"Naruto, what would you do for all the ramen you could want in the world?" Sasuke suddenly asked. Naruto shrugged.

"I dunno, just about anything, I guess."

"Hnn."

"Why'd you ask?"

Sasuke ignored him.

Shikamaru frowned. "This is stupid. You've got to be kidding me, right?"

"Nope."

Shikamaru sighed. "So troublesome. Do I really have to?"

"If you want a pile of that loot, then yes."

"How much are we talking?"

"They say Akatsuki's piled up more than two billion. We'd be peeling off maybe twenty percent of that. Split that eleven ways and you're stuffed."

"Damn," Shikamaru said, doing the math. "You know that's a lot of zeroes and nines, right?"

"I don't do decimals."

"What made you pick eleven?" There was an orange glow as he took a drag off his cigarette.

"Let's just say I think the rest of my crew will be just as enticed by this as you were."

"Your crew?"

Sasuke smiled.

"The numbers still aren't matching, Kiba-kun," said Hinata. Kiba ground his teeth.

"Dammit, Hinata, it's just a couple hundred. Why are you so upset?"

"Because I know where it is," Hinata returned. "Don't think I don't notice when your clothes start coming from Amani and your earring's real diamond, not crystal."

Kiba sighed. "Just don't tell my boss, OK?"

"I've kept quiet about the last few times, and I don't intend to change that," Hinata muttered, going to the break room to get more coffee.

"I liked her better before speech therapy," Kiba muttered, during his attention back to spreadsheets and the numbers he was trying to butter over.

"Um, Kiba?" She was back. Kiba answered without looking up from the stack of numbers he was entering.

"What is it, Hinata?"

"There's someone here to see you."

Kiba looked up – and immediately looked down again.

"Get the hell out of here. I'm not making the same mistake twice."

"I've got numbers for you and Hinata to crunch."

"I don't have time."

"Because you're too busy skimming cream from Hyuuga Accounting?"

Kiba took off his glasses and laid them on the desk. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off.

"It's really nice of Hinata to let you steal from her dad's company, Kibs, but I think your talents could be employed in a more…lucrative way."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you, you bastard?" Kiba growled. "And don't call me Kibs. It's just more evidence of your superiority complex."

"If you want to give up millions in favor of hundreds, keep insulting me."

"Fine. What are you proposing?"

"Come to this address on Saturday night to find out." A business card was tossed over the sheaf of manila envelopes littering Kiba's desk. "You come too, Hinata. There's a share in this for you, if you want."

Kiba was reading the numbers written in pen on the back of the card. He raised an eyebrow in mild awe.

"Ninety mil a piece? Who are these other nine people?"

He was met with silence. Hinata jumped as Kiba started laughing.

"You knew him?" she asked.

"Yeah, I was stupid enough to fall for a con of his one time. Made himself a good hundred K out of me and the guys who were with me. Con man duping con men. He's a smart cookie, that Sasuke Uchiha. Smart, but with too many enemies."

"Come on, Lee," Tenten hissed, fingers anxiously tapping the wheel. "Come on, come on, come on…what the hell is taking him so long?"

"We opened the vault for him, but he's still got to make it past the lasers," Neji said. "Patience, Tenten."

The back door opened and Lee came racing out, clutching something in his hands.

"Neji-san! Tenten-san! I have gotten them! Lady Tsunade's diamonds!"

"Idiot," snarled Tenten, shoving the blue velvet bag down under her seat. "What if someone sees those? Sit down and shut up!"

Lee obeyed.

"Let's go," Neji ordered. "I want us states away and those diamonds sold when they run their check on the vault's contents."

"Oh? And who do you think is going to be buying Lady Tsunade's diamonds?"

Tenten stiffened. Neji glanced into the rearview mirror, narrowing his eyes in a challenge.

"How the hell did you get into my car, Uchiha?"

"Doesn't matter." Sasuke leaned forward. "Point is, Hyuuga, you're overreaching. Those diamonds are too famous. Nobody's gonna buy those until you grind them down for powder and sell them to the hardware store. And then they'd be almost worthless."

Neji swore. "What do you want?"

"You've got yourself a star greaseman and a good wheel woman," said Sasuke. "I want them. And I want you."

"Let's go, Tenten," Neji ordered. "Start driving." He turned back to his unexpected fourth passenger. "It was a mistake to get in here, Uchiha. If you want someone to do you a favor, never put yourself into their hands. Drive down to the river," he ordered Tenten. She nodded grimly.

"There's over a billion in it for your team. Better than what you'd be making off those diamonds."

"Hnn. Out of curiosity, whose money were you planning on using to pay me to do your dirty work?"

"Akatsuki's," said Sasuke.

"Akatsuki? You're actually going to take on Nagato, Orochimaru, and your brother?"

"Sounds like a personal thing to me," sniffed Tenten.

"That's foolish, Uchiha-san," said Lee. "If you are emotionally or personally involved in a job, then your ability to reason and plan without bias is hampered. Therefore you will struggle to complete your job successfully."

"Who said this was about revenge?" Sasuke's eyes glowed. "Come on, Neji, I know you feel them biting your tail. No matter what you say, there's stuff in their vaults you wouldn't mind having. Some of it used to be yours, right?"

Neji's face twitched impassively.

"I won't go into a job for revenge."

"Kisame's got your name, now," said Sasuke teasingly. "Imagine taking back your stuff and raiding his vault, right under his nose, and then vanishing with a billion of his-"

"Knock it off, Uchiha. Pull over, Tenten."

The black van came to a halt.

"Get out of the goddamn car."

"Hnn?"

"Hnn."

"Was that a yes?" asked Tenten, watching Sasuke's figure shrink in her sideview mirror. "Because dialogues between you prodigies always screw with my head." Neji shook his head.

"Another order of special dumplings!"

"One tuna steak coming up!"

"Get more of that Prast from the fridge!"

"Excuse me, sir? There's a customer who would like a word with the chef."

"I'm busy, damn it! OI! Take that off the heat before it browns!"

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Not now! Hey, Iruka, can you take these sushi orders? I've got my hands full with this ramen broth…"

"Sir, the customer gave me this."

Eyebrows were raised.

"That much, huh? Trying to bribe the chef?"

"I wouldn't know, sir. He would like to see you, sir."

"Well, we can't ignore a paying customer. Yugito! Finish this ramen while I go greet a customer! KONOHAMARU, don't you DARE ruin those mushrooms or I will so kick your ass!"

Straightening of the hat, dusting of the round front. Open the swinging doors with a smile reserved for customers.

The waiter points out the patron.

Turns around to head back into kitchen.

Forcibly (and with difficulty) pushed to table by waiter.

"My compliments for the meal, Choji."

"That's all you're getting out of me, hear?"

"Relax. Do you know where I could find Yuki?"

"Who's that?"

"You know, the sexy bitch from our Suna job. Long hair. Nice eyes. Kept hitting on me."

"Oh, you mean – look, do we have to talk about this? Especially in public?"

"Oh, I see. Don't want to disturb your other patrons, huh?"

"Look, I could throw you out whenever I wanted. This is my place. Be grateful I'm not throwing you out on your ass right now."

"How much longer is it yours?"

"What the hell?"

"That guy from Suna is trying to buy you out, right?"

"Damn Sasori and his piddling French tastes! This is REAL cuisine! And the bastard thinks he can just take the place out from under me…"

"How much would stop him?"

"How much we talking about?"

"Say…ninety mil."

"Wow. Getting cocky, aren't you?"

"Depends. You can't get yours and I can't get mine unless you tell me where to find Yuki."

"Oi." A sigh. "I don't know, we don't really keep up. She always thought I was a fatass, you know."

"Can't imagine why." Deepest imitation of sincerity.

"Last I heard, she was working over those highrollers in Kumokagure. You know her. Sex and diamonds and all that crap…"

"Whereabouts in Kumokagure?"

"Dunno. Try the Lightning Blade, she had a thing for ninja stuff."

"Weird tastes, that woman. Thanks for the meal."

"Hey, what about my ninety mil?"

"Now who's getting cocky, demanding payoff up front? Show up at this place on Saturday. 7:00. Don't be late."

"It's a weekend. I'm not closing earlier than ten for nothing."

"Not even ninety mil?"

"…damn."

"Au revoir."

Sasuke made a face as he pulled away from the restaurant. "Damn it's been three years and Choji still can't cook. My gut won't forgive me for this one."

"Too bad, your gut's still got to go to Kumokagure," said the voice on the car phone. "I got you a flight at six-thirty."

"That's in two hours."

"Your bags are in your trunk. Good luck with Yuki."

"Thanks."

"Hey, is that really her name?"

"Probably not."

Hmm…who is this YUKI that Sasuke is going to retrieve from Kumokagure? And is Team Neji really in on the Uchiha deal? Is Sasuke really in this for personal reasons (you know it!)? And will Akatsuki catch wind of this plan?

And I apologize to those of you who may have initially been expecting SasuSaku, because of the character categories. That's just cause I do not want this piece to be confused with a SasuNaru yaoi, cause I don't write those. There may be some romance later, I dunno. We'll see what happens. But the idea has struck and there is no turning back now!

~Rhulain