Redemption |complete| (SasuSaku)

New Theory

As he walked to the pub, he thought of Sakura. He felt frustrated at himself for playing with her like that, especially after yesterday and what she pulled off to get him to make her happy. When she did that, he felt like he was about to just give up and give her what she wanted but he somehow found the strength to mess around with her a little bit more. It was a harmless game between them at tis point but for Sasuke there was something else.

Even this morning, he had to focus on Naruto to make sure that he wouldn't just loose control. He didn't want to loose control like he did around her and if that meant avoiding to do this then he would. He had to keep himself composed all the time from now on.

He felt like there was always something new to face in their relationship and this obstacle was the weirdest one in his opinion. He had gone through his entire life without it but now that he had it once, it felt like something he needed and it made it hard for him to push her away.

He saw a waving Naruto from far away. Sasuke joined him and they walked into the pub. Naruto ordered the drinks.

"Alcohol? It is not even lunch time."

"Business talk means alcohol talk. So listen, when I was in the Hokage office, the intel team showed up. They were talking about Kotaka."

"This man will haunt me for the rest of my life. What is it with him? Did they find something?"

"Yes. Kakashi wanted to tell you after your wedding... but I thought that you'd be mad so I'm gonna tell you. They found out that he was part of a certain LB group."

"LB you say?" the flashback of the abandoned city came back to him. "I know them. They deal with illegal things, apparently bodies."

"Where did you meet them?"

"In the abandoned city. I heard of them and when I tried to find them, they were gone. I need to talk to Sakura about it, maybe she knows more. She went on a date with Kotaka."

"Ohhh I see why you two don't like each other now."

"It has nothing to do with this. Anyway, what else did they find out?"

Naruto related everything he had heard while the two were drinking and Sasuke was quickly on his way back to the room to talk to her. The alcohol was affecting his brain a little but he still managed to repeat the words he wanted to tell her in his mind. If Naruto was right then it meant that he would need to command an attack on the Land of Birds.

He opened the door and found her reading on the sofa.

"Back so early?"

"Hn. Can I ask you something?" She put the book down and tapped the pillow next to hers. He sat down and rested his elbow on his lap. "It's about Kotaka."

She sighed. "Him again? What is it?"

"He's part of a group called-"

"LB. I know, Ino told me yesterday. I was planning on telling you tonight."

"I heard that name before. It is an organization. When I went to the abandoned city, I acted like I was looking for work. A man told me that a group named "Lb" was hiring. They needed someone to transport bodies. When I went to the address he gave me, they weren't there anymore."

"You think that they knew about you?"

"I don't think anything. I didn't see them at all during that week. All I know is that Lb reminded me of Land of Birds. What did Kotaka tell you when you were on that date?"