Windy Days
Pain is like the wind: it can knock you down and blow you away. But, in the end, you're the one that's going to choose whether you're going to fight it or let it push you down. Naruto X Sakura. Kakashi X Anko. Alternate Universe. Part 4/4 of Days Series/Saga.
Chapter One: In the Life of...
HMH Magazine: Office of Anko Mitarashi, Editor and Chief
"Tell me what you got." Anko Mitarashi leaned coyly into her seat and asked into the receiver.
/Well, Soleil's manager, Shikamaru Nara has just been engaged to Ino Yamanaka of Yamanaka Flowers./ The voice replied from the other end of the line. /They're planning to have a very private wedding in Nara, Japan. Soleil is supposed to fly there in a couple months./
"Finally, we can change the Naruto—Ino intrigue. Now, we know that it really was a love triangle between Shikamaru, Ino and Naruto." Anko gushed. "This is really good news. And the band is supposed to have a concert next month. Get Kakashi to go with you to take pictures at the concert."
/Will do. I'll let him in from the back./
"How much money do you want for this?" Anko said shrewdly. "Is the usual enough for you?"
/It should do./
"Okay, so that's fifteen thousand and if you can get me at least three pictures, I'll bump it up to fifty thousand. And, if I can sell some of the reject pictures that Kakashi takes, I'll give you five percent of those profits." Anko dipped back into her chair, the phone tucked between her ear and shoulder. "You're really out-doing yourself. I can't help but think of how well this plan of yours really worked."
/Thank you, Mitarashi./
"How many more stories can you get me?" Anko watched as Kakashi entered her office.
/Just a few more and I'll have enough./ the voice said before hanging up.
"Good." Anko smiled to herself.
"You called me?" Kakashi asked. "What do you want, Mitarashi?"
"I need you to take pictures at Soleil's next concert in New York next month." Anko grinned. "Go on now, Hatake."
"Fat-chance that's happening," Kakashi turned away. "Get somebody else."
"I'm paying you to do this, and if you don't you'll find yourself living on the streets. I'll black-list you from every company in this city if you don't do as I say!" Anko began to lose her patience. "So, what will it be?"
Kakashi rounded her desk and sat on a corner. He looked her in the eye. Anko met his challenge head-on and glared at the man before her. It wasn't her fault, she told herself; it wasn't her fault that he chose her to be his employer. If he wanted to work for a patsy business, he was free to do so, but if he wanted to work for her, he had to sell his soul to get the story.
"If that's the case, I'll do it then." He smiled and pulled off the desk and grabbed his camera. "How many copies should I make of the pictures I got in the Hyuga wedding?"
"It's up to you, Hatake." Anko spat. "Just get out."
Kakashi looked at the dark-haired woman before him and smiled sardonically.
"I wonder how long it will be before you call me by my first name again." He stated.
Anko jumped out of her seat, pushed him out of the spacious office and slammed the door behind him. She had to send in the stories for Konoha Press in half an hour.
XXXX
Shikamaru had a lot of work to do. Since his vacation back to his hometown was extended two weeks to spend time with Ino and his folks, he was behind in his work. Of course, having Ino finally agreeing to marry him made him the happiest of men. Although, it did not help him now that he was a week behind on Chouji's build up for the band, and Soleil had a concert in a month. He hadn't even purchased his ticket for New York yet. And there was still some stuff on the tabloid magazines, namely HMH Magazine, about the band, and none of the stories were flattering. HMH even learned of his escape back to Japan. This time it said that he was taking time off because of the fact that Ino was now primed to marry Naruto and he was just a bitter ex-fiancé. He had wondered how it all happened, how the notorious magazine got his picture while he was out drinking with his buddies.
But, after some research, Shikamaru was sure as to who had been leaking information about the band. He immediately picked up the phone and dialled Lee's number. He picked up right after the first ring.
/Hello?/ Lee's chirpy voice answered.
"Lee, I need to talk to you about Sakura." Shikamaru said seriously.
/What about her?/ Lee's voice became serious as well after hearing his manager's tone.
"I think that she's leaking out information about Soleil to HMH Magazine." Shikamaru stated lowly.
/I got her background checked way before we had our concert at Albert Hall. And there was nothing out of the ordinary about her./ Lee said in defence. /Trust me, Shikamaru, Sakura is a good person. She would not unwittingly hurt a person./
Shikamaru couldn't hurt his friend, he couldn't hurt Lee by forcing his speculation on the poor bassist without hard evidence. So, the band manager backed off. If Lee was sure that Sakura wasn't the one leaking information, then who was? He needed to find the rat and burn him alive. Shikamaru Nara didn't like being played with, especially by a low life snoop.
"Okay, Lee, I'm sure, you're right. I'm just being overly suspicious, I guess. I can't help it especially when Soleil's reputation is taking such a hit from the tabloids."
/Shikamaru, I understand. I really hope you find the guy./ There was a definite pause in Lee's speech before he continued. /I have to go, Shikamaru, Sakura will be waiting for me at the restaurant./
Shikamaru listened for the click after the abrupt goodbye and went about his business. Chouji had to be perfect for this concert or else they were going to lose their fan base. Shikamaru immediately got on the phone with Soleil's publicist, Konohamaru Sarutobi, to set up a meeting.
XXXX
Naruto walked down the street, his bright shock of blonde hair was covered by a baseball cap and his eyes shaded by a dark sunglasses. He was on his way to buy this week's groceries when he spotted Sakura waiting in front of a restaurant, phone in hand. It looked like she was waiting for Lee whilst calling him.
"Hey!" He hollered as he waved to her from across the street.
She only turned away towards the restaurant entrance. Maybe she didn't recognize him with his disguise.
"Hey, Sakura!" He yelled, this time she turned to him.
"Oh, hello, Naruto," Sakura looked surprised to see him. "I was just on my way to meet up with Lee. Did you want to join us for an early lunch?"
"Nah, I was on my way to buy groceries, and I wouldn't want to be a third-wheel on your date." Naruto took off his sunglasses. "Where is Lee anyway? He's usually pretty early."
"Yeah, he said that he got held up by a phone call of some sort. He'll be here soon." Sakura straightened her floral skirt.
"I'll see you later then." Naruto saluted goodbye. "Tell Lee I said hi."
"Yeah, of course," Sakura chirped. "See ya."
Naruto turned to leave and walked to the mall. He put his sunglasses back on and zipped up his coat. He wasn't cold, he just felt like it. It felt like an extra layer of protection from the rest of the world.
"Hey, aren't you Naruto Uzumaki from Soleil?" A woman asked him as he entered the Foods Mart.
"No," He denied the allegation. "People always ask me that, who is this Naruto-person anyway?"
"Nice try, but you're wearing a Soleil ball cap." The woman pointed out.
"It's a gift," he shrugged. "How am I supposed to know Soleil's a band? Did you know that it means 'Sun' in French?"
The woman eyed him suspiciously. "Alright," she said before walking away.
He sighed in relief. He definitely would not want to get mobbed at a mall. He didn't like big crowds, so he always shopped in the morning. And he always shopped online for Christmas presents. Only Shikamaru and the others knew that he was a little claustrophobic. He realized his fear when he was twelve and his class went to a zoo for a field trip. Since he never followed the rules, he separated from the class, got lost and was accidentally locked in a fox's caged-pen. There must have been a whole family of them eyeing him when the gates locked behind him.
He still remembered the dark eyes of the beasts inside the cage. He desperately tried to get out, but instead was almost killed. All he remembered of the incident was getting a chunk of his thigh bitten off and bleeding profusely as he called for help. He didn't know how long it was before someone found him, probably all but ten minutes, but it felt like hours.
From then on, he'd been afraid of small enclosed places. No matter how old he got and how big, he would always turn back to the scared little boy who couldn't get out. That was why he vowed never to be caged again. Naruto Uzumaki was never going to be held down or shoved into a caged box ever again.
Naruto pushed his cart and filled it with food. It was mostly meat and junk food snaks, and ice cream. One thing others had envied him for was his exceptionally fast metabolism. He could eat as much as he wanted and not gain an ounce.
Once he paid for his grocery items, Naruto walked back to his apartment with the food bags in tow. He was sucking on a Popsicle as he crossed the streets. It didn't take too long before he entered his studio apartment.
"What should I do now?" He asked himself. "Maybe the guys are free."
He took hold of the phone; the not-so-long cord prevented him from going no further than the bed area. Naruto dialled Shikamaru's number first before hanging up after the first ring.
"No, I shouldn't bother Shikamaru, he's probably planning his wedding and getting ready for the concert this weekend." He once again dialled digits into the phone. "Maybe Kiba's free."
Again, he hung up before there was an answer. He remembered that Kiba had taken Hinata back to Japan for a couple months. He tried calling Neji, but no one was answering.
"Crap, I forgot that Neji and Tenten are in America for vacation." Naruto scratched his head, wondering who to call next. Lee, of course, would be out of the question, considering that he was probably on a date with the beautiful Sakura. That left only Shino, the only fellow, unattached bachelor in the Soleil group.
The phone rang twice, and then another six before an automated message from Shino came on the line.
/Hello, I'm busy. Leave a message. Thanks./ was all Shino's voice said.
"Damn it, Shino, you were my only hope." Naruto laid himself flat on his back on convertible couch-bed. "I guess that leaves only me and my thoughts."
A few minutes later, Naruto shook his head. He wasn't a thinker, he couldn't think for long periods of time. Whenever he tried to think, it only made him tired or hungry. So, he walked through a small corridor to the kitchen and started to boil some water for his usual lunch meal: Ramen noodles. Of course, he didn't possess any culinary skills, so this ramen dish was prepared by the famous, Mr. Noodle. He put on the radio and started to sing a duet with Billy Joel.
What's the matter with the clothes I'm wearing?
Can't you tell that you're tie's too wide?
Maybe I should buy some old tab collars
Welcome back to the age of jive
Naruto slipped on his dirty grey socks as he sang and danced to the song. He shook his masculine rump to the beat, wooden spoon in hand. He let Billy take most of the vocals before joining the legend in the last line of the chorus.
Everybody's talking 'bout the new sound, funny, but it's still rock 'n' roll to me!
Naruto danced like a buffoon until the ramen was in edible condition. He took a pair of wooden chopsticks from the last time he had take-out and started eating from the pot. It wasn't like he was going to share with anybody anyway. And he'd save some space for other things to wash in his dishwasher.
He took off his shirt and wrapped it around the still-hot pot and ate from it like a bowl. There was a knock at his door before he even had time to reach for the remote.
"Aw, who is it now?" Naruto got up off his seat and waddled to the door, just wearing his jeans.
He peeked through the peep hole before opening the door.
"Hello, Naruto, I was just in the neighbourhood and I realized that I haven't visited my favourite nephew in a while." Jiraya pushed the door wide open and waltzed in.
"What do you want now, old man?" Naruto longingly stared at his ramen with a sigh.
"Well, as you might know, I was invited to Shikamaru and Ino's wedding...again." Jiraya took the chopsticks and pot from Naruto and sat when Naruto had settled himself before. "Hopefully they stick this time."
"Hey, that's mine!"
"Be respectful to your elders," Jiraya quoted. "Besides, I can't have you getting pudgy and fat before your concert this weekend. I got tickets and everything."
"If you can afford the tickets, it means that you still have money. So, what do you want from me, then?" Naruto felt that his ramen was a lost cause and pulled out a bag of chips from the kitchen cabinet.
"Is that what you really think of me?" Jiraya feigned hurt. "I don't want money from you."
"What do you want then?"
"I want a story." Jiraya told him.
Naruto scratched his head, confused.
Seeing his nephew's confused state, Jiraya decided to explain.
"You see, there's this editor, Anko Mitarashi—" Jiraya explained.
"Shikamaru said that she's the one writing stories about us on HMH Magazine. She's found out all of the band's dealings even about Shikamaru's fight with Ino." Naruto cut off his Godfather. "She's not to be trusted, old man."
"I know, and I want to help you." Jiraya answered. "My business has been suffering because of Anko's little side business. And I can't fire her because of her tenure as editor of Konoha Press."
Naruto still gave him a vacant look.
"You own Konoha Press?" He said a moment later.
"Yes, remember I told you that I was a writer, but that's beside the point." Jiraya smiled weakly. "There have been people spreading rumours that Konoha Press is becoming a tabloid paper. And less and less people have been subscribing to our news paper and visiting our website. They'd rather get news from the Times or Journal. The top news sites are trying to branch out into Konoha's area. I can't have it go on any longer. Shareholders are starting to have doubts about the paper's future. "
"So, what do you want me to do about it?" Naruto shrugged, still munching away at his chips. "I don't know anything about newspapers, I don't even read them. I only read the comics."
"Well, that's when I got a call yesterday evening from someone in HMH Magazine." Jiraya now smiled toothily. "He, I think that it's a 'he', said that HMH is planning to get into Soleil's concert next month. I want you to find Anko's contact so I can get rid of him once and for all. When Anko's business' secret is out, it won't take long before HMH is a thing of the past. And Konoha Press can rebuild its reputation with or without Anko Mitarashi."
"How do you know that this contact of yours is telling the truth?"
"Well, I don't know if he's telling the truth, but I'm not going to lose anything if I follow the tip."
"Okay, I'll do it. It sounds fun." Naruto took a handful of chips and stuffed it in his mouth. Stray pieces of the junk food stuck to his bare chest before he brushed them towards the sink.
"Good, and once you find out who it is, you'll tell me right?"
"What are you going to do to him?"
"Take him to the police, of course." Jiraya told him. "I don't want to kill him; I just need him out of the way. Everybody knows that HMH Magazine is only successful for being the first to get information on Soleil. Once the snoop is out of the way, HMH just becomes another tabloid magazine that people read, but don't buy, while waiting in grocery lines."
After another hour spending time with his Godfather, Naruto just wanted the old man to leave. He only managed the feat when he suggested that he could find someone to go with Jiraya to Ino and Shikamaru's wedding.
"So, what's her name?" Jiraya had asked on his way out.
Naruto tried to think of all the old women he knew. Chiyo-san? No, she was ancient. Maybe he could set the old man on a date with old lady Tsunade. Yeah, the crazy doctor lady who had almost bashed him over the head for forgetting to bring the right prescription bottle for Hinata's appointment. She'd be perfect.
"So, Naruto, what's her name?" Jiraya asked pleadingly. "More importantly, is she a looker?"
"I'd say that she'd fit your description of a 'looker'. Blonde, blue eyes, busty..." Naruto rubbed his chin, smiling. "And she's a doctor."
"Come on, tell me, what's her name?" Jiraya begged for the third time.
"It's Tsunade, Dr. Tsunade." Naruto announced.
"Ah, the fair doctor shall have the time of her life as my date." Jiraya left the studio apartment with only melodious words for the fair, 'Doctor Tsunade'.
Naruto shut the door only too quickly once he left. "Too bad, he doesn't know that Dr. Tsunade is his age."
A/N:
Thank you for all of those who stayed with this series for so long. Please note that this is just an introductory chapter so that all readers will be on the same page. Please review to tell me what you think of the start. It sort of just lays down a little foundation. Tell me if you think that this chapter was good or bad. I really need your input as a reader, because I want to make the finale of this series the best it can be. The next chapter will delve deeper into Kakashi and Anko's relationship, so for those who like those pairings, stay tuned. Again, thank you for all of those who reviewed in previous parts of this series, you know who you are.