Icy heartstrings (Sasuke fanfic) COMPLETED

Ice vs sincerity

"A week," Shikamaru muttered. Temari tensed and Sasuke remained indifferent. Shikamaru rapped the table of the cafe they were at for breakfast to get Sasuke's attention.

"If you are trying to prove to me you can get girls to flock to you by just staring into space," Temari hissed through gritted teeth, "you proved it. Now pay attention!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned, facing the table. "You were saying a week."

"Yes." Shikamaru frowned. "A week before Mikiko's contract end."

"We must find ways to make her go to Konoha with us," Temari thoughtfully said. "Let's try."

"I'll go first," Shikamaru said. Temari nodded.

That night, before Mikiko's performance, Shikamaru tried. Mikiko wore a velvet dress that was long sleeved and the hem until her ankles. 

"Mizuyaki," Shikamaru said.

Mikiko grimaced. "Nara. I have a performance in five minutes and I need to be there."

"It'll just take a minute," Shikamaru tried. "We are friends."

"No," Mikiko disagreed. "We're accaquaints."

"Sure," Shikamaru forced a smile. "So as accaquaints, we look out for one another. So come toKonoha with us."

"No." Mikiko did not waver. "Tell me one thing about me, if you claim that you look out for me."

"Er..." Shikamaru racked his brains. "You favorite color is.... black?"

"Wrong." Mikiko walked round Shikamaru and past the corridor. 

So friendship doesn't work.

Six days left and Temari tried. She saw Mikiko walking around the village and caught up with her.

Mikiko sighed. "You Konoha ANBUs again. When will you all just leave me alone?"

"When you agree to go with us," Temari said. "Our hokage wants you in our village. You must understand."

"I don't." Mikiko answered. "I have never meet your hokage before in my life."

"Your parents knew the fourth hokage," Temari said.

"What does that got to do with me?"

Temari sighed. "Our hokage has the kyuubi sealed in him. His parents had both died when he was just born. When our hokage found out about his parents and met them in his subconscious, he wanted to create a bond with them."

"And that bond was nothing to do with me."

"Listen!" Temari growled. "The hokage, Naruto, wants to link with his parents. Your parents were his parents friend. Do you think Naruto doesn't want you in the village his parents gave their life protecting?"

Seeing that Mikiko was softening, Temari said, "You don't have to help with your cousin's investigation if you don't wish to."

If Mikiko had been softening, she hardened again. "He is not my cousin." With that, Mikiko walked away.

So reasoning doesn't work either.

With five days left, Sasuke tried.

After Mikiko's concert, she unlocked her room door and walked in. Sasuke barged in and slammed the door shut.

Mikiko glared. "This is my room. Go to your own. I'm sure you have another woman waiting."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow. 

Mikiko sighed. "Get out."

Sasuke darted forward and Mikiko backed away until she hit the wall. Sasuke was uncomfortable close to her. Sasuke's eyes flashed red. Mikiko stared. The red eyes never left hers.

"Go with us to Konoha," Sasuke said. "Aren't you tired of being chased and leaving in fear?"

"Fear," Mikiko defiantly said. "Is my middle name."

Sasuke scoffed and in a puff of smoke, he disappeared. Mikiko gasped and slid down the wall, hyperventilating. Those eyes... It made Mikiko feel that he could see into her very soul. Almost as if he knows about the pain of losing family.

That night as Mikiko slept, a hooded figure teleported into her room. The figure's glasses glinted in the moonlight as he walked to Mikiko. Yes, he could feel it. The trademark Mizuyaki healing chakra. That healing chakra in Mikiko herself.

The figure was very weak. He needed to be healed. He wasted his last few chakra fighting those hunter nins that were after him. At least those nins were killed. Killed so they couldn't tell anyone that they know where is Yakushi Kabuto.

Kabuto smirked and stopped beside his cousin. His right hand rested on her forehead and there was a purple glow. Instead of using his medic skills to pump chakra in Mikiko, the purple glow represented him draining her chakra.

After all, Mikiko doesn't need her chakra, Kabuto thought, feeling his wounds heal. She would be a great medic... If she knew how.