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The bar was loud and heavy with the scent of alcohol and burnt oil from the kitchen in the back. Laughter echoed from the tables pushed close together, drinks clinked, and voices overlapped in slurred conversations. It was one of those places that never really closed, only that it got quieter as the night pressed on.
In the far corner, tucked away in a private booth lit by a single overhead lamp, Kuro sat across from an older woman.
She had long dark brown hair that was neatly combed over one shoulder, the ends brushing against her chest, while one eye was completely hidden behind her hair. A pair of silver earrings dangled from her ears, catching the light when she moved. And despite the dense alcoholic smell floating through the air, the sweet and musky perfume she wore was strong enough to cut through it.
She wore a sleek white slim dress that clung tightly to her figure, the fabric was thin and silky as it traced the curves of her body. Her boobs pushed out, almost unnaturally perfect, just barely kept in check by the neckline of her dress.
Kuro, on the other hand, had on a simple black sweater over a white tee, paired with dark pants and plain black shoes. Still, the moment he caught his reflection in the window beside their booth, he couldn't help the small wave of regret that hit him.
'I wasn't sure what to wear... but I feel underdressed,' Kuro groaned inwardly, tugging at his sleeve.
Rina sat with her legs crossed, one arm resting casually along the back of the booth, the other cradling a short glass that was filled with alcohol. She swirled it gently, her eyes slowly taking him in with a small smile playing on her lips.
"I was a little surprised when you didn't call me," she said.
Kuro shrugged, leaning back against the leather cushion. "I didn't have time... I would've. Eventually."
The corners of her lips curved higher, but she didn't push the subject. Instead, she raised her glass, took a small sip, and set it back down. "Well... I'm glad you came.."
He glanced away for a moment, then back at her. "So am I."
"But, quick question…" Rina said, tilting her head slightly as she leaned in across the table, her tone just a touch more curious now. "I've been trying to call you for the past few days. Every time I tried, it went straight to voicemail."
Kuro raised a brow. "I was on a mission," he replied simply, picking up his glass full of orange juice and giving it a lazy swirl.
Her eyes squinted for a brief second, before she blinked it away. "Hmm… now that you mention it, I think my coworker said something about that."
Kuro's lips curved into a slight smile as he leaned back. "Still, how'd you even get my number? I never gave it to you."
Rina scoffed softly, raising her glass. "Don't flatter yourself, kid. But let's just say…I have my ways," she said with a smirk before taking a slow sip.
Kuro chuckled. "Just admit it. You're a stalker," he teased, narrowing his eyes playfully as he rested his chin on one hand.
Rina set her glass down, her red-tinted lips curling into a half-smile as she rested an elbow on the table, her cheek leaning into her hand. "Please," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "If I wanted to stalk you, you'd never even know I was there."
Kuro snorted. "That supposed to impress me or scare me?"
"Whichever one makes you behave," she replied, raising one brow slightly.
Kuro leaned back in his seat slightly, the glass of orange juice cool against his fingers as he brought it up to his lips. He took a slow sip, his eyes not leaving hers.
"I'll be honest," he said, setting the glass down. "I like a woman who takes charge... but the thing is, I'm not exactly the type to follow. So unless one of us is willing to back down... this might get complicated."
Rina didn't flinch. In fact, her lips curled into a slow smirk. Her eyes stayed locked on his like she was sizing him up. "Mm," she hummed, her gaze dragging over him as she leaned forward just an inch. "Then I guess we'll see who bends first."
"Excuse me," the waiter said, stepping up to their booth with a polite smile, a notepad in hand. "Have you both decided what you'd like to order?"
Rina turned her head, her expression shifting effortlessly into something more polite. "Yes, I'll take the miso salmon with sautéed greens on the side," she said smoothly, before glancing back toward Kuro. "And a refill on my drink, please."
The waiter nodded and scribbled it down. "Of course. And for you, sir?"
Kuro scanned the menu briefly, then closed it with a soft snap. "Grilled chicken skewers, rice, and the miso soup," he said, setting the menu down beside him. "And just water."
The waiter smiled again, giving a small bow of the head. "Got it. I'll be back shortly with your meals."
As he turned and walked off, Rina let out a small breath and leaned her cheek into her hand. "Where were we?" she asked.
After a few more minutes passed, the conversation between Kuro and Rina started to feel more comfortable, even.They leaned in closer without realizing it, their words flowing more naturally, without the need of holding back out of politeness or nerves.
Rina had a way of tossing her hair to the side when she laughed, her fingers brushing against the rim of her glass, her eyes flicking to his between sips. Kuro matched her energy without trying too hard, throwing in a couple of jokes that made her laugh behind her hand.
Then, just as Rina was in the middle of telling him a story about a drunk Chuunin walking into the wrong mission briefing, the waiter returned.
"Here we are," the man said with a practiced smile, carefully balancing two plates on his arms. He lowered them gently onto the table, one was Rina's steamed salmon against the greens, while the other was Kuro's chicken skewers placed beside a bowl of miso soup and rice.
"Hope everything tastes good," the waiter added, stepping back with a nod before heading off to the next table.
Kuro leaned back slightly, taking in the sweet smell of grilled meat and broth, then glanced at Rina. "Guess this place isn't so bad after all."
Rina smiled as she adjusted the napkin across her lap. "I told you I knew a good spot."
Rina reached for the fork resting beside her plate, sliding it smoothly into the soft flesh of the salmon. The knife in her other hand parted the fillet with ease, steam rising from the pink center as it flaked apart. With a small piece balanced carefully on the tip of her fork, she extended her arm across the table toward Kuro.
"Here," she said, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "Try it."
Kuro didn't hesitate. He leaned forward and took the bite straight off the fork, chewing thoughtfully for a moment. The rich, buttery taste lingered on his tongue.
"Hmm... not bad," he muttered, giving a small nod of approval.
But then he reached for one of his skewers, still warm and glazed from the grill, and took a bite. The charred edges cracked just slightly before giving way to tender meat inside. His expression shifted immediately.
"Now this," he said with his mouth half full, "this is way better."
Rina raised a brow, clearly unconvinced. "How are skewers better than salmon?" she asked, like the words offended her personally.
Kuro shook his head, grinning a bit. "Sometimes the least fancy stuff just hits harder," he said, tapping the skewer lightly against his plate.
"Here, try it," Kuro said, holding the chicken skewer out toward her with a slight tilt of his head.
Rina let out a soft sigh, her eyes flicking from the stick to his face. "Fine," she muttered, feigning reluctance, though there was a hint of curiosity in her voice.
She leaned in.
Just as her lips parted and her teeth sank into the meat, Kuro's eyes narrowed just for a fraction of a second. That's when he saw it.
A black seal almost unnoticeable, inked across her tongue like a brand.
Kuro didn't blink.
He didn't let his expression shift, not even slightly. His posture stayed relaxed, his lips curling into a faint smirk as if nothing was off.
"Mmm… this is actually good," Rina said, chewing thoughtfully before taking a sip from her drink.
Kuro let out a quiet hum, resting his elbow on the edge of the table as he leaned back slightly in his seat. But inside, he was shitting bricks. 'SHE'S A PART OF THE ROOT!'
What did a Root member want with him?
Kuro kept his eyes on her, but his mind was practically spinning. He hadn't done anything that would make him a threat, at least not on purpose. Sure, he'd taken down a Chuunin… but that had been more luck than anything. Still, to the outside world, it probably looked suspicious. The weakest Genin in the Corps suddenly defeating a Chuunin? That kind of jump wasn't exactly normal. But still, that shouldn't be enough to make him that suspicious
If Root operated anything like how they were shown in the series, then this woman sitting across from him was nothing but trouble wrapped in perfume.
'But if that's true… why not just drag me off and interrogate me the old-fashioned way?' Kuro thought, keeping his face steady as he watched her swirl the drink in her hand. 'Is she trying to get close to me?....'
Kuro bit the inside of his cheek, 'I don't like this one bit.'
"Is there something on my cheek?" Rina asked, her fingers gently brushing around the corner of her lips.
Kuro blinked, then let out a small chuckle as he leaned back into the booth. "Nah... you just look sexy," he said, slipping the words out casually before regaining his composure with a quick sip of his drink.
Rina paused mid-motion, then laughed softly as a light pink flush warmed her cheeks. "Oh, stop it…" she said, rolling her eyes, but the smile lingering on her lips gave her away.
There was a small beat of silence between them before Kuro leaned in just a bit, resting his forearms on the table. "So, can I ask why you called me?"
Rina tilted her head. "You should already know," she said, voice calm but firm. "I don't know if it's because you're young or just a little dense, but when a woman makes the first move… it means she likes you."
Kuro let out a short scoff, the corner of his lip tugging into a faint smile. "You like me, huh...? But you don't remember me, do you?"
Rina's expression shifted instantly. Her smile disappeared and was replaced with a brief flicker of confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"You really don't remember? That day I turned in a D-rank mission, the one about the missing cat. You were the one at the desk and you told me about the evaluation test coming up."
There was a sudden long pause.
Rina's eyes rolled back slightly as her thoughts drifted, combing through dozens, maybe even hundreds of faces and names she must've seen in her time behind that counter. The silence stretched for a moment too long before her eyes suddenly widened.
"W-Wait… you're that kid?!" she said, the words bursting out before she could stop herself. She was loud enough to make the table next to them glance over.
Rina blinked a few times, still trying to process the realization. Her mouth opened, then closed again as if she had something to say, but nothing came out at first. She leaned back against the booth seat, one hand brushing her hair behind her ear as she let out a soft, almost embarrassed laugh.
"I kinda see the resemblance..." she muttered, a small smile tugging at her lips. " But you look so different though...."
Kuro chuckled under his breath. "Really? I changed that much."
To Kuro, he didn't think much had changed. Sure, he felt a little taller and maybe his muscles had gotten just a bit bigger since the last time he looked in a mirror. But it wasn't anything that big of a difference, that it should make him unrecognizable.
'But what's her game plan here…? Is she trying to seduce me?' Kuro wondered, letting a grin creep across his lips as he leaned forward just slightly.
"Is that a compliment?" he asked, eyebrow raised.
"It's whatever you want it to be," she said, her lips curling into a sly smirk.
He shook his head with a light chuckle. "Guess I should say thanks then."
"You should," Rina said, lifting her glass and taking another small sip. The rim of her cup hovered at her lips for a second longer before she gently placed it back down on the table. "You weren't really my type before... but now? I don't think I'd mind."
There was a pause, just long enough before she leaned in even more, showing down her cleavage.
"So... how about we take this back to my place? Be honest, are you a virgin?" she asked, as if the question was as casual as asking for the time.
Kuro froze for a second, his eyes flicking toward her, trying to figure out if she was messing with him. But the way she stared back, told him she wasn't joking.
He sat back in his seat, running a thumb along the rim of his glass as he kept his cool.
He couldn't help but feel like there was something off here. The way she spoke, the timing, the boldness of it all, it didn't feel right. If Root had even the slightest suspicion of him, they wouldn't waste time playing games. Danzo wasn't the kind of man who gave chances, especially not to unknown variables like him. That much he remembered from the show. If there was even a sliver of suspicion... Root would've already tried to kill him.
If this was some sort of test, it wasn't the usual kind.
Her trying to seduce him didn't feel like something Root would normally do. That wasn't really their way of doing things. 'Unless… she just wants a slice of this cake,' Kuro thought, the corner of his mouth twitching into a small grin.
Considering his past life being a soldier, traveling practically everywhere, he'd seen it all. If he wasn't on the battlefield, he was laying down some pipe with whatever woman caught his interest. Different places, different languages, but he always learned something new. Experience, in more ways than one, wasn't something he lacked.
So if this was some kind of trap… he honestly wouldn't mind going out like this.
"Yes, I am, in fact," Kuro said casually, a small smirk slipping across his face.
Rina's lips curved wider, almost like she was pleased with his answer. "Then let me be the first," she said, grabbing hold of his arm and pulling him out of the bar.
. . . . .
If you're curious about what happens next, when things really start heating up between Kuro and Rina. Where beds are broken, moans echo off the walls, and Kuro lays down pipe like a certified plumber on overtime...
Then you'll want to check out the full scene over on my P@treon.
Warning: Contains graphic nudity, ungodly stamina, and scream-level orgasms.Viewer discretion is strongly advised… especially if you're somewhere quiet.
You've been warned. 😏
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