’s take over while he took a well-deserved break, merely shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, un. She was some rich daddy’s payment for, un… What would be the word Mr. Itachi use?”

“Protection?” Kabuto supplied with a raised eyebrow.

Deidara snapped and nodded. “Yeah that’s it, un! She was payment and, well… If it puts a dent in his debt for you, it’s all right, right un?”

Of course, Kabuto really couldn’t fault with this logic. He grabbed a jar from his jacket, opening it and placing it in front of the practically comatose girl gingerly. It took a few seconds to work but, once it did, she sat up quickly, looking around with fearful eyes.

“Wh…Where am I?” she asked, grabbing at the blanket around her to hide her nude form.

Kabuto snapped at the blond haired young man to fetch some clothes for her, before regarding Sakura. “You’re still at the Dawn’s Lair, but we’ll be leaving as soon as I’ve got you properly dressed.”

Bright green eyes narrowed at him before the girl opened her mouth. “And why would I be going anywhere with you, my good sir?” she asked hauntingly, quite used to getting what she wanted when she demanded.

Kabuto smirked, looking smug, before he grabbed her face. “You will because you are now, for all intents and purposes, my property. And you shall remain so until you pay back the twenty thousand pounds I paid to keep you from the hands of sick perverts and daemons. No depths of hell will you be subjected to, so long as you do as I say.”

Sakura felt fear slither up her spine as she looked wide-eyed at the white hair man. “What are you going to do with me?” she asked, her voice no higher than a whisper.

“Do you, perhaps, know the difference between formaldehyde and cyanide?”

Sakura gave Kabuto an odd look. “Of course, doesn’t everybody?”

Ah, the crisp air of London’s winter – it surrounded the two as they exited the back door of Madame Elaine’s Tea Shoppe (the front for the Dawn’s Lair, operated by another one of Itachi’s subordinates). Sakura bundled up even more, pulling the (too large) jacket over her body even more.

“Um… Sorry ’bout that,” Kabuto said sheepishly. “Didn’t think I would actually buy someone and I’m used to the cold weather.” Sakura sent him a mild glare as her teeth chattered. “At least I don’t want you to be a sperm bank.” That got the girl to shut up quite quickly.

Time passes until the two came to a nicely furnished apartment building in the good part of the city. Away from most of the noise and clutter of the industrial district, it looked quite like the picturesque London that most people think about. Kabuto opened the door, tilting his head to tell Sakura to go in, following her swiftly once she did so. Taking the stairs (“It wouldn’t do for you to get any flab, girl,” Kabuto had sneered, although good-naturedly), the two came to the second-highest level, only to stop at the doorman there.

“Good evening, sir,” said a robust young man. He eyed Sakura oddly before shrugging. “Is that your new assistant?”

Kabuto, who was opening the door, looked at the man oddly. “How did you know about it, Chouji?”

The man shrugged, grabbing some potato chips to eat. “Shikamaru called me to tell me what happened, so I sent a telegraph to Ino so she can welcome the new girl in.”

Giving an irritated sigh, Kabuto shouldered the door to his flat to open it up. Accursed leaps in technology – his “hired” help was always so aware of what was happening. “Then, I expect that she will be ready to work by tomorrow afternoon?”

Chouji shrugged, mumbling about an ‘Ino’ and ‘expectations.’ Sakura dumbly watched the exchange, unsure of what was going on. Upon this ‘Chouji’s insistence, she walked behind Kabuto into his flat. From what she could see in the twilight was a posh living space, filled with exotic items all over the wall and even a personal telephone and telegraph! Wow, he must be rich…

Kabuto placed a hand on Sakura’s shoulder, steering her towards the living room and making her sit on the couch. “You shall wait here until Ms Ino comes to get you. She will settle you in and tell you of the duties you’re expected to do during your tenure as my nurse.” With that gruff and nearly monotonic mini-speech, the bespectacled young man left into another room. It closed with finality and Sakura could imagine that a lock fumbled into place to keep her out. The sound of falling water gave her an idea of what the room was for – odd, though that someone like him had one of those odd “shower” things.

Absentmindedly, Sakura placed a small hand on her shoulder, right where Kabuto had held her just scant moments ago. Her skin was still warm and a pretty blush spread across her cheeks. She suddenly found herself wanting to be near that man called “Kabuto,” but she had no idea why…

“My, you’ve got a big forehead, don’t ‘cha?”

Sakura woke up from her light doze with a start, turning to look at blue eyes and blond hair. For a second, she had thought it was that man again, from the auction house, until the softness of the sofa and the distinctly feminine voice came back to her. That was quickly followed by understanding what had been said and, on instinct, Sakura lashed out. “What would you know?” she sneered.

The blonde blinked, before a smile crossed over her lips. “But you’re definitely pretty and got yourself a bit of a tempered personality, don’t ‘cha?” She clucked her tongue before rubbing a hand over her stomach absently. The motion caught Sakura’s eyes and she looked, noticing the stoutness of the woman before her. “You’ll do perfectly for Dr. Yakushi, so long as you’ve got some sort of knowledge of medicine.”

“Of course I do,” Sakura said, her voice sharp, but with no malice. She was still eyeing the other woman’s bulging stomach.

Rolling her blue eyes, Ino grabbed one of Sakura’s slim wrists and placed it carefully on her stomach. “Yes, I’m pregnant and yes, that is the reason why the good doctor needs a new nurse to work with him. Now that that’s over with, can we go on?” Sakura shook her head meekly, unsure how to respond. “Good, now, I’m Ino and you met my husband when you came in. We both work exclusively for Dr Yakushi and, it seems, so will you. He’s an upscale doctor and his nurse needs to be just as presentable as he is. Understand?”

Nodding, Sakura took her hand away and placed it on her lap. “Of course. I’m going to be assisting that man,” she made a vague motion towards the room where he ran off to. Now, the flat was silent, save for the two woman’s voices. “And do whatever I need to, right? But I don’t have certification to be a licensed nurse.”

Ino chuckled, shaking her head. “Are you good enough to be a licensed nurse?” she asked with an elegant blonde eyebrow raised.

“Of course I am!” It was said quickly, but with no smugness or contempt – just pride and truth.

“Then that should suffice. We’ll figure out a cover for you – practical work as my junior, or something. Now, come on, let’s get you ready.”

Before Sakura could say anything, she was pulled up and dragged away into another room.

To Be Continued…