Chapter 2: The Case of Sarutobi Sasuke Take 1

A/N
Annnnd another chapter here...
I promise there won't be as much A/N in the future since I'll be focusing more on uploading these asap, while spacing it to give my ... accomplice and I time to figure out how to we're gonna go about this.. (yeah we didn't plan that far ahead... thought it was more important to get what was already there up.)


Sasuke knew that there was going to be a problem the second Yukimura had, quite literally, run into Date Masamune. It wasn't so much a sudden prophecy of doom as it was an abrupt realization that someone like Masamune would be pulled to a person who possessed a soul as passionate as his own.

There had been a strange inkling in his heart when he had asked Date to meet him at the Great Tiger Café. It had initially seemed like an ideal situation. He could do his best friend duties and pick Yukimura up from school, drop him off at work for Shingen, and then meet Date there for their project. But Date Masamune was a mercurial creature born of chaos and a harbinger of utter pandemonium. Sasuke should have known that something would go wrong.

And so Sasuke was left in his present situation, his khaki backpack abandoned to the floor by his chair as he sat down to watch Masamune watch Yukimura instead of doing their project. Masamune was fascinated by Yukimura, was staring at him as if trying to place him, like he somehow knew Yukimura was couldn't recall how. Sasuke prayed he never figured it out. Then again, Masamune was the type of man who would stick around until he did. Sasuke leaned down to take out his notes and began rifling through them for project particulars, decidedly ignoring Masamune who was holding his head up with one hand to leisurely watch Yukimura run from table to table.

What bothered Sasuke was that even while he was focused on working, Yukimura occasionally looked back at Masamune. Sasuke hoped his project partner hadn't noticed, but even though Sasuke thought Masamune was a certain form of idiot, even he wasn't that stupid.

"Hey ninja, is he going to come over here soon?" Masamune asked suddenly, and Sasuke was honestly surprised that he remembered he was there at all.

Rolling his eyes at being called a ninja, Sasuke replied, "I think we are in Oichi-san's section today."

"Oichi?" Masamune frowned, obviously remembering that Sasuke had promised to sit in Yukimura's section.

Sasuke sent him a tranquil grin. "Oichi-san is the girl with the red apron at the counter, the one talking to Shingen. She's on break at the moment but she'll be over in a few minutes. It'll give us some time to get started." Hopefully that would be a hint for Masamune to focus on the project and not Yukimura. Then again, Sasuke gave people too much credit sometimes, Masamune obviously being a case in point.

"Then why are we in this section?" the ever-obstinate man asked, making an obvious effort to look at Sasuke instead of Yukimura.

Sasuke looked back and wondered how to answer. Because I don't want you and Yukimura interacting? Because the more you know him the more fascinated you'll be? Because there is a chance he may come to like you too?

Sasuke shrugged, "I like this table."

Masamune had the gall to grin. "Oh, I see. You have a thing for that girl?"

Sasuke gazed at him flatly, then smiled conspiratorially, whispering, "No, no. It's the blonde, Kasuga, that I like!"

Masamune leaned forward as well, as if he were a friend, "The one with legs for days and a seemingly optional clothing preference? Nice. She is pretty hot for a woman. Isn't she in our class? Sits up front for lectures and always sighs?"

Sasuke leaned back. They weren't friends. "Yeah, she never misses one of Uesugi-sensei's classes. It's pitiful. I'm such a great guy, coming to visit her at work every day, but all she does is scorn me for an older man."

"Tough break, ninja. Keep trying though. Giving up on real love makes you less of a man."

Sasuke hated him and smiled widely to prove it. It wasn't as if Sasuke didn't like Kasuga, the girl was gorgeous and adorable. If she weren't so infatuated with someone else he would seriously pursue her. But Kasuga was wholeheartedly in love with their teacher, and had been from her freshman year, which meant Sasuke could flirt and play pretend love as he kept the world blind to his more long-standing affection. Sasuke could be as close to the person he cared about while still keeping himself from damaging their strong friendship. So long as he focused his attention on an equally unattainable other, Sasuke wanted to believe that he could teach himself to stop loving Yukimura.

Sasuke held out his notes for Masamune, trying to get the man to tear his eye from the cheerful waiter who had unknowingly done something to once again captivate the intense man's gaze. He probably broke another plate… no, Shingen wasn't punching him yet. Plates were still safe.

Sasuke may not like what was unfolding between Masamune and Yukimura, but he couldn't do anything about it. In the past, any advance that he had halfheartedly made in respect of their friendship had been inoffensively overlooked by Yukimura. His friend just wasn't interested in love. So while Sasuke may not be capable of winning Yukimura's heart for himself, he could at least not make it easy for Date Masamune to triumph where he had long failed. Sasuke had some pride after all.

Sasuke, arms crossed, considered Masamune critically. At school, the one-eyed menace was an infamous figure, popular in very untypical ways, which is exactly how Date Masamune likes it. For their peers, he was someone to watch and admire from afar, away from whatever turbulent activity he and his gang were participating in. With slightly disheveled, shoulder-length brown hair surrounding his handsome face and accompanied by an eye the color of liquid mercury, Masamune's physical appearance was a flawless match for his devil-may-care attitude. Sasuke could easily understand, though not personally appreciate, the appeal people had in admiring him.

Sasuke sincerely hoped that Masamune was just curious and not walking down the path all others had failed. Masamune was still studying a flitting Yukimura, compelled by his attraction in a way that Sasuke felt was uncharacteristic.

As Sasuke looked through the notebook his inattentive partner had handed him, he realized that Masamune's condition may be worse than he had initially thought. Instead of notes for the project, Sasuke was flipping through Masamune's sketchbook. Figuring that this may as well be an invitation for suitable torture, Sasuke took great humor in realizing that Date Masamune drew and colored like a five year-old.

"Nice doodles," Sasuke snorted out, trying not to laugh. Masamune looked over and actually grimaced before grabbing his notebook and hastily shoving it back into his bag.

"I like drawing," Masamune answered simply, but there was a natural smugness that Sasuke couldn't help himself from ridiculing.

"Are you…aware that you aren't very good?"

"I have a unique style. These will be famous one day." Masamune, Sasuke admitted to himself, while filled with arrogance and conviction, was also probably a little dim.

"I think you are confusing style with stick figures."

"I wasn't finished…"

Sasuke chuckled, "I enjoyed the angry stick-figure pirate."

"That was Motochika. He wants to be a pirate when he grows up."

"…"

Masamune handed Sasuke a different notebook, and then turned away to continue Yukimura-watching. Sasuke shook his head and tried to read the notes Date had taken. They were as scribbled as his sketches had been.

Sasuke was still deciphering when the door opened for a new customer. He wasn't surprised in the slightest to see Uesugi Kenshin walk in. It was about the right time for the effeminate man to visit.

"Isn't that our professor?" Masamune asked with some surprise, disappointingly tearing his eyes away from his prey.

"Yes, he comes here every day."

"He must really like the service. No wonder the leggy blonde works here."

"Her name is Kasuga. And yes, that is why she works here. " That and to kill Shingen, but Sasuke was somehow the only who seemed to notice those inept attacks. Or everyone else just thought they were a joke. In a way, Sasuke also thought it was sort of a joke, but not in a way that would make Kasuga pleased.

"No need to get defensive, right? I don't remember names very well," Masamune said with his hands up in false defense, one of his infuriating grins was pasted on his face to counter any honest sincerity.

"How problematic for you," Sasuke retorted without any enthusiasm.

"Eh, I remember the important names," Masamune added bluntly, not guilty in the slightest.

"Do you remember my name?"

Masamune looked at him blankly.

"You know, ninja," Masamune coughed, changing the subject even though he obviously cared little about Sasuke's opinion of him, "I always wondered if Uesugi was really a guy. He just looks so feminine."

"I'm surprised you didn't just ask. You don't seem like the type to hold back."

"I'm not the type to hold back at all. Not knowing is somewhat fun though, you can place bets with everyone in class."

Sasuke seriously looked at the idiot in front of him, and deciding to distract himself from stupidity, waved to Kenshin. In turn, Kenshin smiled and returned the wave before returning his attention to Shingen who was giving him his usual free order.

"He probably doesn't recognize me," Masamune commented with an amused smile, arms thrown behind the chair and head awkwardly tilted over the back to watch Kenshin. As their teacher began to leave for his next lecture, he was quickly intervened by a lovelorn Kasuga.

Sasuke tapped his pen against Masamune's notebook. "He is probably just choosing to ignore you. It's not like you come to class that often. Be grateful he hasn't dropped you."

"True. Those two, the old guy and Uesugi-sensei, they seem pretty close," Masamune remarked, finally choosing to turn completely in his chair in order to watch Kenshin politely turn down Kasuga.

Sasuke didn't reply to Masamune, focusing instead on his own thoughts. Even though he was a year older, Sasuke had known and been friends with Yukimura for ten years, and through him had met Shingen and Kenshin. The boisterous Shingen had the tendency to wholeheartedly adopt people into his life and make them family. Everyone who got a job at the Great Tiger Café became a part of Shingen's extended family, even Kasuga, though that was probably because Shingen thought her assassination attempts, to get him out of Kenshin's life, were an adorable joke. Sasuke, while he didn't work for Shingen, loved being one of the people he had heartily taken under his wing.

"Yukimura… in that cute, little black vest and that silly red headband. I can pull it down over his eyes and trick him into a kiss. Or maybe tie up his wrists and…"

Date Masamune possessed an uncanny ability to piss Sasuke off. Not to mention kill any thought process possessed by the people around him with his sheer absurdity. It was truly an amazing skill. Sasuke idly wondered if he could convince Kasuga that killing Masamune would win her Kenshin's heart.

"I plan to eat my dinner on this table," Sasuke decided to finally reply as Masamune's strange monologue was continuing into the pornographic. A mother was gaping at Masamune, horrified, and her small son took advantage of her inattention to throw a small cake at Oichi, the poor waitress who had been coming to say hello to Sasuke. The unfortunate girl was blushing so hard because of Masamune that she didn't even notice the cake decorating her front.

Masamune just gawked at Sasuke with stunned amazement, "Are you a mind reader, ninja?"

Sasuke returned the stare with slight wonder. "Do you even realize that you were speaking out loud?"

"…"

"…"

"I'm a very creative thinker."

"Apparently."

"C-can Ichi help you?" Oichi blurted out, her eyes avoiding Masamune to easily settle on Sasuke who was her friend. Sasuke smiled and discreetly handed her his napkin, making her aware of the chunks of cake still on her apron. "Oh!"

Masamune's lip curled down with the revelation that he had nearly embarrassed himself in front of Yukimura, but was completely unaware of the misadventure he had caused poor Oichi.

Sasuke liked Oichi well enough, she was a beautiful woman and highly modest. Long black hair and eyes harmonized with her petite stature, easily making her appear like a damsel most men would fall for. It could get frustrating when she apologized for everything negative that occurred in the universe, like Yukimura dropping a stack of plates, but it was just a part of her personality.

"Ichi is so sorry Sasuke-san! She did not notice you waiting. But you know Ichi was on break Sasuke-san, so why did you sit in this section? Yukimura-kun would have been more than happy to help you!" Oichi questioned her friend as she sat down at their table to wipe off cake.

Masamune considered her for a second before losing interest, but then his eye lit with mischief and he smirked at Sasuke. "Yes, Sasuke-san, why didn't we sit in Yukimura-kun's section?"

Sasuke sighed and inconspicuously looked at Yukimura's section of the room which was near full even at a dead hour of business. Yukimura was popular with the customers. His honest and adorable enthusiasm attracted people to him in a way that Sasuke found amusing but frivolously loathed.

"Like I explained to my extremely friendly project partner earlier, Oichi-san, it was convenient. Well, what do you want Date?" Sasuke did owe him after all, and he would hate feeling somehow indebted to the jackass.

Masamune looked at Yukimura again and opened his mouth to speak, but Sasuke cut him off, "You can't have that."

The two men glared at each other and Sasuke realized that Date Masamune was going to make his life inordinately difficult, which Sasuke hated more than anything. Sasuke was an expert in reading a person's character, and he knew that Masamune was not someone to hold back or live a life of half-ways. He either liked something or didn't. He loved or he hated completely. Sasuke had never met such a troublesome person.

Masamune continued to fiercely glower at Sasuke, but then suddenly smiled to himself as if he had figured out some great puzzle. "So that's it, isn't it…?"

Sasuke realized in an instant that Masamune had taken his statement as some strange, personal declaration of war. And he had realized exactly what Sasuke was praying he wouldn't…

"I think I may love that little bastard." It was said casually, as if feeling an emotion like love from just one meeting was possible. Then again, it was Date Masamune, and somehow this sudden, bizarre confession fit his equally strange personality.

Shit.


A/N Right! So again, reviews will be forwarded to Her, and questions.. will probably take a while to answer since it'll take time for when I forward it to her, and her to get back to me, and then copy/paste reply to reviewer.. or I guess She can just contact you.. if you know her..

BUT YES! Reviews much appreciated.