Chapter 5

Sasuke wanted to curse and pull his hair out.

'Why the hell did I do all that?'

Currently, he was driving his newly hired housekeeper back into town toward Akatsuki's main house. He was walking the few blocks back to his car after handling some business for Yahiko when he saw familiar pink hair. How he acted for the next hour was so out of character; he was concerned Sakura would expect him to always be so kind.

'She's sadly mistaken if so.'

"Don't tell anyone what happened today, got it?" He felt her big green eyes turn onto him but kept his gaze on the road.

"Afraid your buddies will make fun of you for treating me like a human being?" The woman's constant sarcasm ground his nerves to the bone, and now that she no longer looked like the crying protagonist in a television drama, it wasn't as easy to overlook.

"I'm fucking serious. Keep your mouth shut, Sakura."

She went silent, so he glanced over to see her nod with mild fear on her pretty features.

'It's too easy to scare her, and she's so bad at hiding it. The guys are going to eat her alive. I should've thought about that before offering to take her in.'

More than he was angry at himself for acting without thinking, he was confused because no person, male or female, had ever made him panic like that. They talked on the phone the other day, and then she began ignoring his calls and texts, so Sasuke knew Sakura wanted nothing to do with him. She was wise to feel that way, too.

Sure, he's never been rejected in his life, but if it was anyone else doing the ghosting, he'd have simply moved on rather than waste more time. No, the Uchiha man had a handful of Akatsuki's lower-ranking members searching Otogakure's colleges for pink-haired girls, only to come up empty-handed. If he hadn't run into her on the street earlier, he likely would've stopped by her place sometime today.

'And none of that is something I'd do. If anyone finds out, she may be targeted as a hostage.'

Again, the fact that he's only worried about her well-being when it's him who may be in trouble with Yahiko and Konan for hiring an unknown woman felt insane.

The man glanced at Sakura again, admiring how her messy ponytail somehow looked feminine and attractive, before quickly averting his gaze back to the road. Sasuke Uchiha feared he'd developed an obsession. Through the years, he experienced short-lived hyper-fixations on hobbies, music, or belongings, but never with a human being.

Before calling her the other day, he planned to determine if Konan's theory that the woman had been assaulted in the past was true but somehow found himself getting over everything she'd done within the few minutes of conversation they had.

'Whether it's true or not doesn't matter. I need to figure out what makes her different from other women before I go fucking crazy.'

"When we get there, keep your head down and don't speak. Got it?"

Sakura mumbled, "Why?"

He couldn't just come out and say that she'd agreed to work for one of the two most significant gangs in Otogakure, could he? "I'm paying you more than double what someone else would, so just shut up and do as I say."

A barely audible huff met his ears, and he gritted his teeth but didn't comment on it because she'd wordlessly agreed.

When they arrived, he grabbed her duffle bag and firmly held her hand in his while leading her up the steps to the massive house's porch.

"...Sasuke?"

He ignored her uncomfortable tone, "Quiet."

When they stepped into the house, he thought they might've lucked out because no one was in the den, but upon leading her up the stairs, they ran into Hidan, who was leaving his bedroom with nothing but a pair of boxers on.

'That's just great.'

His friend's eyes landed on her, then jumped up to him in disbelief. He hissed, staring at Sakura again, "What the hell is she doing here? Do you have a fucking death wish?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed when he felt the woman unconsciously move slightly behind him. The unfamiliar protective emotion that swept over him wasn't welcome, but it also wouldn't go away just because of that.

"Mind your own damn business."

He opened the door across the hall from Hidan's room, glancing at the woman and ordering, "Wait in there." She nodded, accepting her duffle bag and silently entering the room, closing the door once inside.

Turning to face Hidan again, Sasuke threatened him, "Keep your mouth shut until I get a chance to tell Yahiko."

"Who the fuck do you think you're talking to, Pretty Boy?" The men came chest to chest, both glaring and brimming with inflated egos.

Eventually, the Uchiha sighed, stepping back to run a stressed hand through his tousled hair, "Just let me talk to him first, okay?"

Hidan leaned against his own bedroom door, arms crossed as he tilted his head with narrowed eyes. In case Sakura was trying to eavesdrop, he whispered, "What's going on? First, you pissed Kakuzu off by starting a fight with the bitch. Then, you were mad she tried to fuck you and stalked her. Now, you're trying to move her in? This isn't like you, Man."

Sasuke's brow twitched, glare flaring up again, "She's the first one to put up a fight, so I want to take my time and have fun with her."

It was a half-lie.

It was true that he didn't intend to give up trying to bed the gorgeous woman, but he didn't ask her to come home with him solely for that reason. Honestly, he didn't plan ahead and acted recklessly. If he didn't tell everyone she was just a plaything, things would become much more complicated than they already would be.

Hidan sighed, rolling his eyes, "Well, good luck. If Yahiko doesn't kill you, then Itachi will."

The door he leaned against opened, and a slender hand grabbed his wrist. A distinctly feminine voice spoke, "What's taking so long? Come back to bed."

The silver-haired man smirked at whatever woman was inside before glancing at Sasuke again, "See you later if you survive." Then he disappeared into his room again, the sound of a woman's surprised squeal barely muffled by the thick wooden door.

Sasuke turned to face his own bedroom door, closing his eyes and taking a calming breath before going inside. Sakura didn't even set her bags down, standing in the middle of the room and surveying the dark space. She looked his way when he shut the door behind him, still not speaking.

'And she looks like a shivering little bunny again.'

"I need to run an errand, so just hang out in here til I get back," he took his watch off, tossing it onto the messy desk by the dresser before nodding at her, "Quit being so damn awkward, will you? You're putting me on edge."

Sakura swallowed nervously, looking around the room again, her face pale, "...Should I be worried?"

'Why's she asking? There's no way she hasn't picked that up on her own.' He wanted to scoff and chastise her for asking such a stupid question, but his mouth went dry when she met his eye again.

Looking away, he rubbed the back of his head and glared at the floor, "You'll be fine; just don't leave the room while I'm gone." Without another word or glance her way, he turned and left the room.

While descending the steps, his hands clenched into fists, jaw clenching angrily, 'It happened again. It was a mistake to bring her here, but I can't take it back now. Hidan already saw her, and if I sneak her out and suddenly change the plan, she'll want to know why.'

Yahiko, Konan, and Kakuzu were in the kitchen, the latter cooking something and the other two sitting at the dining table looking at something on the leader's laptop screen.

No one bothered looking up or greeting him, but he had no choice but to get the uncomfortable conversation out of the way. Grabbing two beers from the fridge, he looked down at them before returning them and opting for the tall bottle of whiskey from the shelf above the appliance.

Then, he leaned against the kitchen counter, eyes trained on the couple that leads Akatsuki, "So, Konan, remember how you and a few of the others said it'd be nice to have a maid a while back?"

All eyes in the room turned onto him, the blue-haired woman immediately understanding the situation, "Don't tell me you-" "I already hired her."

Yahiko said, "Without first gaining permission? Surely, I don't need to tell you my thoughts."

Sasuke nodded, "I get it, but hear me out first. She'll cook and clean, and I'll take care of her wages personally."

The couple shared a look before Konan stood and walked around the table with a suspicious expression, "And what might this maid's name be? You seem awfully eager to have her around."

The man sighed, admitting in a less confident voice, "Sakura. I don't know her last name."

A loud thump came from behind him, and he closed his eyes because he'd already expected grief from Kakuzu, whether or not the leaders accepted the woman.

"What are you playing at, Uchiha? It's bad enough I had to fire her, but now you want to trap her in this lion's den?"

"Who is this Sakura to you?" Yahiko asked, standing as well. His fingers twitched by his side as he came closer, making the hairs on the back of Sasuke's neck stick up.

'He has at least one gun and knife.'

Konan gasped before narrowing her orange eyes into a glare, "She's not the woman from the alleyway, is she?"

Sasuke stood there with a face that properly emoted his loss for words.

The woman groaned, covering her eyes with one hand, "Damn it, Sasuke. What's gotten into you lately?"

The leader glared down at him, voice lower and more threatening, "I forbid it. Tell her not to come."

Sasuke stood his ground despite being incredibly on edge. Three murderers surrounded him, after all. "She'll sign a contract," he met the leader's glare with a resolute stare, "As the member responsible for over twenty percent of the family's earnings in the past year, I request you make an exception this time."

Yahiko's brown eyes narrowed, "Say I allow it. What will you do when she betrays us? Will you prove yourself disloyal?"

"If she betrays us, I will personally take care of things. You have my word."

The two men stared one another down in silence for a very long, tense moment before the taller one took a single step back, sighing, "Very well. I'll have Nagato draft an employment contract this evening. Send him any details you may have discussed. When will she arrive?"

"She's already in my room."

"...I advise you to reevaluate your ability to make sound decisions in the near future," Yahiko said in a deadpan voice, running a hand through his hair while returning to his seat at the dining table. Holding back the strong urge to sigh with relief, Sasuke headed for the exit, only to be stopped again. "Don't let something like this happen again."

Glaring ahead, he nodded before heading for the stairs.

~

'What was I thinking? That man is dangerous, and I know that, but I came into this house willingly! Sakura, why? Why! Why! Why!'

Sakura walked around the large bedroom, inspecting its details while also being too afraid to sit or touch anything. She was trying to learn all she could about Sasuke.

So far, she'd learned that he preferred dark colors like burgundy, navy blue, and black. He also had studying materials spread messily over the large desk that seemed to revolve around business management and related topics. Besides that, the man's room was tidier than expected and lacked real personalization.

'He's a private person, I think. That's not surprising. Those that bark the loudest have the most to hide.'

The door to the room opened suddenly, making the woman yelp in surprise, whipping around to see Sasuke shoot her a look that said whatever errand he'd just run wasn't something he enjoyed. "Sit," he barked while gesturing to the bed.

'...He doesn't expect me to…?' Terror washed over the woman, and she took a step back, trying to devise a plan of escape though he stood between her and the only exit.

He lifted a brow, "It's clean if that's what you're worried about."

With no way out, Sakura sat on the furthest edge of the bed, green eyes trained on the imposing man.

He leaned against the desk, taking a sip out of a liquor bottle that she somehow only just noticed, "Some rules. Don't break any of them. You don't want to find out what'll happen."

He held out the bottle, offering it to her. When she lifted a palm to turn it away, he shrugged, taking another sip before continuing as though reading a list he found uninteresting, "You'll be responsible for maintaining all public spaces. If anyone asks you to enter their room for any reason, get my permission first."

Sakura nodded, still too nervous to speak.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he stood straighter, "You are not to speak to anyone about anything you may overhear or see, no exceptions."

"The way you're talking, it's like an NDA," she jokingly said, trying to keep herself calm.

"That's exactly what this is. You'll be signing one."

Her blood ran cold, and she stood, brow furrowing, "Sasuke, what exactly-" "Don't ask questions you know I'm not going to answer. That's another rule."

"You just made that one up, didn't you?"

"Make at least one meal a day throughout the week," he completely ignored her question. "If you don't know if you're allowed to do something, ask me. If I'm not around, you can ask Itachi. If neither of us are available…. That shouldn't happen, so it's fine."

Feeling less in danger because he obviously wouldn't force himself on her, Sakura stood, reaching for the bottle while overwhelmed. Sasuke handed it over, smirking when she tossed back a huge mouthful with a wince.

Being sincere for a moment, the woman's eyes watered up, and she asked, embarrassed to admit her fear, "It's…dangerous for me to work for you, isn't it?"

He glared, but it faltered after a moment, and he nodded, "If you don't want it, then you can leave, but once you sign that contract, there's no backing out. I said I'd have your back, and I meant it if that helps."

For the next two hours, Sasuke showed her photos of people and made her memorize their names while giving her a little bit of knowledge that may be needed for each. Before long, it was dark outside, and the Haruno woman was exhausted after the emotional rollercoaster she'd been on today. The fact that they'd passed the whiskey back and forth meant they were both a little drunk, too, which didn't help.

"You weren't fuckin' kidding, were you? You're fallin' asleep sitting up!"

"You're more casual when you're drunk, did you know? You're not as serious."

The man smirked at the red-faced girl while leading her to the room right next door, "This is technically Zetsu's room, but he's never slept here, so you can use it."

Sakura shook her head, "I don't want to sleep in some random guy's room!"

He flashed her a grin, "You can sleep with me, then."

Nervous and annoyed, she snatched her duffle bag from his hand and stepped inside, frowning when he snickered, "You're too easy to fuck with, Babe."

"Don't call me that," she dropped her bags near the bed and looked around, "Can I shower?" After waiting for her to grab a change of clothes, Sasuke took her to the bathroom at the end of the hall, thankfully leaving her alone for the night when she shut the door in his face.

As the shower warmed, Sakura removed her clothes, frowning at her reflection. There were many scars, most from her ex-boyfriend losing his temper. 'But the worst one is….' She turned, pulling her long hair over her shoulder to see a collection of freshly healed cuts between the shoulder blades and the small of the waist.

~Flashback~

"What did you just say?"

Sakura was visibly trembling in fear but clenched her fists and stood her ground, "I-I said I'm breaking up with you. I want you to leave. ….Now."

The handsome man was frozen for a moment before laughing, tilting his head to the side, "What a weird joke, Saku."

"I'm not joking! Please get out!"

The warm act the man was putting on disappeared, and he quickly closed the distance between them, roughly gripping a handful of the woman's hair, "Why do you keep making me do this? You promised to be the perfect girlfriend, remember?"

She tried and failed to pry his fingers away from her hair, crying, "That was years ago, and I wouldn't have if I'd known you'd treat me this way!"

He shoved her to the ground, "Who is he?"

Sakura scrambled away, a hand to the aching part of her head where he'd pulled her hair, "Wh-What?"

"I said, who is he? The guy you're cheating on me with. Tell me his name so I can fucking kill him."

"You're insane! I'm dumping you because you're abusive, not because there's someone else." Stumbling to her feet, Sakura glared, "If you don't leave, I will. It doesn't matter what you do to me. I'm not going to change my mind."

'I've suffered enough. It's been four years.'

Suddenly, the front of her shirt was grabbed, and he was in her face, hissing, "You want to leave? Then leave. No matter where you go, I'll find you."

Then she was thrown straight through the large window behind her, landing in a pile of broken glass on the lawn with wide, stunned eyes.

~End Flashback~

With a terrified shiver, Sakura climbed into the shower, 'That's right. Even if he's dangerous, Sasuke's willing to sign a contract saying he'll protect me from that type of thing. If that man does find me, Sasuke will be there, right?'

It doesn't matter to Sakura if she has to take care of a house full of men full-time while also going to school. She didn't even care if their line of work was scary, as she theorized because her safety from her past was the only thing that mattered.

'I'll do anything if it means he won't lay another finger on me.'

So, she officially met a few of Sasuke's housemates and colleagues the following day.

A thin, serious, red-haired man named Nagato worked as an attorney and reviewed the employment contract with her, Sasuke and his boss also present. Yahiko was the scariest person Sakura had met in a long time. He was unbelievably stoic, with dozens of piercings and a fierce glare that didn't leave her the entire time they were in that office. After signing the papers and leaving the room, it was like she could breathe again.

'At least it's an annual contract, so if this doesn't work out, I'm only stuck for one year.'

Afterward, she realized a few men there, including Sasuke, attend the same college as her. It was a little comical, her coming face to face with Sasuke and the couple named Deidara and Sasori, only for all four of them to freeze in complete bewilderment. Sakura was the first to overcome it and quickly walked around the trio with a pale face and a sense of dread.

The thought that'd gone through her head at the time was, 'I'm not going to have a moment to myself for the next year, am I?'