Hello, I'd like to tell a story.
This is a story that I've had in my head for a very long time. I just haven't found the time to write it. But thanks to an app on my iphone, I wrote this on the train.
I had a hard time trying to figure out who's the stars of this story are. So I flipped a coin and came up with Naruto and Minato. But since Naruto figures into the story more and that wherever Naruto is, Hinata isn't far behind, I say NaruHina. I might just change the markers later but that's what I'll go with now.
The Impossible Car Dream
Head accountant Namikaze Minato was looking through the account books of his company, Foundation Inc. It's tax season and he had to prepare all of the records to be audited. It was a tough job doing all of the taxes for an entire company, but with his team under him he could do it.
As the accountant plowed through the records, Minato noticed a discrepancy. So he did the math again and again. But he kept coming up with the same answer. 15.9 million dollars was missing. That may seem a lot to a person but to a company that makes billions it was hardly a drop in the bucket. Even so, Minato had to double check.
"Rin." Minato called out to one of his accountants.
"Yes sir." Nohara Rin answered as she walked over to her boss's desk
Minato handed her a stack of papers. "Rin, check out these forms. I think I did the math wrong here."
Rin gasped. "You sir?" She asked incredulously. "In all of the time I've worked for you, you have never made a mistake. "
Minato laughed. "Well Rin, I am human. I do make mistakes. I just want to make sure that everything is right before I send it up to the boss. Take Kakashi and Obito with you and work through those records."
"Yes sir." Rin agreed. She called over the other two accountants and they got to work.
The three junior accountants crunched the numbers. A few minutes later, they came up to Minato.
"Minato-san." Hatake Kakashi began. His even tone permeated the office. We found a discrepancy in the numbers.
"A discrepancy." Minato sighed morosely. "How much?"
"We are missing 15.9 million dollars." Uchiha Obito told the senior accountant.
"15.9 million huh." Minato closed his eyes and huffed. "Just like I found."
Rin noticed the look on Minato's face. He was worried. "What's wrong, sir?"
"I am trying to figure out why we are missing that large of an amount." Minato wondered aloud.
"Maybe a department in the company didn't file the tax forms properly." Kakashi suggested.
"Maybe we are just missing something in the math." Rin offered. "Or maybe we misplaced a file. "
"Or maybe someone is embezzling from the company." Obito joked.
Minato stood up at full height, startling his team. "Obito, don't even joke about that. Embezzlement is a serious claim. Until we've exhausted every other possibility, we won't even consider that."
Obito mumbled an apology.
Minato sat back down. "Now everyone, go to every department and request that they re-file all of the necessary tax forms.
The three junior accountants nodded and got to work.
The open road. It's a beautiful thing. It's even more beautiful now that he's in his dream car, a red Ford Mustang. The top's down. The radio is blaring. He can feel the engine purring. Now to shift gears. Fourth gear. Now, we are getting somewhere. 100 miles per hour. This is living. This is awesome.
Namikaze Naruto woke up. That sucked. That was a nice daydream. What was he doing before he spazzed out? Oh yeah. He was in class, taking his AP Math final. He looked to his left and saw other students scribbling furiously. He looked to his right and saw other students blanking out. The blond looked down and saw his nemesis. His nemesis was looking back at him sneering at him, laughing at his misery. Oh how he hated his nemesis. Looking back, Naruto wondered why the hell he took AP math anyways.
And this test was important. If he didn't pass, he was screwed. Not only would he have to attend summer school, but his father wouldn't get him the graduation present he promised. But most importantly, all of the work that he and his girlfriend had put into studying these formulas would be wasted. That hurt much more because it would feel like he wasted her time.
Naruto took a deep breath and looked down again. The test looked like a massive jumble of lines, letters and numbers. With a quick prayer to the heavens, the blond finally began his test.
Two and a half hours later, Naruto had completed the torturous final. Afterwards, he cursed the man who invented calculus and his descendants to a well deserved hell. The blond thanked whatever power from on high helped him get through that final...unless he failed, in which case they can go to hell too. With his final finished, Naruto headed to the cafeteria. The only thing that can help him forget this excruciating soul-crushing test was a hot bowl of ramen.
When he entered, the blond saw a familiar back profile. This person had long, shimmering black hair and, in Naruto's humble opinion, a very nice waistline. Naruto smiled. He loved admiring his girlfriend's form.
Naruto snuck up on her. He was about to put his hands over her eyes when...
"Good afternoon Naruto-kun." The girl said.
Naruto grinned. "Aww, no fair Hinata." He said in a mock whine. "It's like you have eyes in the back of your head."
Hinata turned around and gave Naruto a smile. "How was your test?" She asked.
Naruto let out an exasperated sigh. "Awful. It's like all of the studying we did made no difference."
Hinata took Naruto's hand. "I'm sure you did well on the test, Naruto-kun. I believe in you."
Naruto smiled. She has so much faith in him.
Hyuga Hinata, Naruto's girlfriend for almost two and a half years. In essence, they were polar opposites. Where she was shy, he was outgoing. Where she was timid and quiet, he was loud and boisterous.. And yet, they balanced each other perfectly, which is probably why they've been together for so long.
"Hinata, I think I flunked." Naruto moaned theatrically. "Why do the heavens hate me?"
Hinata resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "The heavens do not hate you."
"Then why would they allow an unholy creation like calculus to exist?" Naruto mock whined.
Hinata smirked. Once again her boyfriend was over-blowing things. "Naruto-kun, I know you passed. I have faith in you."
Naruto smiled and hugged his girlfriend from behind. "Oh Hinata, you are so good to me."
Hinata became as stiff as a board. When it came to public displays of affection, Hinata always balked and withdrew into herself...at least in the beginning. Just like starting a car in winter, all she needed was time to warm up. And Naruto was all too willing to provide.
Naruto nuzzled Hinata's neck with his nose making sure to gently blow hot air on her nape. This action made Hinata shiver in delight.
"We shouldn't be doing this here." Hinata stuttered. However, her body betrayed her thoughts.
Naruto saw this and smirked. "Your body is more honest." He whispered against Hinata's smooth skin.
"Naruto-kun, there are people watching." She mumbled feeling a little less forceful.
The blond would have continued his play. However, a heavy fist landed on his head dropping him on the floor. Naruto didn't even have to turn around to know who did that.
"Damn, Sakura what was that for?" He grumbled against the cold floor.
Hinata turned around. Standing above the sprawled form of her boyfriend were two seniors and Naruto's friends, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. These two have been Naruto's friends since they were babies.
"I don't want to see you taking advantage of Hinata, Naruto." Sakura growled, her voice laced with righteous anger.
"I'm not taking advantage of my dear Hinata-hime." Naruto said, sticking his tongue out at Sakura. "And if you don't want to see me make out with my girlfriend, then don't watch."
Sakura was about to hit him again when Sasuke caught her arm.
"Don't bother, Sakura." Sasuke said coolly. "He's just trying to get your goat."
Sakura relented and sat down opposite of Naruto and Hinata at the cafeteria table. Sasuke joined her soon after.
"So you finished AP Math, dobe." Sasuke asked, his even tone belying the mocking undercurrent.
Naruto bristled. He hated when Sasuke called him that. But then, the blond remembered the test. "I think I bombed." Naruto bemoaned. "I don't know why I took AP Math in the first place. I'm never gonna use what I learned outside of school."
Hinata patted Naruto on the shoulder. "I'm sure you passed with flying colors Naruto-kun."
Naruto looked at Hinata and started crying sloppy, melodramatic tears. "Hinata at least you believe in me unlike these savages." He sobbed theatrically.
"Hinata is your girlfriend, Naruto." Sakura snorted. "If she doesn't believe in you, you have a problem."
"You better hope for your sake that you passed, dobe." Sasuke replied. "Otherwise you won't get your graduation gift."
Sakura looked at Sasuke in confusion. "What graduation gift?" She asked.
"Naruto's father had promised to buy a car if he passed all of his classes with an A." Sasuke explained
"So that's why you've been studying so hard this year." Sakura mused. "I have to say that I've been impressed with your work ethic throughout the year."
Naruto turned to Hinata. "Hinata, I need your help. Can you come over my house and help me study for the history test tomorrow?" He pleaded.
Hinata smiled. As if he needed to ask. "Of course, Naruto-kun. I am happy to help."
Naruto's eyes lit up in joy. "Oh thank you Hinata." He said as he hugged the lithe body of his girlfriend causing her to blush. "You are the best girlfriend in the world."
That statement plus the hug made Hinata faint, to the amusement of everyone at the table.
Minato and his team went through every account for that year. And yet they came up with the same number every time, 15.9 million. He could deny it no longer. Someone was embezzling from the company.
"Sir." Rin asked. "What should we do?"
"Make copies of the records." The head accountant ordered. "I am going to speak with the boss."
The three junior accountants nodded and got to work. Minato, however, took his findings and placed them in a binder to take to the boss.
Minato walked a bit nervously to the CEO's office. It wasn't because he was afraid of the man or that he was a nervous man in particular. It was because he was about to make a serious accusation, one that could have serious ramifications.
Minato knocked on the door.
"Enter." A voice inside commanded.
Minato opened the door and let himself in.
Before him sat a very grave man. At 52, the man was heavily wrinkled. He had lost his left eye in the war and covered it up with bandages. Even still, he had an aura about him that demanded respect. This was the man that ran Foundation Inc, Shimura Danzo.
Danzo looked up from his work. "Ahh Namikaze." He greeted cordially. "Please take a seat."
Minato did what he was told.
"How can I help you, Namikaze?" He asked in a genuinely concerned voice.
"Shimura-san." Minato began. "It has come to mine and my department's attention that there are discrepancies in the financial records of this company."
Danzo's face betrayed nothing. "What kind of discrepancies?" He asked
"Sir, we can't find 15.9 million." Minato told his boss.
"That is a serious accusation you are making." Danzo answered. "Are you absolutely positive?"
"Sir, we have been looking through the records all day." Minato explained. "We have not been able locate the money."
Danzo sighed. "What happens now?
"I would like to take this year's returns and have them verified by an independent office. If we can do that, we can find the discrepancies." Minato suggested.
Danzo thought about it for a moment. "So be it." He agreed.
Minato bowed respectfully. "Thank you, sir."
Naruto and Hinata were in Naruto's house eating dinner prepared by his mother, Namikaze Kushina.
"Damn mom." Naruto said as he stuffed himself. "Your food is amazing as always."
Kushina hit Naruto over the head with a soup ladle. "Manners." His mother roared. She then turned to Hinata, who at least had the decency to put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. "Honestly Hinata. I don't know how you can put up with my son." She said with a smirk on her face.
Hinata smiled. "Naruto-kun is a really a great guy." She said.
Naruto smiled back at his girlfriend. "See that's why I love you, Hinata."
Hinata blushed. Kushina smiled at their interaction. Hinata was always a delight to have around. She balanced her son out quite nicely.
"Naruto-kun was right." Hinata said softly. "This food is delicious, Namikaze-san."
Kushina guffawed. "Please don't call me that." She waved her hand in mock embarrassment. "You'll make me feel old. Call me Kushina or mom."
Naruto's face heated up. "Mom." He yelled in embarrassment.
"Oh please." Kushina laughed. "Considering how close you two have been getting, I wouldn't be surprised if my son proposed to you someday."
Naruto and Hinata sported matching blushes. Any further embarrassment to these two was spared when the door opened.
"Hey guys." A voice called out to them. The three people in the dining room turned around towards the front door.
"Hey, Dad." Naruto called out to him.
"Namikaze-san." Hinata bowed from her seat.
"Welcome home, honey." Kushina greeted.
Minato walked into the dining room ruffled Naruto's hair, patted Hinata on the shoulder and kissed his wife.
"So how was everyone's day?" He asked.
"I took my math final today." Naruto told his father.
"And how do you think you did?" Minato asked his son.
"Uhh." The young blond groaned.
"Namikaze-san, Naruto-kun passed with flying colors." Hinata answered for her boyfriend.
"That's good to hear." Minato smiled. "Remember our agreement. If you get all A's, I'll buy you a car."
"Now I really hope I did good." Naruto sighed.
"I know you did Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled at her boyfriend.
Minato placed a friendly hand on Hinata's shoulder. "I am so glad that Naruto has a girl like you in his life." He said.
Hinata blushed. "Thank you, Namikaze-san." She mumbled.
"Please call me Minato." He asked her. "Namikaze-san is way too formal."
"Oh no. I couldn't." Hinata responded, waving her hands in a flustered manner. "It wouldn't be polite."
Kushina sidled up to her husband. "Don't bother, Minato." She sniggered. "She won't stop being formal with us until she marries Naruto."
Both Naruto and Hinata blushed. "Mom." Naruto yelled indignantly.
Minato and Kushina had a laugh their son's expense.
After dinner, Naruto and Hinata went to Naruto's room to study for their history finals. Kushina made them some snacks and left them to their work. She then headed to the study where Minato was busy toiling over some papers. Not wanting to disturb him the red haired woman knocked on the door.
"Come in." Minato answered.
Kushina opened the door and let herself in.
"Is something wrong?" She asked.
Minato tossed his pen on the stack of papers and sighed. "Someone from the company is embezzling."
Kushina gasped. "That's awful." She whispered. "What are you going to do?"
"Well I just sent some papers to a forensic accountant that I trust." Minato explained.
"Then what?" She asked.
Minato rubbed his face with his hands. "I don't know." He told his wife.
"What do you mean you don't know?" She asked, a little angry that Minato was indecisive.
"What if it's the boss?" Minato told her.
Kushina sighed. No wonder Minato was agonizing over this decision.
"Minato." Kushina whispered. "You know what the right thing to do is."
Minato exhaled a cleansing breath. "I know." He told his wife. "But if it is, I will probably be fired. I might even get blackballed."
Kushina wrapped her arms around her husband. "You know I'll love you either way right?" She asked. Minato nodded. "But you need to do the right thing. You always tell Naruto that he has to be prepared to do right even when it is hard. Now you have to lead by example."
Minato smiled and put his hands over her arms. "You're absolutely right." He told his wife. "But let's be prepared for the very worst."
Kushina kissed her husband's temple.
Naruto was happily walking to school when he saw it. It was the car of his dreams again. The Ford Mustang. It was calling out to him and, like the siren's song, he couldn't look away. The blond could just imagine himself in that car.
No! Focus, Naruto, he told himself. Today was his last final and he was feeling confident. They had gone over everything that was going to be on the test. And if he passed this, then maybe this would offset the bomb on the AP math final. Okay, time to pass the final.
When he walked through the doors, Naruto felt someone grab his hand.
"Naruto-kun." The voice grabbing his hand said. "Come quick. The AP Math test scores have been posted."
"Hinata." Naruto whined. "I don't want to see how badly I bombed."
Hinata ignored it and instead pulled him over to the bulletin board where the grades were posted.
"Look." Hinata told her boyfriend.
Naruto closed his eyes. "I don't want to see. "
"But Naruto-kun, you posted near the top." Hinata said.
"I don't believe you." Naruto whined childishly.
"Have I ever lied to you?" She asked.
Naruto opened his eyes. He had to admit that Hinata was right. She had never lied to him. Taking a deep breath, Naruto looked at the grade postings. At the top of course were Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata with perfect scores. Next was a couple of people he knew from class. And seventh from the top was his own name.
"93." He whispered, not trusting his own voice. "I got a 93."
Hinata smiled. "Now do you believe me?" She asked.
"I got a 93." He whooped at the top of his lungs.
"Namikaze-san." A teacher shouted. "You need to be quiet. Finals are about to begin."
Naruto shrunk at the admonishment. "Sorry." He said.
Hinata smirked. "You have one final left." She reminded him. "You are going to pass that one too."
Naruto grinned. "Can I get a good luck kiss?"
Hinata blushed. "But Naruto-kun, there are people around."
Naruto pulled out the puppy dog eyes. "Please Nata." He whimpered like a dog wanting a treat.
Hinata sighed. She could never resist him whenever he called her Nata. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck Naruto-kun." She whispered.
Naruto frowned a bit. "That's not a good luck kiss." He told his girlfriend. "This is a good luck kiss."
Naruto gently placed one of his hands behind Hinata's head and the other in the small of her back. He pulled her in as he leaned forward and kissed her soundly, making sure to pass his tongue across her lips. Afterwards, he pulled back thoroughly satisfied, both by the kiss and the fact that Hinata was blushing.
"Now that's a good luck kiss." He smirked. "With that, I can pass my history final."
He walked to the classroom, leaving a very flushed Hinata in his wake.
Minato was standing outside the door to his boss's office. The forensic accountant had called last night and confirmed his suspicions. Someone was embezzling money from the company.
Taking a deep breath Minato knocked on the door.
"Enter." A voice from behind the door called out to him.
There was a bit of hesitating but Minato put his hand on the handle and opened the door. He let himself in.
Minato saw his boss Shimura Danzo, going through papers. But the CEO was not alone. There were two men standing next to him. One of them was a white haired youth with glasses. But it was the other person that unnerved the blond accountant. The only way to describe that man was that he looked like a serpent.
"Thank you." Danzo said to the two men. "You may go now."
The two of them bowed politely and saw themselves out. The serpent looking man stopped briefly to smirk at Minato before leaving.
"Come in, Namikaze." Danzo motioned at the chair in front of the desk. "Sit down."
Minato took a seat, feeling very nervous with Danzo's eye on him.
"Sir." Minato began. "I've been going through the records again and found the same anomaly. I can say with confidence that someone is stealing from the company."
Danzo sighed. "Namikaze." He said. "I want you and your team to forget about this."
Minato was shocked. "Excuse me, sir."
"Do not report this and change the books so that the money isn't recorded." Danzo told Minato.
"Do you understand what you are asking of me?" Minato asked. "You are asking me to lie and cook the books. These are serious crimes. I'd be committing fraud and perjury."
"No one has to know." Danzo answered. "That amount is small enough that no one will realize that it is missing."
"It's you." Minato was shocked. "You're the one stealing the money."
"If you do it, I'll make it worth your while." Danzo bargained. "A large bonus for your team and for you, it's double."
"Sir!" Minato exclaimed. He couldn't believe that his boss was trying to bribe him.
"Plus, I know your son is about to graduate high school." Danzo reminded Minato. "I'll buy your son a car and pay for his college tuition. All you have to do is to keep quiet."
Minato twitched in anger. Danzo crossed the line using his son as a buttress against his morals.
"How dare you use my son's affections against me." Minato said in a low voice. "The answer is no."
"So be it." Danzo said. There was no malice in his voice, no shock, nothing. It was like he expected that. "You're fired."
Minato knew this was going to happen. He accepted his judgment with grace. He left the office only to be beset by the two men.
"We'll need those papers that you took home." The man who looked like a serpent said in a rather serpentine voice. "Those papers are the intellectual property of Foundation."
Minato sighed. Of course they would want their incriminating papers back. The blond accountant handed them over without a fight.
"We will be escorting you to your desk to collect your stuff." The man with the glasses told him. "Then, you will be escorted out of the building."
Minato didn't say a word. He did as he was told.
Naruto and Hinata were walking to Naruto's house. The blond was in very high spirits.
"I know I aced the history final." Naruto said gleefully. "And it's all thanks to you, Hinata.
Hinata blushed. She was never good at taking complements, especially from Naruto.
Naruto grinned. "It's because of that fantastic kiss before the final that got me through it."
Hinata blushed harder. "Naruto-kun!" She squeaked.
"Now imagine if we did it before my AP Math final." Naruto mused perversely. "I would have gotten a perfect score."
Hinata blushed so hard, water would have evaporated as soon as it touched her. As it was, she was trying to remain conscious. Naruto grinned at Hinata. It was just too easy to tease her.
They arrived at his house and went inside. There, they saw a curious sight. It was Naruto's dad sitting on the couch and looking like the world fell down on him. His mother was sitting next to him trying to console him.
"Dad." Naruto called out to him. "What are you doing here so early? Shouldn't you be at work?"
Minato sighed. Then he looked at Hinata. "Hinata can you go to Naruto's room for a moment? We need to have a family conversation."
The look in Minato's eyes told Hinata that whatever they were going to discuss was very serious. Without a word, Hinata went upstairs to Naruto's room. Naruto also recognized the seriousness in his father's voice. With great hesitation, the young man made his way to the living room. He took a seat across from his father.
"What's wrong, dad." He asked.
Minato was a bit reluctant about saying anything, but with some gentle encouragement from his wife he was ready.
"Naruto." Minato sighed. "I just lost my job today."
Naruto was stunned. It took him a while to process the information. "You lost your job." Naruto repeated.
"Yeah." Minato answered morosely.
Naruto nodded grimly. "What are we going to do for money and food and stuff?"
"Well, I still have money in the bank." Minato answered. "We can live off of that while I look for a new job. But money is going to be tight for a while."
"Dad, I understand." Naruto sighed.
"It also means that I can't buy you that new car for your graduation." Minato sighed.
Naruto shook his head. "Dad, don't worry about it." The young blond told his father. "It's more important that this family gets through this than me having a new car."
A small smile crept along Minato's face. What a considerate son he raised.
"And if there is anything I can do to help dad, just let me know." Naruto added.
Minato grabbed Naruto's hand and pulled him into a hug. Soon after, Kushina joined them. He was so happy his family was so understanding.
"Thank you, Naruto." Minato inhaled sharply in order to prevent himself from crying. It was times like these that he was grateful for his family. They were going to get through this. With a family like his, how could they not?
Naruto walked into his room to see Hinata reading a book on his bed. She saw her boyfriend enter the room and noticed that he had a faraway look on his face.
"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" She asked.
Naruto said nothing. Instead he just plopped on his bed.
"Naruto-kun?" Hinata whispered.
Naruto rolled over and placed his head in Hinata's lap. A light dusting graced her face when he did so. But it passed when she saw he look in his face.
"Hey, Hinata." Naruto finally spoke. "Can you stay tonight?"
"I will have to call father so he knows where I am, but I don't see a problem." Hinata responded.
"Thanks." He answered. "Give me a minute and I'll tell you everything."
She smiled down at him. "Take all of the time you need."
Naruto told her about his father losing his job and the sacrifices that their family would now have to endure because of it. Hinata said nothing. She just stroked his hair in an effort to convince him that everything was going to be alright.
Later on that night the family plus Hinata had dinner. One would think that because of what had happened earlier today that it would be a quiet and somber dinner. However that couldn't be further from the truth. There was laughter and merriment. Truly a kodak moment.
Naruto saw it the car of his dreams. It was a shiny red mustang. A sleek 300 horsepower, 8 cylinder masterpiece, capable of hitting sixty in three seconds. And this mustang had a retractable roof. It was the perfect driving machine.
Circling this work of art was another masterpiece. It was his girlfriend, Hyuga Hinata wearing nothing but a purple string bikini. Such attire left almost nothing to the imagination. She stroked the car almost sensually and posed erotically with the driving machine. He had to admit that it turned him on.
Hinata crooked her finger towards Naruto, beckoning him to come hither. Naruto, hardly thinking with the brain in his head, obeyed. As he got closer the distinct smell of his favorite food. Hinata smirked turned around and bent over giving the blond a good look of her magnificent rear end. When she found what she was looking for, she got up and faced him.
"Oh good god." Naruto mumbled. "It's a bowl of ramen."
Ramen, cars, and Hinata. What could be better?
Naruto devoured the ramen. When he was done, Hinata grabbed his hand and led him to the hood of the car. Then she laid down on the hood. The bikini clad woman took hold of his shirt and pulled him down so that Naruto was directly on top of Hinata.
"Do you want this?" She asked.
"Yes very much so." Naruto responded.
Hinata smirked. "Then all you need is one dollar." She told him. "You can have all of this for just one dollar."
Naruto grinned. "Do you come with the package?" He asked.
"Do you have a dollar?" Hinata asked a sensual smirk on her face.
Naruto went through his pockets and found a dollar. He handed the dollar to Hinata.
Hinata smiled. "Then this is all yours." She told him.
Naruto leaned in and kissed Hinata's lips. Strange though. Hinata's lips felt different somehow.
Naruto opened his eyes. He was no longer in that driveway.
The blond took a moment to take in his surroundings. Naruto was lying in his bed embracing his girlfriend. His arms were around her supple waist. Their legs were intertwined. The warm body next to him was tempting him back to sleep. However there was a problem. He needed to go to the bathroom. So the blond extricated himself from his girlfriend to take care of his bladder.
When he had finished, Naruto had slipped back under the covers, embraced Hinata again and went back to sleep.
"And it was amazing." Naruto told both his mother and his girlfriend. "It was the car of my dream and it was being sold for one dollar."
Kushina laughed as she handed her son another stack of pancakes. "Now that's wish fulfillment at its finest." She grinned. "Don't you agree, Hinata?"
Hinata nodded as she daintily cut up her pancakes. "I wouldn't be surprised if Naruto-kun went through the classifieds just to find a deal like that." Hinata and Kushina laughed at the joke.
Naruto stuck out his tongue. "And the dream got better." Naruto continued. He smiled at Hinata who looked at him with confusion. "You see, my leading lady was in it and she was feeding me ramen."
Hinata blushed profusely. "That's all I was doing, right?" She asked in a small voice.
Naruto weighed his options. He could tell her the truth and get a rise out of her. But if he did, his mom would hear too and she just might hit him. The cons outweighed the pros here.
"Yeah." He said. "Just the ramen. But you were the one telling me that I can buy the car for one dollar."
Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness." She mumbled to herself.
"You shouldn't believe him." Kushina told Hinata in a loud enough whisper that Naruto heard her. "If I know my son and men in general, he probably dreamed you were in a string bikini."
Hinata's face exploded in red. Metaphorical steam was whistling out of her ears. And Naruto was the same. His ears were red and he couldn't look his girlfriend in the eyes.
"Mom." Naruto complained.
Kushina laughed. It was just too easy.
Just then, Minato walked into the kitchen. Good morning, everyone." He said to everyone. Minato kissed his wife
Everyone said their good mornings to Minato.
"You want pancakes, honey?" Kushina asked.
"I'll take mine to go." He told her. I got to go find a lawyer for my case.
"Minato-san." Hinata said in a soft voice. "I can give you my father's number. He's a very experienced lawyer and he charges a very fair price."
Minato smiled. "Thank you, Hinata." He answered. "I would really appreciate that."
Hinata smiled back and politely asked for a pen and paper. She wrote down the business address and phone number. Afterwards, the white eyed girl handed the paper to the blond accountant.
Minato nodded in gratitude and headed out of the door.
With breakfast done, Naruto decided to look at the morning paper. He was looking for a summer job so that he could have money for college. As he scrolled through the classifieds and the want ads, the blond stumbled across a curious ad.
Car for sale
Ford Mustang
1 dollar
Inquire at 908 Dyre Ave.
Naruto read the ad again. It was still there. Then he rubbed his eyes again. Still there. Then he pinched his arm. That hurt. He read it one last time. The words were still there in that particular order. There was only one explanation. This was real.
"Hinata, mom, come here." Naruto shouted at the top of his voice. "I found something in the paper."
Hinata and Kushina rushed over to Naruto to see what the fuss was about. Naruto pointed at the ad. After reading it and reading it again they looked at Naruto who had an giant grin on his face.
"It's just like my dream." Naruto told them. "I can buy a car for one dollar."
Kushina sighed. She was going to have to burst her son's bubble. "Naruto, you shouldn't believe everything you read in the paper." She told him. "It could be a misprint."
Hinata's eyes were downcast. Kushina was right and she agreed with her. It could also be a prank.
But Naruto was adamant. "Come on you two." He cajoled. "Look at it like this. We go the place and ask about the ad. If I'm wrong I've wasted an afternoon. But if I'm right..." Naruto couldn't help but giggle.
Kushina gave her son a despairing look. On the one hand, it was a rather harmless adventure and Naruto looked so happy. On the other hand, she was setting him up just to fall and she didn't want to do that. But the look of happiness on her son's face overrode her good judgment.
"Alright Naruto, you win." She sighed.
Naruto whooped. "I'll go get dressed. I'll be out in five." With that, he ran back to his room to get dressed.
Kushina and Hinata exchanged worried looks. Naruto was setting himself to be disappointed.
The three of them headed to the address in the ad. When they got there they took in their surroundings. They were in a very good neighborhood filled with million dollar houses. The house they were at was probably the nicest house on the block. A two story, neocolonial house painted white a long driveway with a white picket fence. It was basically a dream house.
However, that wasn't what drew Naruto's attention. It was the car in the driveway. It looked exactly like the car in his dream, minus the ramen and the bikini clad Hinata. Naruto was salivating. It was perfect. The perfect color, the perfect shape, the perfect roof, the perfect tires, the perfect everything. And pretty soon, he knew that car would be his.
Kushina pulled up to the house and parked next to the driveway. She turned to Naruto who was sitting in the passenger's side. He looked like an excitable puppy about to go for a walk. In that moment, she didn't have the heart to burst his bubble.
When the car came to a complete stop, Naruto quickly got out. Hinata, a bit more reserved about the situation, got out more slowly. Kushina got out the car last, trying to think of something to say.
"Naruto." Kushina called out her son. Naruto turned around and saw his mother looking at him with worried eyes. "Are you sure that you want to do this?
Naruto nodded. "Everything will be alright." He convinced his mother. He waved Hinata over to his side. "Come on, Hinata."
Hinata gave Kushina an apprehensive look. The red haired woman nodded basically telling Hinata to go with Naruto.
Naruto and Hinata walked up to the door an politely knocked on it while Kushina watched from her vantage point next to the car. A few moments later, a woman with fading blond hair answered the door. Kushina watched as Naruto conversed the older woman. The woman then invited Naruto and Hinata inside her house.
Kushina was a bit surprised. She thought that Naruto would have come back and told her that the ad was a hoax or a misprint. She never would have believed that he and Hinata would have been invited in.
Kushina waited for Naruto and Hinata. And they appeared, ten minutes later. The red haired woman examined her son's face for any trace of distress. There was none. The curious thing was that he looked very happy. It was odd. Kushina looked at Hinata's face. She looked shocked and confused.
Kushina pondered the meaning of their looks. However, she didn't have to wonder long as Naruto bounded towards her.
"Mom, mom." Naruto shouted in unrestrained glee. "I got it. I got it."
Kushina's face scrunched up in confusion. "Got what?" She asked.
"I got the car." He whooped. "It's mine now."
Kushina looked to Hinata, who wore a stunned expression on her face. She gave her son's girlfriend a questioning look who returned it with an affirmative nod. Naruto immediately hugged his mom and laughed, jumping up and down like a maniac. He just gotten the car of his dreams.
Naruto ran over to the Ford Mustang in the driveway. He ran his fingers reverently over the body, taking the time to savor this moment.
"Hinata! Hinata!" Naruto called out to his girlfriend. "Come check out my new car."
Hinata obliged and went over to Naruto.
Kushina was confused. Who would give away a car for a dollar? She decided that it was high time to introduce herself to the owner.
She walked over to the middle aged woman who had a smile on her face watching Naruto and Hinata gush over the car.
"Excuse me." Kushina said in a clear voice, grabbing the woman's attention.
The woman turned around and smiled at Kushina. "You must be Naruto-san's mother." She spoke.
Kushina nodded.
The woman smiled. "Your son is such a polite young man. He is so well mannered. And the way he treats his girlfriend... he's such a gentleman."
Kushina smiled. "He certainly is."
The woman held out her hand. "Where are my manners?" She chuckled. "My name is Mana."
Kushina took the hand and shook it. "I'm Kushina. "You must forgive me but I don't understand." Kushina admitted. "Did you actually sell my son a car for a dollar?"
Mana nodded. "I know it's a bit hard to fathom but yes. I want your son to have it."
"But why?" Kushina asked. "Is there something wrong with it? Are the brakes shot? Is the engine dead?"
Mana shook her head. "Nothing like that. It's just a reminder of my husband."
Kushina furrowed her eyebrows. She looked at her son who was now in the driver's seat making car noises with Hinata in the passenger seat. Naruto was telling his girlfriend about all of the places that he will take her now that he had a car.
"Forgive me Mana-san, but I still don't get it." Kushina admitted.
Mana sighed. The middle aged woman turned to the red headed woman. "Do you mind if I tell you something personal?" She asked.
"Go right ahead." Kushina proffered.
"Well, to tell you the truth my husband and I are going through a divorce." Mana answered.
"I'm so sorry." Kushina apologized.
"Yeah." Mana sighed. "After twenty years of marriage, he's trading me in for a newer model."
"I don't know what to say." Kushina admitted.
Mana turned back to Naruto and Hinata. "Seeing your son, Naruto, and the way that he treats his girlfriend reminded me of the way my husband used to be." Mana sighed wistfully. "That's why I want him to have the car."
"But, is this legal?" Kushina asked. "Doesn't the car belong to your husband?"
Mana gave Kushina a secretive smile. "Actually the car belongs to me." The middle aged woman said. "If you don't mind me saying, my husband's kind of a tax cheat. He'll do anything to save a buck. One of the ways he does so is we file separate taxes. He bought the car and put it under my name so that he doesn't have to pay the sales tax for it. Legally it's mine."
Mana looked over to Naruto and Hinata who were now lying on the hood of the car. The scene made her smile.
"And now, legally, I am giving the car to your son." Mana smirked. "This was his favorite car. Giving it away will be a final screw you to my husband."
Kushina laughed. "Even though that is messed up, I have to hand it to you. Mana-san. That is pretty good."
Mana chuckled. "I'm just glad that the car is going to someone more deserving."
Naruto and Hinata walked up to Kushina and Mana.
"Thanks again for the car, Mana-neechan." Naruto bowed respectfully.
"Oh Naruto." Mana chuckled daintily. "Your mother has taught you how to sweet talk women. No wonder your girlfriend loves you."
Hinata promptly blushed while Kushina just laughed.
"Actually it was my dad who taught me." Naruto told Mana.
"Well, he must be a sweet talker himself." Mana said.
Kushina smirked. "You have no idea."
Mana turned to Naruto. "Well, ready to make this official?" She asked.
Naruto nodded eagerly.
Mana handed Naruto some papers and told him to sign his name in the appropriate columns. And since the blond was still a minor in the eyes of the law, Kushina also cosigned her name as well. Mana took the papers and handed Naruto the deed to the car.
"Now there's still the matter of payment." Mana told him.
"Oh yeah." Naruto remembered. He handed Mana a dollar.
"Well, enjoy your new car." Mana smiled and handed Naruto the keys.
Naruto whooped and took Hinata by the hand, leading them to his new car. "Mom, me and Hinata are going for a drive." He told his mother.
Kushina chuckled. "Okay, son. Be back by six and remember to obey the rules of the road."
Naruto and Hinata got into the car and once the engine was running started driving.
Kushina turned to Mana and bowed. "Thank you Mana-san. You have no idea how happy you made him."
Kushina got into her own car and headed back home.
Mana stood in the driveway smiling. "What a nice young man." She said to herself. "If only I were a couple years younger... But I don't have the heart to tear apart such a cute couple."
She chuckled to herself and ended back into her house.
It was weird, returning to his old place of employment. It was even weirder returning with his new lawyer, Hyuga Hiashi. But Minato endured the weirdness. After all he had a mission to complete.
They went over to the front desk receptionist. By some stroke of luck, Danzo was also there talking with her. It looked like he was engaged in some meaningful conversation with her. But when he noticed the two of the out of the corner of his good eye, the CEO turned around and frowned.
"You have some nerve coming back here, Namikaze." Danzo said in an even tone.
Minato was about to respond when Hiashi held out a hand. "My client doesn't need to explain anything to you." The lawyer said in an even tone. "We are just here to serve you some papers."
Hiashi opened his briefcase and handed Danzo some papers.
"What are these?" Danzo asked incredulously.
"Notifications of intent to sue." Hiashi said in the same tone.
"Sue? On what grounds." Danzo grounded out.
"Wrongful termination." Hiashi explained. "Plus, we plan on going to the authorities and telling them that you have been defrauding both your shareholders and the government."
Danzo looked hard at the two before them. Minato had a small victory smile while Hiashi looked at him stone faced.
"We will see you and your company in court. Good day." Hiashi said and led Minato out of the building like a triumphant hero.
Once they were clear of the building Minato cleared his throat. Hiashi gave his client his full attention.
"Thank you Hyuga-san." Minato bowed. "I don't know how I can repay you."
"Don't worry about payment." Hiashi told the accountant.
Minato was confused. "Why?" He asked.
A small grin crept a lot Hiashi's face. "Your son." He said in a somewhat less stoic voice. "He makes my daughter happy."
Minato grinned. "Hinata is a good kid and a good influence on my son."
"And vice versa." Hiashi told Minato. "I'm just glad that I can finally repay his family for my daughter's happiness."
Minato bowed again. "Thank you." He said in a respectful voice.
Mana was tending to the garden in the front yard. It was one of her favorite activities. All of the day's stress just seeped out of her as she weeded, planted, and watered the garden.
Mana could hear the familiar rumble of an engine coming into the driveway. It seems as though her husband has come home. The middle aged woman grinned. Oh won't he be surprised when he looks in the garage and finds out his precious car isn't there.
The engine stopped and the door opened. Mana didn't even bother turning around. She just went back to her gardening.
"This has been a real horrible day." She could hear her husband grumble.
"What's wrong, dear?" She said in a most sarcastic voice.
"You don't actually care." Her husband said. "And why are you here? I thought you would have moved out."
"My name is still on the lease and the divorce isn't final." Mana answered. "I'll be staying here until the judge decides who gets the house."
Shimura Danzo stood before his wife Mana, slightly annoyed at her passive aggressive behavior. But he wouldn't let himself get caught up in her game. That's what she wanted and he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.
"I don't have the patience to deal with your harping." Danzo told her in an even voice. "My former accountant is suing me for wrongful termination and the authorities are looking at my company as a criminal enterprise."
"I'm so sorry to hear that." Mana answered in the same tone.
Danzo didn't look at her anymore. "I don't need your false sympathy." He said. "I'm going out for a drive. I expect you to be gone by the time I get back."
Mana said nothing. She just smirked and returned to her gardening.
"What I don't understand is how Namikaze can afford Hyuga Hiashi. He muttered to himself. "Hyuga's hourly rates are more than what Namikaze makes in a month."
Danzo opened his garage. What he saw or rather what he didn't see shocked him. Where was his Ford Mustang? That car his pride and joy. Where is it? Immediately he thought of Mana.
"Mana?" Danzo shouted and ambled over to her in a hurry. "Where is it?"
Mana turned around and gave her husband an irritating smile. "Where is what?" She asked in a mock concerned voice.
"My car?" He answered his one good eye twitching. "My Ford Mustang?"
Mana chuckled. "Dear, you never own a ford mustang." She told him. "I own a Ford Mustang. Or rather, I owned a Mustang. The deed was in my name only and I can do with it as I will. And I sold it."
"You did what?" Danzo shook with fury.
"Sold it." Mana repeated. "To a nice young gentleman and his lovely girlfriend."
Danzo couldn't believe what he was hearing. Mana sold his car his car to some brat. And there was nothing he could do about it. Mana was right. The car was in her name which made it legally hers. To think that she would have the gall to do something like this...
"But don't worry." Mana told him, putting her hand on his chest. "I drove a very hard bargain."
Danzo could feel something between her hand and his chest. Danzo retrieved it with his hand.
"A dollar?" Danzo asked, not trusting his own voice. "You sold a priceless Ford Mustang for a dollar?"
Mana said nothing. Instead, she smiled at her soon to be ex-husband. He stomped off impotently into the house. With that, she returned to her garden.
Naruto was driving down the street in his new car. Sitting besides him was his girlfriend, Hinata. He couldn't help but smile. This was exactly like his dream. Well, there was no ramen and she wasn't in a string bikini, but all of the basics were there. He had the car of his dreams and the girl of his dreams. Life couldn't be better.
"What are you thinking about Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked sincerely.
Naruto gave her a brief smile before turning his eyes back on the road. "Today was such a good day." Naruto told her. "I got a car. I got you. Life is perfect."
Hinata smiled, leaning into her boyfriend as much as she could with her seatbelt on. "I guess dreams do come true if you believe hard enough." Hinata told Naruto.
Naruto grinned. "Yeah. I guess they do."
Naruto continued driving his girlfriend around enjoying both the ride and the company. It came true. His impossible car dream came true and he honestly couldn't be happier.
In the days to come, Danzo would have to fight many legal battles. Mana and her lawyer soundly defeated Danzo in the divorce hearing, entitling her to half of his net worth. He also settled with Namikaze and Hyuga on the wrongful termination suit. Then, the government sued the CEO for fraud and unpaid taxes. He lost that fight. But he was able to stay out of jail by paying fines on top of the settlement. His company forced him out of his business. It would be a long while before he would be back on his feet. As for his car, Danzo never learned who bought his car. If he did, then he would probably realize that Karma can be a total bitch.
Minato and his team were awarded a seven figure settlement by Foundation. After they were cleared of any wrongdoing, Minato and his team were quickly picked up by the publishing company that produced the Icha Icha series. It paid well and gave them a sense of job security. They were pretty happy with the new job.
Naruto loved his new car. He and Hinata drove everywhere with it. It was a dream come true.
Naruto never did learn who owned the car before him. If he did, he probably would have gotten an extra sense of enjoyment out of the vehicle. He also would have said that him owning the car was just the universe's way of rebalancing itself. In any case, he is happy. That's all that matters.
Well that's that.
This took a long time to write. But finally it is out of my head. And yes, I have no idea how to describe cars.
Loved it? Hated it? No strong opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review. I'd love to hear from you.
Till next time,
A. Angel