Disclaimer: same as previous.

Momento Mori

It was both a blessing and curse when Sakura decided it would be a good idea to take the bus instead of grabbing a taxi. The blessing was that it saved them all money; the curse, well let's just say public transport wasn't such a good idea when one looked like they were trying to sell their body. Well sell his ass in this case. The shirt, which he was glad for, was at least covering the upper part of his body. He wasn't sure what'd happen if his nipples were showing because it was bad enough the women on the bus was looking at his bottom half like they've been starved for a better part of two weeks. He had wedged himself into the window seat and pulled Sakura into the seat next to him. Sai would have to find himself another seat because he didn't trust him at the moment either. Not when the teen kept licking his lips like there was no tomorrow.

He shuddered and his hand unconsciously touched the scar that marred the left side of his neck. The almost intricate weave of the ridged tissue ran from midway down his neck until it reached his collar bone. He'd had these scars along with the six whisker marks on his face ever since he was ten but he could never for the life of him remember how he had gotten it. It was almost like one of those horror movies, wherein he woke up one day in the hospital with a large pad of gauze stuck to the side of his neck and tiny little bandages on his face, and the wooziness that came with large amounts of blood loss. He'd tried asking Iruka, his guardian at the time, but the man simply clammed up and gave him a comforting pat on the back. The words 'It's better that you don't remember' were whispered into the silence and that had been the end of that.

The nurses had been nice enough when they removed the bandages but Iruka hadn't been able to afford plastic surgery, so he had been left with the scars. He'd felt numb when he stared at them and he was sure Iruka had cried when he wasn't looking. At first it was hard to get used to and the tingling – not unpleasant, but it was enough to unsettle him – did little to help; however, as time wore on he hardly paid it any mind and it was always covered. Very few have seen his scars and he was sure when he had gotten out of the changing room today no one noticed. Everyone was too busy staring at the rest of him to care and he was glad.

He absently fingered the slave collar and he could almost say he was glad that it was wrapped around his neck. At least then no one would be able to see much of the scar. Sighing a little, he snuggled further against the side of the bus and pouted.

“How the hell did you convince me to do this?”

“Oh come on, Naruto,” Sakura chided, eyes reflecting the glowing and glistening lights of the street. “Live a little.”

He scoffed. “You try living a little when everyone's treating you like a piece of meat.”

“Stop sulking.” Sai's bedroom voice wafted by his left ear and a skitter of shock down his spine. Had he mentioned that his scars were highly sensitive even though they didn't tingle twenty-four seven anymore?

“Don't do that!”

“Do what?”

“You know what, you ass!”

“Do I?”

“Sai!” he growled in warning and would've throttled his ex if not for the fact that Sakura had pressed the 'Stop' button and was forcibly pulling him to the door. “Sakura!”

“Will you two quit it! We're here!”

And he found himself met with the blazing red letters of Momento Mori.