Title: FOX
Chapter: 2 – Hinata
Author: Flourescized
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto is the lead singer of one of the most popular bands around. Uchiha Sasuke has just left Akatsuki. When the organization discovers their past together, they will stop at nothing to get revenge on the man who betrayed them…
Pairings: SasukexNaruto
Notes: I hope you all like it!
Update: The band members have names:trumpet sounds:
Disclaimer: Maybe next Christmas, hm?
Flashback – 4 months ago
The glass doors slid open with an almost inaudible whisper as the four boys that made up FOX walked into the cavernous entrance hall. They quickly crossed over to the receptionist's desk, a huge construction made from dark brown wood – perfectly in proportion with the room, though not with the woman seated behind it. They greeted her with big grins, excepting one. The usually sunny young man frowned at her, and folded his arms. As she noticed his expression, the girl smiled in return, though a little nervously, and began tapping on her keyboard, a light blush dusting her cheeks. This took a few minutes, and all the while she kept her gaze firmly on either the keys or the screen, meticulously avoiding the azure glare directed at her.
She pressed the 'enter' key with a final tap before looking up at the boys and speaking. "Mr. Sannin is waiting for you, through the doors on the left." She said this with a slight stutter, and the blush which had almost faded bloomed back to her cheeks, the red contrasting with her pale skin, as she accidentally met the gaze she had been avoiding. Instantly, her pale eyes turned downwards towards the desk and she subconsciously shrank back in her chair. Naruto let out an exasperated sigh.
"We go through that door every time we come here, do you think we're stupid enough to fucking forget after three years?" the girl didn't answer, but her face flushed even brighter than before, the rosy hue spreading from her cheeks to consume her whole face. The blonde began to walk towards the doors she had indicated, calling over his shoulder for his friends to follow. They hurried to comply, now ignoring the crimson girl cowering behind her desk.
Having passed through the doors, the disapproving look stamped across the blonde's face dissolved into one of his trademark foxy grins, and he began to giggle slightly, his tanned face creasing up with unsuppressed mirth. The others couldn't help but laugh along with him; it was one of his many charms. If he was in a good mood, it was absolutely impossible to be sad or angry whilst in his presence.
As they approached the white haired man who was facing away from them, fiddling with various buttons and dials, he called out a cheery greeting, waving at his back, even though the other couldn't see him. "Hey Jiraaaiya!" he drew out the name in a sing-song voice that he knew infuriated the man.
He turned, a scowl on his face, completely ignoring the blonde. "Hi," he grunted at the three brunettes standing behind him. Naruto pouted at the man ignoring him. "Doesn't Naruto get a hello, then?" he whined childishly, and the others bit their lips trying their best not to burst out laughing at the effect this was having on the other man; his scowl had deepened and his hands were clenched into fists, whilst his face had flushed an unappealing shade of red.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you are twenty years old. When are you going to stop acting as if you were six?" the other shrugged, replying in the same infuriating tone.
"I don't know, maybe never? Anyway, it's all part of my charm, you know you love it reeeally!" the other man wrinkled his nose in distaste, replying in his most venomous tone.
"No, Naruto. I do not love you." He pouted once again, taking in a breath to continue, before the other man gave in. The blonde would never give up, and he needed to get it over with. "Hello, Naruto." He finally turned his attention to all of their expressions, taking in their grins and trying his best to frown – however this task was impossible with Naruto grinning in front of him, so he settled instead with a dissatisfied smirk. "Do you have to terrorize all my receptionists? It's not fair." He whined, in a scarily accurate imitation of Naruto's voice. The childish tone was out of place coming from his mouth.
The blonde's grin widened as he replied. "But it's impossible not to, they all love me and its so much fun!" his friends groaned at him as he continued to smile happily.
"But did you see how red that woman went?"
"You have to apologize," the second two said in unison, nodding wisely as they turned to the third. Kei and Izumi were identical twins, and used this to their advantage in most situations, succeeding, on most occasions, on infuriating whoever their target was – at that moment, their friend and band mate
"Right, Yuri?" the boy rolled his eyes, immune to their tactics, and nodded, turning to his friend.
"They're right, Naruto," he couldn't help but grinn as the blonde folded his arms and pouted sulkily.
"That's not fai-"he began, when he was interrupted, causing him to pout even more.
"Leave it as it is and you might just wake up to headlines tomorrow morning. Your whole image is being nice, if you go bully someone and leave it as is it'll all be stuff like 'Fox isn't as nice as he seems', or some crap like that."
"Wow, you'd make a great journalist, Yuri. I'd hire you just to make up the headlines," he grinned foxily once again before sighing, "I guess you're right though, but still you always take their side. It's probably blackmail or something…" he mused, before continuing with his previous train of thought. "I'll apologize on the way out, all better now?"
The boys jumped as Jiraiya cleared his throat impatiently, having forgotten all about the old man in the heat of their discussion, forgetting that the reason they were standing in the room at all was to see them. He glared menacingly, looking like a big white lion with his white hair sticking out in a halo around his head.
"Sorry!" they chimed in annoying sing-song voices, holding back grins, knowing it would further infuriate the man. They burst out laughing once again as Naruto let out a small roar.
"For the love of God!" he exploded, "will you give it a fucking rest?"
Naruto wore a fake-shocked expression, and wagging a finger, began to scold his manager in a motherly tone – or rather, what he imagined a motherly tone to be, having never had a mother to scold him.
"Now, now, Jiraiya, I don't want to have to tell you again." He placed his other hand on his hip, "We never use the Lord's name in vain. And don't swear ei-"
"Fuck." Jiraiya interrupted loudly, "I don't fucking care, Naruto!"
The boys fell silent, knowing it would be no more fun to push it further than they already had – the old man had snapped much faster than usual. Something was on his mind, and the best way to continue in this situation was to let him tell them. He took a few calming breaths before continuing.
"As you all should know, if you bothered to listen to the message I left you," he paused, glaring at the boys all of whom looked slightly guilty, "I have some important news," he paused, almost as if waiting for the rude interruptions. When none came he looked up to find the boys nodding mutely, surprising him for once in the three years that he had known them.
"I'm quitting. I'm handing you ov-" he tried to say this as fast as possible, before being interrupted.
"What!?" they screeched in unison – even the usually serious Yuri, "no way!" Jiraiya winced.
"I just can't put up with this constant assault to my eardrums every time I see you anymore," he teased, a slight smile gracing his lips. The smile faded and he continued in a more serious tone, "Actually, I have some pretty serious matters at home I need to attend to, so I'm handing you over to my brother." He beckoned the dark haired man who had been standing in the shadows, unnoticed until now. "Get over here."
The man walked forewards smoothly, long black hair swept behind his shoulders. He was wearing a plain white shirt and jeans, with his hands tucked loosely into the pockets. The boys frowned; the man looked nothing at all like their current manager. In fact, everything was the complete opposite. Jiraiya, noticing their confused looks, explained. "He takes after mum, I take after dad." They nodded, still trying to make out some similarities between the two men.
"I've got it!" Naruto burst out, proud with his discovery, "they're the same height!" he grinned at his friends, who looked at him with bemused expressions.
"Well," he began, clearing his throat. "I guess I'm your new manager. Orochimaru Sannin, pleased to meet you," He attempted a smile, but only succeeded in twisting his features into an uninviting sneer, "Jiraiya will still be around occasionally of course, to," he paused, saying the next part with audible distaste, "Check up on me." He finished up with a sideways glance at his brother.
"Who knows, maybe he'll even be able to beat some manners into you." Jiraiya grinned again, this time strained as he bared his teeth at the boys.
"My pleasure," Orochimaru answered smoothly, even as Jiraiya reconsidered his last comment,
"Actually, that's too much to ask of anyone, even you." There was a slight silence, before Jiraiya broke into a watery smile, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
"Well boys, I think that's all for today." Tears leaked down his chiselled cheeks, tracing the red marks that adorned his face. Pulling them all into a hug, even though the twins protested at the close contact, he crushed them all together before speaking. "I'll miss you guys. Behave, alright?" a fatherly smile spread over his face, "I'm proud of you."
"Bye," they all mumbled, trying to wriggle out of his grasp as he made no move to release them. "You can let go any time soon, old man," Naruto said into his chest, struggling to breathe. He let go reluctantly and they all turned, heading for the door, each turning around and calling a farewell before exiting.
As they stepped into the hall, Naruto started walking straight towards the main doors when he was prodded twice in the back. He turned, frowning slightly at the two twins, identical smiles plastered across their identical faces as they motioned the receptionist's desk. He sighed and changed direction.
"Hey," he said to the dark haired girl, smiling slightly.
"Um… hi," she said shyly. Rubbing the back of his head, the smile spread into a grin.
"Yeah, I just wanted to apologize for earlier…" he squinted to read the name tag, leaning over slightly in the process, "Hinata!" He finished. He frowned slightly at the name, as if remembering something. He straightened up to find the girl blushing, a hand lightly covering her chest. He rubbed the back of his head again,
"Ah- sorry," he said with an uneasy grin, "it's fun terrorizing new people, I'm not normally like that…" he trailed off, turning back towards his friends who were now standing by the door.
Hinata… I recognize that name from somewhere…Hinata…
He stopped suddenly turning back to the girl,
"Wait a second, Hinata? You mean like, Hyuuga Hinata, Neji's cousin?" She blushed, yet again. He remembered that now, how almost every time he talked to her she had blushed.
"Y-you remember me, Naruto…Naruto-kun?" He frowned slightly at the use of the suffix but decided to let it slide, instead grinning at the surprised look on her face.
"'Course!" he grinned again. Heading for the door again, calling over his shoulder, "See you around then, Hinata!" He imagined her blushing, yet again, but the memories didn't bring a smile to his face, in fact, the grin dropped from his face like a rock as soon as he left the building.
Once he was in the car with his friends, the frown he had been suppressing earlier returned to his features. "Have to get her moved…" he muttered to himself quietly. Yuri, overhearing, was confused.
"Hey, what's wrong with the new girl?" he questioned his friend. This had happened before, and he still didn't know why. He wasn't expecting an answer, so when he did he was more than surprised.
"I knew her… before." The answer was simple and it didn't explain a lot of things the dark haired boy wanted to know. Yes, he knew her before, but before what?
However, Yuri was not one to pry, and decided to leave it be. Naruto would tell him in his own time, if he decided to trust him. For now, they would have to let him be and do what he wanted. When they got home, the boy made a few phone calls and the next time they went in to the recording studio, there was another girl seated behind the monstrous desk.
Hyuuga Hinata had been relocated to a different building, with no spoken explanations, but she guessed the reason all the same.
Why won't you speak to us, Naruto-kun?