Disclaimer: The day I own Naruto is the day all the other things in my brain become reality; my wishful thinking, not going to happen.
A great thanks to my wonderful beta, CollaneR, who not only corrected my work, but helped me find new words and expressions I would never have thought to use on my own.
The beginning of this fiction is inspired by the Sweedish novel Millenium. If you haven't read it, and you like psychopath web pirates, or psychopaths in general, I strongly suggest you do so. R.I.P. Steig Larson, you could almost have fit in your own story (the guy died right after he handed in the third book to his editor).
"Mr. Uchiha."
I looked up from my current work and gazed inquiringly at my secretary, Haruno Sakura, just in time to see her blush. "Mr. Jiraiya is here."
I nodded once, looking back at my computer screen. "Bring him in."
She turned on her heel and stepped back out of my office, only to reappear an instant later, and I looked up as my guests entered. I had already met Jiraiya and his impressive mass of white hair, which nearly deserved an introduction of its own. Beneath a rather perverted outlook, the man was watchful, and knew his job well. After all, the president of Gamabunta Security was hard to fool. My eyes passed over him quickly before laying on the most stunning sight I had witnessed in the past week.
What I first noticed was his hair. Golden locks blazed under the morning sun, whose rays filtered through the glass windows of my office. In contrast, his shirt was dark, large, and only too visible against the cream colored walls. As if to compound the oddity, the slogan written across his chest- 'Kill them all and let God sort them out'- convinced me Jiraiya had woken only half sane this morning. The kid looked like he was still in high school, and if he believed I couldn't speak English, he was sadly mistaken. The only positive aspect of his appearance was that his torn, dark blue jeans were securely fastened to his waist. Any sightings of his boxers would have sent him out on the spot; there were limits to indecency I wouldn't tolerate him crossing.
Piercings adorned his ears, nose and left eyebrow, even more visible due to the fact that he was presently staring- no, glaring- at his feet. Silence stretched in the room, until Jiraiya finally sighed. "You could say hello," he told the kid, extending his own hand. As I shook it, he added, "Uchiha, this is Naruto Uzumaki."
At the mention of his name, the kid looked up to glare at me. I suddenly found myself staring inside azure eyes, and it took a decent part of my self-control not to react to the unusual gaze. Defiance was clear as he nodded once in greeting, not bothering to otherwise move. I opened my mouth, but he cut me off.
"I'll excuse you," he said angrily, correctly guessing what I had been about to say. "By now I kinda have an idea what you people say to the pervert in private: I'm some kind of juvenile delinquent who doesn't know the difference between a mouse and a keyboard, much less how to do anything with it." He jabbed a finger towards Jiraiya. "He's gonna tell you I'm the best he's got, that I'm worth my weight in gold and all that shit. So before I leave, here's the deal: I'll dress how the fuck I want unless you pay me to wear a suit, and my hair isn't dyed."
"I noticed," was my dry reply. "Glad your Japanese is suitable." He probably had grown up here. There wasn't any trace of an accent in his voice.
"Glad you like it," he snapped back, "because for your information, there actually aren't that many people on the planet who can match my skill."
Before I could comment on that, the older man stepped in between us. "You go cool off," he ordered Naruto sternly. "And be nice to the lady."
Without another glance in my direction, the kid turned around and followed Sakura out of the office. With a tired sigh, Jiraiya sat down. "Sorry about that," he said, "but we really do get this every time."
"You give him details of conversations?" I asked.
"No, he pirates the systems. Employers that are foolish enough to have cameras in their offices got spied on." The man smiled thoughtfully. "He's pretty sick of this little ritual. I guess he thought that since you were younger, you might react differently."
I frowned. "People have already misjudged me because of my youth," I said testily. "I'm sure you know what happened to them."
"We stay informed. But Naruto assumed you might understand his situation, since you've experienced something similar."
I waved the discussion off, feeling slightly annoyed. "Was what he said true?"
"Naruto won't lie to you," the older man assured me. "He even may be painfully blunt. But with him you'll always get the truth. And he is the best I can offer. Trust me, once you get past his character, you won't be disappointed."
"Is he serious at his work?"
Jiraiya met my gaze squarely. "I know your expectations, Uchiha. I wouldn't have brought him if I didn't believe he was perfectly suited for this job."
I nodded, and beeped Sakura, in order to let the kid come back. When he did, I noted the laptop he cradled carefully in his arms. Despite this, his gaze remained cold.
"Wi-fi's cool, but easy to hack," he informed me casually. "You're letting all the smartasses use yours for free. I suppose you'll be wanting a demonstration?"
Feeling a slight smirk tug my lips, I nodded slowly.
"I need a name, and one hour. Preferably someone whose past you know well. That way it'll be easier to verify." He sat down on the floor, leaning against a window that took the entire left side of the room, and waited.
I glanced at Jiraiya, who shrugged wordlessly, then back at the kid, whose glare contained something I didn't decipher immediately. Then I realized Naruto wasn't the only one being tested.
What name should I give? How many people did I know that well? Not many. Very few, actually. And the blond's taunting gaze made his preference clear. Fine.
"Uchiha Sasuke," I stated tonelessly. Jiraiya sighed, and Naruto allowed a smirk of his own to spread on his face.
"Sure?" he asked.
I nodded, never leaving his eyes. "I know no one better than myself."
He seemed satisfied, and leaned against the glass as he opened his laptop, suddenly oblivious to his surroundings. I stared at him before Jiraiya groaned and got to his feet. "Not that I'm bored, but I do have several things I need to take care of before noon. Do you mind if I leave him here? You can call me if you're not satisfied. I'll pick him up."
I nodded wordlessly at the older man, and shook hands with him once more before he left, not bothering to say goodbye to his agent. Doubtless the blond wouldn't have heard.
Slightly more than half an hour later, Naruto got to his feet. I had been observing him for the past ten minutes, just in time to see his smirk slowly edge off his face, and vanish completely. He looked at me darkly. "Can I print it or do you want me to recite the thing?"
"Reciting will be faster, I presume," I replied in a casual, if not slightly cold, voice. He glared at me for what already seemed like the umpteenth time, which I matched squarely. Neither of us would be enjoying this. Naruto had just realized he wielded a double-edged sword; he could pick out any information he wanted on me, and I wouldn't be able to hide it. But it meant he got to put his eyes on things that were much better off left in oblivion.
"Uchiha Sasuke," he recited slowly. "Japanese male, aged 19, and born on July 23rd, 1988. Wealthy parents, Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto, whose personal biographies are in there-" –he tapped his laptop- "and I'm not going to recite. One older sibling, Uchiha Itachi, born June 9th, 1981. You entertain a good relation during your early childhood." He paused. "Everything right so far?"
I nodded. "Keep going."
"The same can't be said for him and your father. Family tensions cause Itachi leaves the house at 18, in 1999. Thanks to his genius, he is able to enter Todaï, paying with the money he saved since the beginning of middle school. After his departure your relationship with your parents deteriorate. You run away 37 times in the first year alone, 56 times in all."
I raise a discreet eyebrow; no one had ever bothered to give me the numbers, and I hadn't kept track.
"Roughly a third aren't reported to the police, and you become acquainted with several street gangs and the like. You join a small group called Hebi and get arrested several times- full list's in here- while doing your best to find your brother. He never warned you of where he was going and didn't stay in contact."
I nodded once more as he closed his mouth, looking at me.
"In 2001, you're thirteen and get involved in a gang war. The police catcheseveryone, but your father managed to pay your way out of the mess and lock you inside the house for the three following years."
This time I opened my mouth to protest, and he rolled his eyes.
"As in, you were homeschooled, and couldn't go anywhere without at least four bodyguards. I've got the entire thing downloaded, if you want. Each occasion on which you went out of the house was carefully noted, along with who accompanied you, and when you were expected back. You were forbidden to step outside once night started to fall and mostly stayed secluded to your room. I call that imprisoning."
Shaking his head, he continued. "On your sixteenth birthday, 2004, you're finally given a little more freedom. You go back to a regular school and your bodyguards disappear. I'm guessing you've learned to play tame, and stay away from anything that could bring you on the wrong side of the law, including your previous 'friends'. Of course, things go a lot less smoothly than anticipated."
He stopped, and this time I didn't need to confirm aloud that he was right. Proof of what had happened was all over the net, and although I made sure my face was as unreadable as always, I was unable to relax my curled fists.
"January 1st, 2005," Naruto announced somberly. "At midnight you go to a temple to wish for the new year, and are kidnapped on your way back bythe old members of Hebi. They extract five billion yen from your clan and have your parents come over to where they were holding you captive."
The kid bit his lower lip, hard enough to make it go white. We both knew what was coming.
"They were tortured and killed before your eyes. And while your captors did it, they repeated they were doing it on Itachi's orders."
"How do you know that?" My voice snapped like a whip. No cameras had been in that old factory. No one outside those concerned knew about what I had been told in there. And I knew my 'friends' hadn't been so stupid as to reveal what they had done to anyone.
"From your shrink's reports. It says that you developed 'unboundedhatred' for your older sibling, and you haven't heard from Itachi since his eighteenth birthday, the shrink deduced, from what he knew. But that's in 2007. Right after the events you become completely mute, and although you continue living in an almost normal way, it's impossible to communicate with you. Which causes Hebi to get away with the double murder. In the meantime you're adopted by a man named Orochimaru, who had seen your potential. On June 9th, 2005 you begin speaking again, revealing Hebi's members' identities, and swear to avenge your parents' death. For this you need to find your brother. Orochimaru offers his help, and asked for you to become his pupil in exchange. You agree, and your dedicated studies lead you to overthrow your guardian from his position of leader of Uchiha Inc. That was three months ago. Now you're trying to decide who's going to bail and who's faithful enough to stay. Hence me." Naruto cleared his throat. "To this day, you have found no sign of your brother, once he finished Todaï, and from what your shrink says, you still want him dead."
"That's my business," I told him quietly. Despite the softness of my tone, there was no way he could mistake my warning. He shrugged.
"I'm just showing you how uncomfortable it is to have someone dig into your past. I know you're asking something less exhaustive for your employees, but it's not something I advise you to do too often." Before I could reply, he added, "Do you want me to continue?"
I blinked. "You mean you have more?"
He shrugged. "I left things people usually want to know first about their victims- sexual activity, likes and dislikes, places frequented, acquaintances and such. Details," he added in a somewhat scornful tone.
"I'll pass," I told him tersely. "You're hired. If you have any questions about your job, ask them now. Otherwise, I suggest you get to work."
Uchiha Inc employed 1583 staff members, which ranged from the diploma-earning engineers all the way down to cleaning staff, and notably composed of financial managers, computer mechanics, advisors of all kinds, secretaries by the dozens, cooks even, and several additional positions I couldn't bring myself to think about.
Naruto scanned the list rapidly, scrolling down so fast I wondered if he was only checking its length. I had lent him my right side desk, on which his laptop rested. A sudden exclamation tore me from my work, and I looked up.
"You've got Nara Shikamaru!" he said.
The name wasn't familiar, and so I sighed. "If he's on the list, then yes."
"What's he doing in the kitchens? You need him on a strategic job; he'd make your income boost up, and not just a little."
"How does he look like?"
Naruto turned the screen, and I recognized the face immediately. I snorted. "That guy has to be the laziest person in the entire-"
"Genius." What surprised me was that the blond actually sound serious. "He's the laziest genius you're ever gonna meet. But put him up with a challenge and he'll get to work. Something that makes him use his brain."
"I'll see to that." Mentally reminding myself to check how a genius could have been missed by my former instructor, I wrote Nara's name on my agenda, with 'economic assistant' next to it. I wasn't ready to risk the entire company to someone who could hardly lift his spoon to serve people at the cafeteria.
"Do you have any priorities?" Naruto asked. "People you'd rather know about quickly, or who you want to fire as soon as you can afford?"
"I see you understand how things work," I told him with a smirk.
He shrugged. "It's my job, sir."
"Don't call me sir," I snapped.
"Makes you feel old?" For the first time, hostility had completely left his face as he gave me a meek smile.
I shrugged, and pulled out the list I had written on the previous evening. "I thought of you and prepared this. If you could finish before noon, I'd appreciate it."
He glanced at his computer clock. "Three hours left," he said. "Can do."
He got to his feet shortly before eleven, and made me glance up again. "Done?"
"Almost," he said. "But I need to stretch my legs. Mind if I walk around a bit?"
I shook my head. "It's your business. But don't be surprised if people try to throw you out."
"They'd have to catch me first," he shot back. "And you already know for the suit thing."
I sighed. "How much do you want?"
"Enough to buy the damn thing."
I looked at him, amused. "You don't have one?"
He glared. "Do I look like I like wearing those things? They're hot, uncomfortable, and you look like a complete goof in them."
"Excuse me?"
Mycutting tone caused him to flush immediately. "I mean- not you specifically, but I look like- well, you get what I mean!"
If he hadn't been so flustered, he might have noticed I was smirking visibly at him. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and stormed out of the office.
He returned five minutes later and wordlessly went back to work, still frowning. He soon relaxed, however, and it was only half an hour before the printer located behind me began to hum.
"I'm only giving you necessary information on paper," he told me as I grabbed the sheets. "And please tell me these were people you already intended to fire. Because at this rate we're cleaning up the entire company."
I nodded, scanning his work. Slowly I smiled when I realized he had given me exactly the information I needed. "Some people won't get the occasion to eat lunch here," I told him as I got to my feet.
"Where are you going?"
"To get rid of said employees."
"No, wait!"
I stopped a few feet away from the door. "What?"
"If you do that, everyone's gonna panic. Wait until I'm done andfire them all at once."
"These are only my main advisors, Uzumaki. Most people already suspected they would soon leave after I took over. I need you to replace people as well. Nara's only the first of many." Seeing him shake his head, I frowned. "Too much work?"
"No." His eyes snapped up angrily.
"Then stop making that face. Come on, we'll go directly to the cafeteria after."
Something inside the azure eyes lit like a beacon, and suddenly his stomach went off, causing him to flush and me to smirk. "Hey, being hungry isn't illegal!" he protested.
"Of course it isn't, idiot. I was just surprised by how you chose to express it."
About to say something, he closed his mouth again, apparently realizing what had been about to cross his lips was not suited to our surroundings. So instead, he glared at me with all his might, and walked past me, straight to our destination.
"And before you ask, I already have the building's map stuck in here," he said, tapping his head.
I sighed, and pushed the door to the first office door, plastering one of my favorite cynical smiles upon my face.
"Ganburo," I said in a sweet, poisonous voice. "Pack you things up, you're leaving."
"Mr. Uchiha." I sighed, feeling this little play would soon become a routine. Sakura admitted Naruto inside the office with a small smile, and I soon saw why. Looking quite uneasy in a brand new suit, the blond glowered at the carpet and returned to his previous day's seat. He had removed his piercings, which surprised me, and has stored his computer in an elegant suitcase.
I allowed a small smirk to appear on my lips as he sat down, noticing his tie matched his eyes perfectly.
"Sakura ordered the tie," he said as a matter of explanation. "And I thought you might not want the piercings either."
"You skills of deduction amazes me," I informed him, causing him to glare.
"Hey, I made an effort here!"
"Which I paid for."
"Some people don't even get that option," he snapped back.
I sighed. "You're also paid to work. Get to it."
"I'm going, I'm going," he grumbled, opening his laptop. Then he hesitated, glancing at me and biting his lip.
Deciding the best way to address him was by being blunt, I ordered, "Spit it out."
"Would you let me listen to music? I've got good headphones and you won't hear anything."
I shrugged. "Take them off if you want to interact with people," I warned, and he nodded, pulling headphones that could fit in a professional recording studio. I doubted anyone would dare walk in the streets with something this big.
Clamping them on his ears, the blond opened iTunes and then returned to his previous day's work. I continued going over my own work, repeatedly cursing Orochimaru for leaving me with such a mess. Thanks to Sakura, as well as several other employees, most of the missing data had been recovered, but several contracts had been misplaced, and I still had a mere vague idea of how the company's finances were going.
One hour before the clock struck noon, I walked out of the office, under Naruto's curious gaze. I went straight to the cafeteria, where I was greeted by Akamichi Choji. "Lunch isn't ready," he warned me as I entered the kitchens.
"I'm not looking for food," I told him. "I need Nara."
"Shikamaru?" Akamichi blinked. "He must be on the roof. It isn't time for him to work yet."
Sighing I thanked him and left. The building possessed several dozen floors, and even with an elevator it took time to reach the top.
Nara Shikamaru was sprawled upon the roof's floor, gazing calmly at the sky above. The mere sight of him made me want to yawn.
"Uchiha Sasuke," he stated slowly as I approached, eyes fixed on the heavens. "You'll have to tell that Uzumaki brat he's troublesome." He sighed, straightening. "What do you want me for?"
"So you do know Naruto."
"I thought the first thing you learned about the kid was he couldn't lie." The tone was stern. "If you want to speak about his truthfulness, find someone else. I don't have that much time."
I snorted. "I suppose what I was about to offer you will be too tiring then."
"Probably. But if the work is adequate I might try to make an effort."
This was going nowhere. But I told myself I could try. "I need help in finance. Orochimaru left things so that it would take me months to grasp all of our spending and income. The troublesome part would be sorting the mess out. But Naruto said you like strategy. I'll give you full range of the stock market with the company's weight if you get the finances under control."
Nara said nothing, and I half wondered if he hadn't gone to sleep. Then he said slowly, "Orochimaru wasn't that smart. Naruto will find most of what he tried to destroy, and from what I can see, he wasn't that great at altering your financial databanks either. Give me a week or two, and I'll see what I can do. I'll need help though. An additional pair of hands."
"Must I find you a secretary myself or do you already know who you want?" I asked testily. "If I hire you for this it's so that I don't have to do the job, Nara."
"Yamanaka Ino. I'll get her, I just need your permission to take her out of her section."
"Where is she?"
"She was Gamburo's secretary. Now she works for one of his cronies." For the first time, the man's lazy voice betrayed slight anger.
"They'll be leaving soon," I assured. "You can get Yamanaka now."
He got to his feet more swiftly then I had ever seen him, and vanished into the elevator. No doubt he knew perfectly where his new aid was. Praying Naruto hadn't deceived me, I went to the staircase, and descended three floors. No need for an elevator when those I was about to kick out were so close.
* * *
From the way people were acting, it was as if an ominous cloud was hanging above Uchiha Inc. Fear was in the air, just as the blue-eyed blond had predicted. But then again, Nara Shikamaru's promotion had reassured some. And he hadn't been the only one to move, once I saw his new job suited him. Under Naruto's advice, along with my personal analysis, more than a fifth of my employees changed their jobs for ones better adapted to their capabilities.
An enormous portion of the staff was mercilessly sacked. I was astounded to see how much money we had been losing due to embezzling. I sued several of those, whom had extorted several billion dollars- not yen, dollars- out of the company since its creation, without either my father or Orochimaru noticing it. With Naruto's help (namely the undeniable proof of certain illegal transactions and suspicious accounts opened in Switzerland), things were done swiftly, and Uchiha Inc. received numerous settlements, which had done much to bring our numbers back into balance, to Nara Shikamaru's satisfaction.
The man truly was a genius. He had asked for a week at minimum, but it hadn't taken him more than half that time to bring me a complete report on what I had asked him. He claimed he'd had both Naruto's and the blonde Ino's help, but I had seen him at work, and doubted him no more.
"The market's all yours, Nara," I had assured him. "Have fun."
The other good surprise was that Naruto had finished going through the rotted crew. He was now investigating those whose salary had risen for strange reasons- andtherefore needing to be lowered once more- or slackers. Few of those had been fired, however. It just wasn't worth the work to deal with them at the moment.
"Time to eat," I warned, getting to my feet. The blond next to me didn't move. "Naruto," I said, a little louder this time. He didn't budge, and I frowned. Usually he could tell, despite the music blaring in his ears, whenever I addressed him. Sighing, I reached out, intending to shake him into awareness.
As soon as my fingers touched his shoulder he jerked away, so violently that the desk in front of him flipped over. He caught his computer just in time, while the rest crashed to the floor.
"Don't touch me!" he roared.
I blinked, shocked by this sudden outburst. In front of me the blond looked out the windows, trying to spot something I couldn't see. His movements were jerky, nervous. "Did anyone see us?" he suddenly asked.
"Naruto, I just-"
"Answer me!" The voice was strained, panicked. I looked out the window.
"Only the building facing us should see my office. But our windows are mirrors to them. I don't like being spied on. And I don't see anyone."
My words seemed to relax him, slightly. "Don't do that again," he said shakily. "Don't ever- I can't... It's dangerous if I touch people." He stared darkly at the floor.
"Do you have some kind of disease?" I asked sarcastically.
He almost smiled. "Think of it that way."
"How do you shake hands with people if you can't touch them?"
"I don't."
"That's rude."
"People already think I'm a failure of society. It doesn't surprise anyone that I don't have manners." Again his tone was dark.
I sighed. "We still need to eat."
The incident was not mentioned again. Naruto resumed his normal attitude once I was careful to avoid contact, and at his unspoken request, I also warned Sakura.
"So that's why he was so distant," she said. "Polite, but really shy. What's the matter with him?"
I shrugged. "It's his business. Try to be careful."
I hadn't asked the blond why he was so touchy, but from his behavior I suspected he was grateful.
Sakura nodded. Then she sighed. "Looks like we're going home under the rain," she remarked. "You should take him home. He'llruin his clothes if he goes on foot."
"I thought Jiraiya-"
"Naruto obviously asked him not to," the girl scolded. "By now you must have realized he doesn't like to be taken care of."
"That's an understatement," I replied with a smirk. You could hardly ask the blond if he wanted a cup of coffee; he'd bite your head off, then grudgingly assure you he'd get one if he needed it. Both Sakura and I had made the experience. "But in that case I'll have trouble convincing him."
"You're an Uchiha," she said with a small smile. "It shouldn't be too hard a task for you."
She proved me right fairly easily. As we stepped out of the building, Naruto's eyes shadowed, becoming nearly as gray as the clouds above him, and he swore.
"Since I'm nice, I'll offer you a dry ride. Get in," I ordered. He blinked, lowering his gaze to the black car parked a few feet away. And swore again.
"You filthy rich bastard," he growled under his teeth. "And show-off to boot."
"Get in," I repeated. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
He seemed to snap out of whatever state he was in, and immediately covered his mouth. "I'm sorry," he said immediately. "I just-"
"In," I said firmly. "Now."
He obeyed, to my personal satisfaction, and I installed myself in the driver's seat. "Where to?"
He glanced at me suspiciously. "You're firing me aren't you?"
"Are you kidding?" I made sure to keep my voice perfectly dry. "You're not even half done with the work I have for you. Why would I fire you?"
"Few people let their employees insult them."
I turned the keys, and the mustang roared into life. "You insulted me?" I asked, gazing at him steadily. "When?"
He stared back, his eyes searching for my honesty. They seemed to find it, and he sighed. "Five blocks east. Konoha street."
I followed his directions, feeling a cold shiver run down my spine when I realized where we were going. I knew that place only too well. And hadn't returned since-
"You shouldn't have done this." Naruto was staring at me with a mixture of anger and guilt as we reached the fifth block and turned into the street. "You're even paler than usual. I'll walk."
He reached for the door handle, but I locked it. "I'll be fine," I told him.
"No you won't! Your car's too easy to spot, and I don't want you to know where I live. And being here is making you sick!"
I wished I could deny it. But in truth my head was pounding dangerously, assaulted by the most painful memories of my existence. I clutched the steering wheel tightly, and suddenly Naruto shouted.
"Stop the car, you're going to kill us both!"
My foot hit the brakes, and we were projected forward as the Mustang came to an abrupt halt. For a moment we both stayed silent, both breathing harder than normal.
"Now I get the purpose of seatbelts." Naruto sighed. "You don't have to force yourself, idiot. I'll be fine."
He unclicked his and opened the door. "Thanks for the ride, anyways." With that he left.
I rubbed my eyes tiredly, and drove out, head still pounding fiercely. Though this time not with images, but words. One word, which accompanied me during the entire way home. Weak.
I slammed my entrance door shut, ignoring the surprised gazes given to me by the maids and stewards, and climbed straight to my bedroom. "No dinner," I growled at the first mention of my name. "I don't want to be bothered."
They nodded, and I smirked thinly to myself. Rich bastard. Naruto hadn't been aware of how right he was. Or perhaps he had. He just hadn't realized exactly what a single person could do with so much money. I locked the door leading to my apartments, which included my bedroom, a small bathroom and an office which I kept for a single purpose. Itachi.
All of the belongings he had left after his departure were stocked there. I had searched for a clue of where he might have gone after his studies, but all my efforts had been vain. There was nothing. His college friends had either lost track of him completely or had disappeared as well. Some of them had proved as difficult to track down as my brother. I had hired private detectives of all kinds, done everything I could think of to find him, but Uchiha Itachi seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.
Weak. I hadn't thought returning to the place where my parents had been murdered would have this effect on me. I had done my best to push these emotions away by focusing on my search and work. It had been effective, at least until the trip back to the source of my memories. Weak, weak, weak.
I hated this. Our clan had been famed for the ability to repress and control any kind of emotion. Itachi had excelled at this so much I could never tell what he was thinking. Nor could any member of my family. I had never known his intentions, or what he wanted- or if he ever wanted anything. And I had never been able to be like him.
Naruto read my feelings as though they were written all over my face. He was the sole person in that case, but it was already too much. And Sakura was always aware of when I felt too testy to work efficiently. She'd get me some tea on those occasions, and work more quietly.
Weak. I removed my clothing angrily. I was still too wound up to sleep, and had no intention of doingso. But for once I yearned for casual clothes, not the armour of a power suit that cost more than some people's cars. Those I wore…before.I changed into dark loose pants with a great number of pockets, a tight black shirt, and a sweater. I didn't care if I got wet.
I opened my bedroom window, glancing atthe traces left by the bars my father had placed once I had started to run away- not that they had stopped me. He had removed them once I had learned to 'play nice' as Naruto had said, and were now just a memory. Like most things in my life.
I opened the window and climbed out smoothly. Even though I was on the third floor, I had done this many times- 37,if you listened to the blond- and my body hadn't forgotten. Once my feet hit the ground, I darted off, feeling very much like my teenage self.
Night had started to fall, but I knew the way only too well. Part of me grinned in cold irony to this repeating sequence of the past. I ran, ignoring the rain and wind, ignoring the growing ache in the bottom of my stomach, and focusing on the road ahead.
Weak. Despite my resolution I had slowed. The streets had barely changed. Arich couple being tortured and assassinated there wouldn't make things stop going on the way they had. I had been told the place had much bigger secrets. The hardest of drugs smuggled in the biggest of rings being supposedlyat the very bottom of the list.
I walked aimlessly for what seemed like hours. In the past, my 'friends' would have been expecting me, and had always waited somewhere I could find them. But that had been too long ago. This made me realize, again, that I had never sought revenge on Hebi for my parent's murder, even though they had done the actual killing. The police had chased them for weeks, but they had vanished as well, with only my testimony that they had even existed. And I had begun speaking much too late. Weak.
I barely noticed the group of dealers before stumbling onto them. There were five, and immediately suspicious of me. The first two darted past me to prevent me from escaping, while the others walked over in a threatening manner.
"Who're you?" the one in the middle asked.
Old instincts took over, and I snorted. "If you don't know then I'm not wasting my breath in order to educate you. Move."
He stopped involuntarily. After years of dealing with people from various backgrounds, I knew how to give orders. "I'm not repeating myself," I warned softly. "And I'm not patient either."
"You little shit!" It seemed that as long as I couldn't see them they still had some guts left, because it was the guy behind me who shoved a gun barrel between my shoulder blades. "You think you're the boss here? Answerthe question."
I sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder who would ever hire you fools." My voice carried an edge of cold, and did not betray the slightest hint of fear. They hesitated. "What group do you belong to?"
"That's none of your business! Don't pretend you're someone important to the family-"
"Sometimes, you guys should learn to pay attention." I recognized the low voice immediately, turning in its direction at the same time as my captors. "First, I recall forbidding any kind of dealing here-" The voice got closer- "and second, you should really bother to look at who you've captured."
I was immediately blinded by a flashlight, and the five men gasped.
"He's-"
"Quiet!" the sudden roar made them jump. "I don't want to hear you! Now bail before I change my mind and bring your dead bodies back to the Akatsuki!"
They fled, and Naruto stepped out from the shadows. He looked none too pleased.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he growled angrily. "You really want to get killed?" He looked different here. His clothing was similar to the one he had worn on his first day, and he his piercings were back as well, but there was something more. He wasn't the uncomfortable teenager that came to work every day, the one who spoke gruffly or stuttered because he was careful to stay polite. Nor the one who made fun of me whenever he could. No. This Naruto was fiercer, more feline and wild that I had yet witnessed. Short glances around told me he was on the lookout, but unlike the last time, he didn't seem scared of anyone watching him. He moved like a predator in his territory, powerful, alert and dangerous.
"Well?"
I realized he was still waiting for my answer. "I was looking for you."
"Looking for me?" he gave me an incredulous look. "Why didn't you wait for tomorrow?"
"I needed to see you now." I wiped strands of hair away from my face. "I want to ask you something that doesn't concern work."
He frowned slowly, ignoring the intensifying rain assassinating his shoulders. "What?"
"I want you to find my brother."
His eyes widened, and his lip immediately tightened. "No."
It was my turn to frown. "Why not?"
"I can't. Don't ask me about it." He refused to meet my gaze, and lowered his voice. Then I realized something.
"You know him?"
"No!" He shook his head fiercely, but his lie was too obvious.
"You know where he is," I stated. "You know what happened to him and you've kept this from me all this time-"
Before I could finish, he caught my wrist and pulled me against him. Astonished, I looked up just as gun fired, no doubt aiming at the spot I had been standing in seconds ago.
"Come on!" Naruto didn't let go of my wrist as he darted off, guns firing behind our heels. He led me through the streets, which became both darker and thinner as we advanced. Suddenly, he pulled me into an alley I wouldn't have noticed otherwise, and stopped, releasing my wrist.
"They can't get us from here," he said with grim satisfaction. "We're going down."
"Where?" I saw him point on something next to me. Looking down, I realized what he meant. "The sewers?"
"This isn't the time to say it's too gross for you," he snapped. "Next time get that brain of yours to work and don't come here." He removed the metallic door. "Get in. It won't be as stylish as that Mustang of yours, but at least it's the safest way to get you out of here."
Wordlessly I climbed down. The smell wasn't as harsh as had expected, but still unpleasant. Despite this I could breathe with my nose. Naruto descended the metallic ladder swiftly, landing next to me without a noise.
"Come on." Strangely, they place wasn't dark. Small lights adorned the walls, illuminating the place enough to see where we went. Naruto said nothing at first. But eventually he sighed. "I'm not allowed to say anything about Itachi," he stated somberly. "You weren't supposed to learn I knew him, but it's a sacrifice we knew we'd need to make if you asked me about him."
"Who's we?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I can't tell."
"What can you tell?" I snapped.
To this, he smiled. "You can always ask."
"Why were those thugs so afraid of you?"
He winced. "Straight to the point, I see." I glared at him. "Fine. I'm-" He hesitated before continuing, "-famous, or so to speak. Infamous, more like. They call me Kyuubi around here. I've got my own territory and all. I make the laws on it, first one being I don't want drugs dealers around."
I inspected him slowly. "Forgive me, but you don't look like a killer."
He laughed. "I'm not. It's my reputation people are afraid of. I don't need to kill anyone." Suddenly his eyes darkened. "That's already taken care of." He looked up again. "You know what Kyuubi is, right?"
"A nine-tailed demon fox," I said. "I'm Japanese, Naruto. Of course I know." Seeing him give me an expectant look, I sighed. "Foxes are important in Japanese mythology; they were known to serve the Shinto god Inari, and were attributed all sorts of powers. They could become humans, for example, although they were usually women-"
"Forget that part," Naruto snapped.
"And the older they got, the more powerful they became. Power was indicated by how many tails they had. Nine was the maximum, reached after a millennium of life." I glanced at him. "Please don't even try to tell me you're that old."
"Of course I'm not, idiot. Keep going."
"With time mentalities changed, and foxes came to be seen as an ill omen. Whenthey became human they were supposed to be deceitful and dangerous. Folklore says good people must avoid them at all times." The last sentence was recited from a book I had read on the subject. It was the sentence Naruto's ear caught.
"Take out 'good', and you'll get why I can't let people touch me."
"From my point of view, you should be trying to get people to befriend you, shouldn't you? You aren't exactly deceitful."
"But I'm dangerous," he replied quietly. "That's why you should stay away." He stopped next to a ladder. "I'll go out first," he added, and began to climb.
"If you're dangerous, why haven't people tried to get rid of you? Why do you have your own territory?"
"It's touching me that's dangerous," he said. "And I'm not the one who decided that." He climbed out, and glanced around. "Seems clear. Come on."
I followed his example, and found myself directly in front of my house. "How did-"
"Remember I did a research on you the first day?" he asked, rolling his eyes. Suddenly he was more like his work self. Out of his territory. "Your current address was the first thing I checked. And I never get lost underground."
A thought occurred. "Do you need a place to stay?" I asked.
He smirked, shaking his head. "Don't worry," he said. "I own an apartment, and there's everything I need to live there. I'm not on the streets or anything. And no one knows where I live."
"Don't get killed." I found myself speaking more seriously than intended.
He shrugged. "They can't kill me." With that he vanished into the sewers once more, and I returned to my home the same way I had left it.
"He's late."
"It's his first time," Sakura pointed out. "Perhaps he got delayed."
I nodded curtly, incapable of focusing on my work. The clock was nearing eleven, and Naruto hadn't yet appeared. He had left his laptop in my office, which meant he had intended to return here. Unable stand the silence, I grabbed my phone and selected a number.
"If you're a cute chick, know that you have chosen the right number-"
"Jiraiya." My voice was even sharper than usual. I didn't have time for jokes.
"Uchiha. Is there a problem with the kit?" How much had the blond told him, I wondered. But there wasn't any time for this.
"He isn't here. Can you contact him?"
"With my other line," I was told. "Is this the first time?"
"Yes."
"Impressive. I think he likes you." I refrained from replying, and waited. "He's not answering. Did something happen yesterday?"
"In a way…" I hesitated, then reported the previous night's events. After all, I suspected the perverted man was better informed than I was.
"He initiated the contact?"
"Yes." For some reason, I felt my cheeks warm slightly. Why was Jiraiya speaking like we had done something intimate? It was my wrist, for Christ's sake. Annoyed by my own embarrassment, I asked, "Has he ever touched you?"
"I met him when he was ten." I hadn't suspected this. I kept quiet as the older man continued. "It was at a bar called Ichiruka, and he was watching my computer like it was the most beautiful thing on earth. I told him I'd explain how it worked, but he shied away. After a few days, though, he accepted, after making me promise not to touch him. As in, not at all. He never took me for a pedophile."
"He's the first."
"Hold your tongue Uchiha. I learned he'd never gone to school. He could read and count like any kid his age, which made me think someone had taught him. But he kept assuring me he lived alone."
"At ten?"
"I was as speculative as you are. But he told me his neighbors fed him adequately. And once I began teaching him, I realized he had a knack for computers. A natural. So I taught him everything I knew and even offered him to live with me."
"He refused?"
"Of course. He was no different from now. Told me he could take care of himself, and got real angry every time I asked. It's only later that I learned why." He paused, then continued more grimly, "I found out who had taken care of him as a baby and young child. Umino Iruka, who worked not too far away from the Uchiha Inc. buildings. He died when Naruto turned eight. And I have several reasons to think the kit was there when they killed him. Eventually Naruto admitted that anyone who had ever touched him was dead."
A cold sensation slowly crept upon my body. "Except me."
"As I said, if he initiated it, then I'm more inclined to think he'll get punished."
"You think that suits me? My life isn't worth any more than his!"
"They won't kill him." Jiraiya sounded sure of his words. "They won't even hurt him in any way that leaves traces you can see. He needs to stay presentable to his boss."
"I sincerely hope you aren't talking about me," I said venomously.
"His boss in the Akatsuki. They're the ones who imposed this isolation onhim."
Before I could ask what he was talking about, a scream caught my attention. "We'll finish later," I growled, snapping my phone shut. I rushed out of my office, followed closely by Sakura, heading directly to the entrance hall. The scene that met our eyes was tainted with crimson.
Naruto stood weakly upon the threshold, dressed like he had been the previous night, with one notable difference. His clothes were covered with dirt and blood, rent in places with large gashes. His face bled the most, and I saw that someone had carved three horizontal streaks on each of his cheeks, below hollow-looking eyes.
He took a step forward, and stumbled, falling to the floor. Sakura rushed towards him.
"Don't touch him!" I shouted. I had just noticed the man standing on the street. The glass wall allowed him to see everything that was going on inside, and from his small smile, I knew the sight of the bloodied blond didn't surprise him.
Sakura froze, then noticed the man. Rage suddenly filled her features. "You!" she cried, careful to step around Naruto as she charged outside. "What did you do to him?"
She grabbed the man by the collar, actually lifting him off his feet, and glowered at him murderously. Part of me recalled the report Naruto had made on her: 6th dan in Karate, and as strong as a bull. He hadn't been exaggerating.
"Put him down, Sakura," Naruto groaned as he pushed himself up. Biting my lip, I cursed my lack of power over the situation. I couldn't even help him up. "He didn't do anything."
"He brought you back!" she said furiously. "And he doesn't look too bothered about your state!"
"He's crazy," came the weak reply. "He can't feel emotion."
I walked over to the entrance just as the man began speaking. "I was actually pleased to see people here cared, Kitsune," he said to the blond. "Of course I suppose you haven't told them about your little secret-"
"Shut up!" How Naruto managed to get this much air out of his lungs I didn't know. But he seemed to have gotten some of his energy back. "Shut up! I got what I deserved, so leave me alone now!"
"I can't, unless this lovely lady puts me back to the ground." He didn't seem too bothered by the fact that a woman shorter than him was holding him with a single arm. I decided Naruto was probably right, and the guy was crazy. Sakura put him down –dropped him, actually- and he turned towards me.
"The Akatsuki sends its regards, Uchiha Sasuke," he stated. "My name is Sai. Consider this" -he jerked his head in Naruto's direction- "a warning. For yourself."
With that he turned, climbing into the luxurious black car waiting behind him, which left as soon as the door closed. I turned back to the wounded blond. "Stay back," he warned weakly. "They're still watching us." He got to his feet slowly.
"Somebody get a wheelchair," I snapped.
"I don't need help," Naruto replied angrily.
Briskly, I walked back around to face him. "Listen, Uzumaki," I stated in a low, warning growl. "I'm aware that I can't touch you unless I'm ready to risk either my life or your well-being. But you are not going to keep me from getting you to the infirmary as fast as I can afford without having to drag you. Now get into the goddamn chair."
He held me glare with one of his own. "I'm bandaging myself."
"I know that," I snapped.
He sighed, and dropped into the wheelchair one of the employees had brought. "I'm not even sure you're allowed to push me in this thing," he grumbled.
"If you aren't sure I can't, then I can." Grabbing the two handles, I walked to the elevator, and took him to the infirmary. Quickly explaining the situation to the nurse, I told her to take a break while Naruto nursed his wounds. But the idiot managed to lock himself in the room separated from the nurse's office before I could block the door.
"I don't need your chaperoning me!" he shouted as I banged on the thick surface. "I can do it by myself!"
"Open the door or I'm breaking it down," I growled angrily. "Don't be an idiot, Naruto!"
"I want privacy! It's legal, isn't it?"
Sakura chose this moment to arrive. Wordlessly, I pointed at the offending surface, and she immediately saw what I wanted. One kick was all it took. The door flew open, and we peered inside. Sakura flushed immediately and stormed out, as Naruto brought his knees up.
He wasn't naked; his boxers were still on his waist, but from the way he looked at me it seemed as though I was as perverted as Jiraiya.
"I'm a boy, idiot," I sighed. "I'm not going to rape you."
"A girl could hardly rape me," the blond pointed out angrily. "And I said I wanted privacy."
"I'm not taking my eyes off you after what happened," I replied on a similar tone. "I don't care if you're butt-naked or covered in blood."
"I won't do anything until you leave," he snapped. "Leave me alone!"
"No." My temper was slowly edging out of my control, and it took everything I had to speak calmly. "The last time I did, you came back like this. I'm not repeating that mistake." Furiously, I went to a corner of the room and sat on the floor, glaring at the wall. "I can't afford to lose anyone else. My family's enough."
He was silent. I didn't move, and after several seconds he understood it would be the best I could offer. I heard him shift, rummaging through the drawers in order to find some bandages. Once the drawers closed again, he paused. I didn't turn to see what was bothering him. "What is it?"
He didn't answer immediately. Suddenly he sighed angrily. "Come help me," he said in a resolute voice.
I looked up. He was sitting on one of the beds, and both of his legs were already bandaged. It looked like professional work. Then I realized why he had wanted to hide his torso.
"What's on your stomach?"
Part of me already knew. There was no way he would have asked of a tattoo this size. It looked like a sun, a black sun, which spiraled to the center that was Naruto's navel.
"Like it?" the blond asked grimly. "They put it on me when I was a few weeks old. And they keep re-injecting ink regularly so it stays black. That's the symbol for what I am. Kyuubi. One of the Jinchuuriki."
"Jinchuuriki?"
"Demon holders. There's nine of us for the moment. We're the 'untouchables'. That's the way you recognize us." He slid a finger along the spiral. "We're the scapegoats, in a way. A way to hold Akatsuki's members in place; at least they know whatever happens, their life is better than ours. Plus it gives them something to talk about." He handed me a roll of bandages, holding the end close to his shoulder. "Don't touch me," he warned. "I'll tie it."
I nodded, indicating him to continue.
He sighed, looking away. "I don't want to sound like a sissy," he said somberly. "But we're supposed to have 'the saddest story in town'. The easy way being-"
"Seclusion." I suddenly remembered Jiraiya's words.
Naruto nodded. "Anyone who's ever lived with us, who raised us and fed us isn't allowed to live. Iruka was the first for me." His fist curled slowly. "They didn't want me to die. Dead, I was useless. My role in the Akatsuki was to suffer. So they waited until I was old enough to fend for myself. Sai, the guy you saw, he was in charge of watching me. He made sure I didn't starve, and reported anyone who touched me. Those people all died, and by the time I reached nine I had learned my lesson."
"He didn't seem much older than you," I remarked quietly.
"He wasn't. He never did anything to me, justwatched. Like a guardian angel or something. Blacker though."
"He's mad," I said dryly.
"He can't feel," Naruto snapped. "They beat emotion out of him before he learned to talk. He can't help himself. Out of them all he's not the worst. Goddamn annoying, but he's the only one who ever acted civilized with me."
I nodded. "What about my brother?"
He looked up. "I told you I wasn't allowed to talk about Itachi," he growled. "He doesn't bother with me, in any case. The only reason he might know I exist is because I work for you."
I felt my fingers tighten on the cloth I was wrapping around his arm. Naruto winced. "Itachi is watching me?"
"I didn't say that," the blond replied, looking away.
"You hinted as much," I said curtly. "Why does he pay attention to me?"
To my surprise, Naruto snorted. "That's so obvious I don't even need to answer," he said dryly. "And stop talking about him or I'm really going to get hurt. You already know way too much."
I mentally winced, and forced my attention away from my brother. "What about Jiraiya?"
"I never lived with him," Naruto replied. "I was careful to stay as distant with him as I could afford. I mean-" He gave me a pained look- "-it was the only way to keep him alive. I know he probably sees me as the most problematic kid he's ever dealt with-"
"He doesn't hate you at all," I assured him. "He was worried when I called him."
"I know, but that doesn't mean I didn't hurt him. I told him eventually, and he did some research and all, but it's still hard." Naruto's eyes were considerably darker than usual. "That's the whole point of my life, so you can say it was effective, even though I had finally linked to someone. And then you butted in."
"Forgive me," I told him dryly. "Next time I'll kick you out like a proper businessman would have and hire some old library rat to do the work."
To this the blond laughed. "Actually, I'm pretty glad I met you," he admitted. "You're the only one who didn't think I was a monster, or someone to pity. You treated me like I was normal."
"You don't exactly look like a fox to me," I said, keeping my previous tone.
"Don't speak too soon." Absentmindedly, Naruto touched his cheeks. "Whiskers," he told me. "They were laughing the entire time."
"Who's 'they'?"
Again he looked away. "It doesn't matter. They're dead now." He must have felt my frown. "Even if they were punishing me, they touched me, didn't they? There's no exception to the rule."
Powerlessness. It was a new feeling I was beginning to despise. I could only watch as a single tear slid down his cheek, reddening with the blood that covered his skin. It reached his chin, and dropped…to land on my finger. He gave me a fearful look.
"It's not you once it leaves your skin," I said. "Who's the boss in the Akatsuki?"
"I can't tell you that kind of thing." His eyes were pleading. "Please don't ask. I can't hand you the Akatsuki's secrets without risking my life- and yours."