Konoha Kara No Dansei
Author: Grindell
Betas: El-Gilliath and KFergari
Pairing: NaruSasuNaru
Rating: T for now, maybe M later.
Warnings: cursing, boy love
Disclaimer: Why would Kishimoto submit an english fanfic to a primarily english website? We all know he only posts japanese fanfics, you sillies!
Summary: Naruto is a photographer who wants to capture the beauty in life. Sasuke is New York's top model, who would like no more than to quit.
Hey there everybody! This is not my first fanfic ever, but it is the first in several years. Here's chapter one, up and betaed!
Morning was crisp and new in the forest after a night of rain. The distinct smell of rainwater on pine permeated the air and lulled the occupants of the forest into lazy contentment. A small fox delicately placed her feet as she sniffed through the wet grass, searching for food to bring her kits.
Suddenly, a strange clicking noise made her look up suddenly. She stared in the direction the sound had come from, her ears held high and her eyes wide. The fox's nose twitched as she smelled the air in search of a threat, but she was down wind and so she caught nothing. The rapid clicking sound continued. After a moment she bound into the trees, leaving whatever it was behind.
Lying down in the tall grass, a blonde boy with whisker marks on his cheeks grinned from ear to ear. He lowered his large black camera from the front of his face, utterly impressed with its performance. The shutter speed on his new camera kicked serious ass!
Naruto sat up and crossed his legs as he flipped back through the twenty or so pictures he had just taken on his digital camera. His brand new, top of the line, Fujifilm IS-1 camera! He nearly burst out with glee when he found several pictures he liked, bouncing like a little kid on Christmas morning. The lighting was good in the early morning so he didn't have to worry about using a flash, and although the camera was a little heavier than he was used to he was quickly getting the hang of it. Naruto snickered at the fox staring back at him from the screen, looking very much like a fox himself. "This baby is gonna buy me a month's worth of ramen at least!"
At the young age of twenty-one, Naruto Uzumaki was fresh out of his two year art college. He was currently freelancing, getting work from a calendar company and the occasional wedding. He enjoyed working out and playing video games. Another one of his long time hobbies was photography, and now it was his profession. And he didn't mind telling anyone who would listen that several of his professors could be quoted as saying his work was "some of the most unique and intriguing they had ever seen." Heh heh! He even sold some prints over the Internet from his personal website. Yep. Everything was going swimmingly except… why whyWHY did bills have to exist?!
Naruto slumped, remembering how his cable had been shut off two weeks ago. If he didn't hurry his electricity would be next. It's a good thing ramen didn't need to be refrigerated, but he'd need some way to heat the water and his apartment didn't have a fireplace… He released a loud sigh as he sprawled out on the dew soaked grass, holding the camera in front of his face yet again and focusing on the trees above.
Iruka had been calling more often lately. The good-intentioned man kept offering Naruto money, which the blond would of course turn down right away. How was he supposed to make it on his own if Iruka kept helping? Then Iruka would subtly suggest Naruto should came back home until he got through financial troubles. To which Naruto would politely retort that artists are always unappreciated and after he died his photos would probably sell for millions and hang in museums. Iruka would then calmly point out that that was not putting food in Naruto's stomach now.
Needless to say, they would always end up in a fight. But Naruto had been having this argument with Iruka since the day the kind-hearted man had adopted him, so it was just their normal behavior. He appreciated that he had someone who cared enough to fuss over him so much, because for a long time no one had cared at all.
The lens focused in on a water droplet hanging from the edge of a leaf. Reflections of the forest and sun danced across the surface as it hung suspended, slowly preparing to fall. Naruto watched in aw, his camera already clicking before he even realized it. This was the beauty he wanted. The kind he saw every time he got away from city with its money troubles, social standards and mindless monotony of every day life. This was nature at it's most basic. Completely untouched.
"I'M BRINGING SEXY BACK! Yeah!"
"YAH!!" Naruto jumped a good three feet in the air, the camera slipping from his hands in his surprise. It was a good thing he had it strapped around his neck so it bounced harmlessly against his chest (not that his chest wasn't hard) instead of crashing to the ground.
He growled in irritation as he dug through his pocket and pulled out an orange covered cell phone. Whoever was calling had better be glad he hadn't dropped his new camera or there would have been bloodshed.
But when he saw just who was calling a smile cracked on his face, thoughts of bloodshed fled from his mind. He flipped open the phone. "Iruka-sensei!"
"Hi there, Naruto," Iruka greeted. He had long since resigned to the fact that even though he hadn't been Naruto's karate teacher since elementary school, he would forever be 'Iruka-sensei'. "How's your camping trip?"
"Really great! I got a ton of cool pictures! And the battery life on the camera isn't as bad as you though it would be, I've only had to change it twice the whole trip! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This thing is so awesome! I'll definitely be able to pay you back with the money I make off these!"
"Naruto, I already told you that camera was a graduation gift. You don't have to pay me back." Iruka sighed through the receiver.
"Don't bother trying to argue with me, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto laughed into his phone. "You know it's useless!"
Naruto heard Iruka mumble something about stubborn kids and snickered.
"I was calling to make sure you hadn't lost track of time out there and that you're still coming to dinner tonight," Iruka huffed.
"Yeah, yeah, I remember," Naruto said as he used his free hand to fiddle with the camera lens. "You've only been reminding me every day for the past week after all."
"Well you tend to lose yourself when you get out in the wilderness." Iruka replied. Naruto shrugged, making a sound of agreement in reply. "And please don't show up covered in dirt and leaves. You know I don't mind, but we're having guests tonight so please please behave."
Naruto puffed his cheeks and snorted. "Quit nagging me! Yeesh! Should I stop by the mall and get my nails done before I come over too?" He asked sarcastically then added, "I'm not going to get all dressy for someone I don't even know."
Iruka took a deep breath, sobering his voice. "Listen Naruto, THE Tsunade Hime said she was interested in meeting you. She's president of one of the most well known and best selling magazines in the country. Would you PLEASE give this a chance? She's probably going to offer you a job, Naruto."
"Hmm..." Naruto glowered. "I wouldn't call her THE. Especially since I never heard of her until she started pestering me last month."
Yeah, this had all started a month ago when Naruto had started getting letters from some "Konoha Kara No Dansei". Since he thought the name was ridiculously long and he could hardly pronounce it, he threw them away without much thought. Until one day when Iruka was over visiting and saw one of the unopened letters in the trash can. Flabbergasted that such a prestigious magazine was contacting Naruto, and after much yelling and punching of Naruto's head, Iruka had immediately called the number in the letter and apologized to Tsunade Hime for being ignored for so long. It ended with plans for a dinner date at Iruka's house so that Tsunade and Naruto could finally meet.
The whole thing left a bad taste in Naruto's mouth.
First of all, he wasn't a child. He could set up his own freaking job interview. Secondly, he wasn't a total moron. He subscribed to a lot of magazines. He was a photographer after all. So what if the existence of this one never came up? Lastly, why were they so damn persistent anyway?
He should have been ecstatic, really. But he couldn't get over the feeling that there was some kind of catch. The president of such a supposedly successful magazine wanted to hire him? And they were bothered enough to seek him out like this?
"Naruto." Iruka said in warning.
"Hey, I already said I would meet her! Don't have a cow. This Tsunade Hime seems pretty intent on meeting me after all," Naruto said as swiped some water droplets from his jacket, turning to walk towards his camp. "I promise I'll be nice."
"You'd better," Iruka grumbled before taking on a softer tone. "You know I do it because I love you, right?"
Naruto's lips cured into a bright, genuine smile. "I love you too." And even though Naruto couldn't see it, he knew Iruka well enough to picture the sweet, nurturing smile his former teacher was sporting at that moment. "Seeya, Iruka-sensei. I gotta go if I want enough time to drive back to the city and get ready. Unless of course, I skip my shower…" He said with a thinly veiled chuckle in his voice. "The rivers up here really do the trick on my pores you know."
"Don't even think about it. Get back here. Now."
"Yes Sir," Naruto saluted, still laughing. "Mother." And he hung up before Iruka could say another word, another round of laugher shaking his body as he trotted back towards his campsite to pack up his car.
He didn't even realize that someone was listening.
In a van parked 16 meters away on the edge of a rural road, two men had been listening very intently to the blond's conversation. "Kisame…" A low, soothing voice spoke, catching his partner's attention. The voice's owner held one earphone of the headset close to his right ear, his long back hair tied back so it would be out of the way.
"I know. I heard it too," the other man answered, adjusting the dials on their radio transmitter as Naruto walked into another area of the forest. As a different radio transmitter came online they heard the blond humming cheerfully and occasionally singing something along the lines of "Ranmen! Ramen! Good for you! Just like stew!"
Kisame turned his beady eyes to his partner, pointed teeth flashing in an almost wicked smile, "Looks like our suspensions were correct. Guess you won't be getting your brother back anytime soon. Eh, Itachi?"
Itachi gave no response, concentrating instead on the sound of Naruto cursing as he took down his stubborn tent.
-:-
Pulling up in Iruka's driveway that evening, Naruto checked the rear view mirror for any flaws in his appearance. He grinned, checking his teeth as well. Finding no problems (and taking a moment to admire his own Adonis-like features, and yes, Naruto thought he was a pretty good looking guy) he stepped out of his car and made his way up the stone pathway.
"Naruto!" Iruka startled the blond by slamming open the front door before Naruto could even consider ringing the doorbell. "Get in here! Tsunade Hime will be here any minute! Her secretary just called and they just got off the highway!"
He dragged the young man inside and forcibly pushed him down on a couch. Naruto immediately knew that Iruka had cleaned the whole house. His usual ass groove was all messed up.
"Geez, Iruka-sensei! Is this a job interview for me or a date for you?" Naruto asked, waggling his eyebrows as an afterthought.
Iruka's forehead twitched in irritation. Naruto mentally patted himself on the back.
"Don't be a smartass." Iruka glowered before dashing back to the kitchen to finish preparing their meal. Which smelled like meatloaf, the blond decided. Probably with mashed potatoes and peas for side dishes.
Naruto let out a sigh as he leaned back into the couch, deciding to pass the time by reforming his ass groove.
Ding-dong!
Fuck, that didn't take long.
"Answer the door!!" Iruka shouted from the kitchen, occupied with the hot tray of meatloaf.
"Already on it!" The blond answered, rolling his eyes as he walked towards the front door.
For the first time since this whole ordeal started, Naruto found himself slightly nervous. Was all this really just to offer a job? Maybe his photos were just that awesome. Naruto puffed out his chest, easily bushing his nervousness aside. Yeah, he was sure that was it. He was the great Naruto Uzumaki after all!
With that thought securely in mind, Naruto opened the door… only to come face to face with the largest pair of breasts he had ever seen. He very nearly jerked back.
"Aaa, so you're the brat who's been ignoring my letters." The large breasted woman said, drawing Naruto's attention to her face. Only then did he notice there was a second woman there as well, holding… was that a pig?
"Er…" Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Tsunade Hime?"
The pastel blonde woman with big boobs smirked, "And you're Naruto Uzumaki. You graduated from the Yagen Institute of Photography three weeks ago."
"Er…"
"Your father invited me, did he not?" She asked, placing a hand on her hip. "It's rude to leave your guests standing in the doorway."
"R- Right, sorry." Naruto stood aside and allowed the busty woman and her brunette companion to pass. With the pig. Despite her appearance, Naruto could tell Tsunade was an older woman, too old for Iruka even. And… those things had to be implants, right? And… had that old hag just called him a brat?!!
Naruto fumed as he followed them into the living room.
"Tsunade Hime!" Iruka rushed forward and grabbed her hand, shaking it vigorously. "Welcome to our home! Our meal is on the table any time you're ready. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come so far." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder, "You've met Naruto already, I see! He really is a talented boy. He's always had an artistic mind, ever since he was young."
Naruto grumbled. Did painting profanities on the walls in an orphanage really count as art?
"Well that's just what I'm counting on, isn't it? But you can address me as Tsunade. Only the tabloids call me Hime. I'm the president of a fashion magazine, not the prime minister," Tsunade waved a hand to dispel the name, though she looked very pleased with herself at the same time.
"FASHION MAGAZINE?!!" Naruto shouted incredulously, the words slipping from his mouth before he could stop them, not that he would have.
"Naruto!" Iruka gave the blond a warning look.
"This is my secretary, Shizune, and Tonton." Tsunade indicated the brown haired woman and pig respectively, completely ignoring the blond's outburst. Naruto clenched his fists as he developed a tick in his right eye.
"Ah, I've heard of you too, Shizune," Iruka addressed the brunette. "Your company has had the top selling clothing line since the year you got Tonton. Pigs are a symbol for good luck, right?"
Shizune nodded, blushing slightly. The little pink pig in her arms sniffed the air. "Yeah, it was an impulse buy at the time. Are you a fan of Tsunade's work, Mr. Umino?"
"Ah… well the clothing's not really my style." He rubbed the back of his head, smiling nervously.
"Well the designs are more for the younger sect." Shizune said, stroking behind Tonton's ears.
Meanwhile Tsunade had walked over to look at the pictures on the wall. Most of the photo's featured Naruto as either a child or teenager, grinning like a moron, along with pictures of Iruka and Naruto together. Others were Naruto's own photos, which ranged from mountains at sunset to a clown balancing on a unicycle. (Naruto had seen him on a boardwalk at the beach once.)
Naruto glared at the older woman. Fashion magazine?! What the Hell?!! If he had known that he never would have agreed to this! There was no way he was doing advertisements for their stupid snooty clothing line. Uh-uh! Naruto Uzumaki took pictures to capture beautiful moments in time, not sell corporate mush!
"No baby pictures." Tsunade spoke softly, holding a hand to her chin and gazing at the pictures as if trying to analyze them.
Naruto snapped. "What the hell does that matter?!!" This woman's attitude was pissing him off.
A vein popped on the busty blonde's forehead but she remained composed. "Different last names too," She looked back at the fuming young man. Iruka and Shizune watched with apprehension. "Tell me, are you adopted, Naruto?"
Naruto stared before narrowing his eyes. What? Was it 'uncouth' to be raised by a family that wasn't the Cleavers? "Yeah."
"Mmmhn." Tsunade made a sound of approval, a small smile spread across her lips. Naruto blinked. What… what kind of reaction was that?
Tsunade clapped her hands together. "So how about dinner then?"
Iruka perked up, knocked out of the stupor brought on by watching the two blondes. "Oh! Of course, the dinning room is right through here." He led the way into the other room.
Naruto was the last to follow, question marks dancing around in his head. He had never felt so utterly lost. Why didn't Tsunade just tell them why she was here, already?!! Dammit! The only thing that had kept him from demanding answers was his promise to Iruka to be nice. But if she kept that shrewd attitude up he was going to crack. What right did she have, anyway? This was their house, dammit! Well… Naruto didn't live here anymore, but he had grown up here so it still counted! He didn't like being left in the dark.
Dinner was a quiet affair. Eerily quiet. The kind of quiet that forced Iruka and Shizune into silence as they watched to see which of their charges would crack first. Naruto and Tsunade sat across from each other, Naruto occasionally glaring while Tsunade stayed stubbornly silent. The obvious tension multiplied when Naruto started stabbing his peas, at which point Tsunade gave him a challenging gaze. Tsunade was never this quiet, so Shizune was rather frightened.
"Miss…Miss Tsunade," Shizune broke the silence, flinching when both blondes' stony glares turned to her. "Per… perhaps we should… get down to business… now?" Iruka nodded in agreement.
"That is an excellent suggestion, Shizune," Tsunade said in an almost sarcastic tone. "And I would have much sooner. Had I not thought opening my mouth would result in my tongue to getting ripped from my mouth." She cast a meaningful glare at the young man sitting across from her, her brow twitching in suppressed anger.
"Hey, Lady! If you have a problem with me just say so!" Naruto snapped up, pointing an accusing finger at the busty woman. By now he was past the point of caring if he got this supposed 'job' or not. Not that he would know, she hadn't told him a damn thing!! "Who do you think you are?! Waltzing into our home like you own the place, without even explaining yourself!"
Tsunade stood, fire raging behind her eyes. "You've got some nerve, brat! Do you treat all your guests this way?!"
"Only the ones who call me a brat!!" Naruto shouted. "Now cut the crap and tell me why you're here! Since you're so famous and busy, you obviously came this far from the city for a reason! What do you want?!!"
"Miss Tsunade! Remember you promised to be nice!" Shizune reminded her boss, who had been raising a shaky fist.
Tsunade took a deep breath, taking her seat again as she attempted to cool her raging temper. Had this not been a special situation she probably would have beaten the crap out of the brat already.
Naruto remained standing, glaring as Tsunade folded her hands and set her chin on them. "WELL?!"
The elder woman looked up, her strong gaze piercing into Naruto's skin, making him falter. He shifted as he started to feel uncomfortable. Like he was under a microscope. When she spoke he was caught off guard.
For what felt like a very long time his breath caught in his throat and the blood in his veins stilled as his heart refused to pump.
"What did you say?!"
"I knew your parents," was the immediate reply. Tsunade continued to gaze at him, gauging his reaction. Except… Naruto didn't know how to react.
"Huh?"
Tsunade folded her arms, giving the blond boy an annoyed look. "I can keep this up all night, kid. I. Knew. Your. Parents."
Naruto blinked. "They're dead."
Tsunade's aura immediately turned somber and her gaze drifted to the floor. "I know."
Silence followed. Iruka was stunned, casting his adopted son a concerned look. Shizune had her eyebrows lowered as worry crept onto her face. Tsunade continued to look at Naruto with an expectant gaze.
Naruto didn't know what to say. Truthfully he hadn't given his parents much thought since he became a teenager. When he had been a kid he had pined for them so much, especially before he had met Iruka. But that felt like such a long time ago… and now… so suddenly…
"Naruto?"
A hand placed on his shoulder caused Naruto to flinch in surprise. He whirled his head around to face his very concerned adopted father. Naruto hadn't even noticed him get out of his seat.
"Are you okay?" Iruka asked, rubbing Naruto's shoulder reassuringly.
Okay? Was he okay?
"I… I'm fine Iruka-sensei! Why wouldn't I be?!" He asked in voice much more squeaky than he intended. He could feel the stares of the two women on him, but he didn't want to look at them.
"I'm… just thirsty! I'm all out of soda…" Naruto fumbled with his glass, finally grasping it and making a hasty retreat to the kitchen.
He placed the glass in the sink. Then marched to the refrigerator, opened it, stared blankly inside for a moment before closing it again. He tapped his hands on the counter, purposefully opened the washing machine to look inside, closed it also, and wiped his hands on his pants.
He was trying to ignore the fact that he was breathing rather heavily.
Suddenly Naruto ran to the cupboard and pulled down a pack of ramen, grabbed a pot (knocking another pot to the floor as he did so, but he just ignored it) and turned on the faucet. Ramen, that's what he needed! As he was putting the pot under the water he heard the door to the kitchen swing open.
"I'm fine." Naruto whimpered, opening the ramen pack and sending little pieces of dry noodle flying.
"Then you're doing a very good impression of 'not fine'."
Naruto whipped around to face Tsunade, standing just inside the doorway with a frown on her deceptively young face. He had thought it was Iruka coming in. Quickly turning back to his ramen, he grabbed the pot and strode to the stove, turning on the burner and throwing the noodles in.
"You ran out of there so fast I thought you were going to break the space-time continuum." Naruto heard her approach and stop on his left side. Damn, the water wasn't boiling fast enough.
"Oh, I get it. You're the type who doesn't like to show weakness. Especially to strangers. Fine. I can respect that," Tsunade continued, her voice strong and purposeful, "But I should warn you, I'm famous for my short fuse and I have no patience for the silent treatment."
Naruto turned fully towards the busty woman, only to see a smirk on her face. Naruto pouted, his eyebrow quirked. "You want me to throw you a parade?"
"No, but when I found the long lost son of one of my closest friends, I was expecting a little different reaction than 'I'm out of soda'," she responded, Naruto immediately recognizing the teasing quality to her voice.
Naruto snorted, unable to keep the corner of his mouth from tipping upward, "So you came to visit because you want to be best pals?"
"I came because I cared about your mother and father. And they cared about you," she said seriously.
"I… I wouldn't know," He grabbed a ladle from the decorative holding cup next to the stove and stirred the softening noodles.
Tsunade was silent for a moment, drumming her fingers on the counter. "The circumstances at your birth were complicated," She ventured, watching the blond carefully, "There were…"
"LOOK!" Naruto rounded on the woman, his eyes blazing. "What's the point of all this?! Because I don't see it!! Where were you fifteen years ago when I was all alone in the orphanage, huh?! It's too late now! I'm all grown up! I have a life and friends and a great Dad! THIS is my life! So don't come busting into it and tell me all about what might have been!! It doesn't matter now!!"
Naruto stopped and breathed heavily, his glare daring the magazine president to challenge him. He didn't want to know.
He didn't want to know about what he couldn't have.
Tsunade glared, obviously irritated with Naruto's response. Good! He was irritated too!
"Alright," she strained, making an obvious effort not to grind her teeth. "If that's what you want I'll leave and never bother you again. And you'll have moronically let your only chance to know about your parents slip through your fingers, but hey, it's your choice."
Naruto yanked a bowl out of the dishwasher, slamming it shut again. Dammit, she was right. "I'm just… wigging out here!!! I mean… you really knew my parents?" He turned to her, completely forgetting the ramen.
Tsunade's smile fell back into place. "Yes. Your father was a colleague of mine before he died. President of the company, actually. He's the one who made Konoha Kara No Dansei the success it is today."
"The fashion magazine…?" he asked with an edge in his voice.
"You really hate fashion that much?"
"Hm, big corporations, selling ridiculously overpriced clothes to kids who become social outcasts if they aren't wearing them, thereby widening the gap between rich and poor. All the while lowering their self-esteem. Yeah, I'd say I'm not a big fan."
Surprising enough, Tsunade's chuckled. "Don't confuse us with Banana Republic. Our clothing line tends to be more for… show. Instead of for sale."
Naruto stared back, utterly confused. "What does that mean?"
"I'm the top designer, but very few of our fashions make it to the rack. The clothes are created specifically for our models and to appear in our magazine. It's the magazine that we sell."
Naruto blinked. "So… if you're not selling clothes, then the magazine is just… a picture book?"
Tsunade brought her fist down on his head. "Idiot! It's the models that sell!"
As he was rubbing his abused head, it suddenly clicked.
"You're like Playboy!!!" Naruto jumped back, pointing an accusing finger at Tsunade. He should have guessed! Someone with breasts that large had to work in something dirty!
Tsunade's mouth fell open. "There is NOTHING lude in our magazine! It's VERY tasteful I'll have you know!!"
Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Listen, you brat-" she growled in warning, raising her fist.
He stepped back, not wanting to incur her wrath again. Also, Iruka probably wouldn't have invited her if she had been president of a porn magazine. "Alright! I'll believe you!"
"Good, because I'm offering you a job as our photographer."
Naruto fell into silence, staring at the smirking woman. Oh… yeah, job. He'd already completely forgotten about that.
"That's how I found you actually," she continued, "A few weeks ago I started my search for a young photographer. I was checking the recent graduates from photography schools when I saw your last name. Since your name is so unique, and your work showed a high level of talent, I decided to contact you." Her eyes softened slightly, "I was sure you were Minato's son the moment you opened the door. You look exactly like him."
"Oh." Naruto fidgeted, trying not to appear too pleased that he looked like his dad. But he suddenly felt much lighter.
"You'd be covering our major stories and creating a portfolio of fashions used in each issue. The pay is respectable. Our office is centered in Manhattan." She pulled out a business card and offered it to him, "Think on it and let me know soon. That's not a suggestion."
Naruto gazed at the card as if he had never seen one before, then slowly he took it. It contained a phone number and address in embossed letters, overlain on a picture of a tall building next to a park.
With one last smile, Tsunade turned and strolled out of the kitchen. "Let's go Shizune, we're done here," was heard from the dining room.
Naruto continued to stare at the card and what he could only assume was a picture of the place his father had worked at every day for years. He wondered which office used to belong to him. He might be staring at it right now. Hopefully it was one facing the park. That would have been nice.
Shaking his head, Naruto pocketed the card and turned back to the stove. He switched off the burner and poured the noodles into his bowl, adding the seasoning soon after.
No, he couldn't push aside his whole life and move to New York just so he could work in the same building as his father. That was just… stupid…. Maybe.
He had known his parents were dead, the orphanage had told him that much, so he hadn't dreamed of magically finding them (much)… he hadn't lingered on it, anyway. And because he had never known them couldn't really miss them (more than was normal)… That was how Naruto had convinced himself to move on when he was a kid. Dreaming about them and wondering what kind of people they were… it wouldn't do anyone any good. And it hurt too much.
As Naruto was taking a seat at the small kitchen table, Iruka hesitantly opened the door. "Naruto?" He ventured inside and took the seat next to his adopted son. "Are you alright?"
Naruto stirred his ramen around. "Not sure. I think I'm okay. Just… I kinda got thrown for a loop there."
"No one's blaming you. You weren't prepared and it's a sensitive subject. But this is good news, right? Your parents were good people, and they loved you. Not every kid put up for adoption can say that. And you have a chance to learn more about them. I'm glad."
"Iruka-sensei…" Naruto turned to older man, but couldn't look him in the eye. "I can't. It would be like selling out to work for some high-end magazine like that. And I like wilderness, not the big city."
"I swear to God Naruto, if you don't come up with a better excuse, I'm going to run your car off a cliff." Uh-oh, Iruka sounded serious.
Naruto drummed his fingers on the table, still refusing to look Iruka in the eyes. This time he spoke much more softly. "If I went to New York, and left you here, would you be sad? It would be like I was replacing you."
"Naruto, if you turn down this job, I do not want it to be on my account," Iruka said sternly.
"I know, but…"
"I also lost my parents at a young age," Iruka smiled sadly. "And I will personally kill you if you don't take this opportunity to learn about yours."
Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. "I'll think about it." A warm smile spread across his face.
-:-
On the drive home Naruto tried to clear his mind, willing himself to forget his sudden dilemma until tomorrow morning when his mind would be clearer. But strange little things kept running across his brain, like "I wonder if mom was a blonde or brunette" Or "I wonder if dad got the weekends off from the company, surely he had Sunday at least".Or "Did they live in an apartment or a house? They would have to live outside Manhattan for a house. The traffic must have been murder."
"Gah!" Naruto nearly banged his head against the steering wheel as he stopped for a red light. This was insane!! He doesn't give his parents two thoughts for all these years and suddenly, he can't think of anything else!!
Naruto sighed. Maybe he had wanted to know about them all along but didn't let himself think about it because there was no way of finding out. Now it's his chance to know…
Could he really leave his current life behind? He pondered as he sped through the intersection. Moving to New York would be a big change. Then again, trying new things was good too…
He hadn't had a lot of contact with his friends since graduation after all. And Iruka wanted him to go. The pay would be good. He wouldn't have to worry about living in darkness anymore. And… he really did want to know about his parents.
But he would be photographing models. Snooty, overpaid, 'I'm so much hotter and better than you' models.
To Naruto, photography was about capturing what is important and innately beautiful in the world so you could be reminded of those special moments. He didn't want to photograph someone who was just concerned with looking hot! It tainted the whole concept!! But… Dammit!! He wanted to know how his parents lived their lives!! Where they lived, worked, ate, spent their free time, and what it all meant to them!!
Tsunade knew them. She knew what kind of people they where when they were alive. How they spent their days and what their values were… if they were the type of people who would have loved him, had they had the chance.
"Minato…" Naruto repeated the name that Tsuande had called his father. The former president of Konoha Kara No Dansei, the man who made that magazine what it was today. Whatever it was today…
It couldn't hurt to take a look.