My Weakness
chapter 1
"Namikaze! Namikaze!"
"Yes, Mr. Sarutobi?"
"Go order us some lunch from that ramen shop down the street."
"Yes sir." Minato Namikaze walked out of Mr. Sarutobi's office and then walked to the elevators to go down to the street. He worked at Suna Inc. held in a 10 story building. Minato's boss was the CEO of the Western Division and his office was on the tenth floor. The ramen shop called Ichi's was three blocks away and eight blocks from the center of the large city called Konowa.
When Minato walked into Ichi's he was assaulted by the most amazing aromas known to mankind. A young lady looked up from the table she was cleaning and said, "Just a minute. I'll be right with you."
"No problem," Minato whispered as he looked at the beautiful young woman. Her red hair was long and pulled away from her face in a ponytail.
"So how many?" she smiled.
"Huh?"
"How many are going to be joining you?"
"Oh. No, I'm here to place a takeout order for six."
"Oh. Let me get my pen. You can wait at the bar if you like."
"Thank you." The girl hurried off to get her pen and Minato wandered over to the bar and sat down. The girl came back with pen and paper. Minato gave her his order and waited for it to be made. Several minutes later the girl came back holding several items. She gave them to him and he paid for it all. He took the items and headed back to the office. The girl watched him leave, smiling to herself. He sure was good looking with that semi-spiky hair and blue eyes. Such beautiful blue eyes.
Minato knocked on Mr. Sarutobi's office door. "Come in."
"Mr. Sarutobi lunch is here."
"Thank you Namikaze. Have you finished those reports asked for?"
"Yes sir. I just need to proof read them one more time."
"No need. Bring them to me."
"Yes sir." Minato left the lunch on Mr. Sarutobi's desk and went just outside to his desk and retrieved the reports. He placed the reports on the desk. "Anything else, Mr. Sarutobi?"
"No, that's all. You can go back to your desk and work on the product quality tests and reports."
"Yes, sir." Minato left the room, closing the door behind him and went to his desk to finish the product quality reports. The phone rang and Minato picked up the eat piece and answered the phone. "Suna Inc. Hiruzen Sarutobi's office. How may I help you?"
"Yes I am Biwako the CEO of the Eastern Division. Is Hiruzen available?"
"He's having lunch. Can I take a message?"
"No, just tell him I called. He should call me back by three though."
"Yes Ma'am. I'll tell him and make sure he calls you. Is there anything else?"
"No."
"Then have a wonderful day."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Good bye Lady Biwako."
"Bye Mr. Namikaze." She hung up.
Minato buzzed Mr. Sarutobi through the intercom.
"Yes."
"Lady Biwako called and said to call her before three today."
"That all?"
"For now, yes sir."
"Thank you. Please remind me to call her in thirty minutes."
"Yes sir."
Thirty minutes later Minato buzzed Mr. Sarutobi again and reminded him to call Lady Biwako. Mr. Sarutobi and Lady Biwako were co-CEOs of the entire Suna Inc. Company. The buildings they held office in were on opposite sides of the city. The secret was that Lady Biwako and Mr. Hiruzen were married. However, Minato was the only person in the entire world that knew that outside of their family.
Minato was a simple administration assistant and secretary. He was young but was very proficient, a genius some of the other employees called him. He was only 19 and the Boss's right hand man. Although, his appearance would suggest that he was a juvenile delinquent with his spiky hair. His blue eyes were kind, intelligent and at times mischievous. Minato's daily routine was to make the coffee in the morning, work on idea reports while answering the phone when it rang, get lunch for the boss, himself, and the top four employees, work on product reports, make sure all reports were proof read at least three times and make sure corrections were made, schedule appointments with buyers and other important clients, and on occasion reprimand those in error.
He was a busy man but he loved it. Although he had little time off for friends and family much less anything romantically inclined, but he wanted it that way until recently when he saw that young lady at the ramen shop. She was beautiful with her long red hair and dark blue/gray eyes and sweet smile. Her figure was nice too. He needed time off for lunch so he could eat at that ramen shop so he could get to know her better. Man that girl was gorgeous! So his boss let him have an out of the office lunch break three times a week and he would go to Ichiraku's Ramen shop to see that girl.
Several weeks later, Minato walked into Ichiraku's Ramen Shop. A young pink haired woman walked up.
"Table or Booth," she asked.
"Uh booth please," Minato answered.
"You haven't been here in a while. Your boss not letting you have a lunch break?"
"No. We've been having lunch meetings the past few weeks so we had lunch catered. Do we know each other?"
"Oh, no my friend mentioned a nice looking blond with blue eyes come in a few times. You're blond and have blue eyes so I just assumed it was you she was talking about."
"Oh, am I the only one with blond hair and blue eyes in this city?"
"I wouldn't know, I just got back from my honeymoon."
"Well Congratulations."
"Thank You. What would you like to drink?"
"Tea, please."
"Coming right up."
While the young lady went to get his drink Minato heard a commotion towards the back. The red headed girl that took his takeout order the first time (the one he likes) came around the corner from the area where there are a few more secluded booths. Two older men came right behind her. They were talking and making a lot of noise. The red head girl laughed at what one of the guys said. Then Minato notice that the girl's hair was loose and flowing down her back. It was held away from her face with a single hair pin on the left side. She had turned around to face the two men to say something when one noticed Minato staring at them. He leaned down to whisper the news in the girl's ear; she stiffened then turned to look. Upon seeing Minato she walked over.
"Hi. Eating alone?" Minato nodded. "Can I sit with you?" He nodded again. The two men went to walk out; one called over his shoulder toward the kitchen telling someone goodbye, and then they were gone.
When Minato had built up enough courage, he said, "Your hair…"
"Oh, it's down because today is my day off and those two brought me here for lunch. They are so funny, my friends. What are you doing here? I haven't seen you here in a while."
"Oh, uh… Work. We had meetings during lunch so we catered."
"We do catering sometimes. I've always been off when they did though. Party poopers."
"Here's you tea sir. Sorry it took so long," the pink haired woman said as she placed his drink down in front of him. "Need anything, Kushina?"
"Nope."
"What will you have today sir," the waitress asked.
"I'll have a bowl of the house special. Ramen."
"You got it."
"Hey get me some too, Mrs. Haruno," Kushina shouted as her friend walked toward the kitchen.
"You said you didn't want anything," Haruno shout back.
"Changed my mind."
"Come get it yourself."
"No. It's my day off."
"Fine." A few minutes later the waitress came back with two hearty bowls of ramen. "Didn't my husband already buy you lunch," Mrs. Haruno asked.
"Yeah. So?"
"Man you love that ramen don't you, Kushina."
"Yep sure do. Doesn't everyone?"
"Not everyone," Minato stated.
Kushina stared at the man in front of her. His eyes held the tiniest hint of sadness when he said that. She knew better than to ask him about it but she wanted to so bad. Minato stared at his ramen for a while waiting for it to cool off a little. When he tasted it he could feel a smile tug at his lips. Kushina stared at him as they ate; which was tricky while eating her own ramen too. She smiled at the smile on his face as it got bigger with each bite. He looked up at her and saw her smiling with a noodle hanging from her lips.
"You have a noodle hanging out of your mouth," he told her.
She laughed and said, "I sure do." They sat there eating and talking until it was time for Minato to go back to work. He smiled for the rest of the day.
