Re-edited and Re-released

Hearts Full of Hole and Swings Around Poles

Chapter 2: Uzumaki & Co.

RECAP

'Uzumaki? As in Uzumaki Naruto? Could that be Naruto?'

He searched the sign for some way to know for sure if it was Naruto. The sign had a white background with a red circle in the middle with a swirl in it.

Sasuke's mind started to race.

'It can't be….That's Naruto's clan symbol.'

The ad said:

WHY SETTLE FOR REGULAR TUNES… WHEN YOU CAN HAVE I-TUNES!

Sasuke didn't get it…

'What's an itunes?'

He didn't understand the advertisement but looked around for the symbol. He saw it and was surprised it hadn't caught his eye before. The Uzumaki clan symbol was right in the middle of the tallest building Sasuke had ever seen in his life…

The looming structure greatly contrasted the burnt and deserted outskirts of Konoha. The building with Naruto's clan symbol stood silver, tall and modern over the city.

Sasuke stared at the gravitating building which evoked some curses and hard bumps from the busy street-walkers, but the more he stared at it the more questions arose in his mind.

'Is this the Uzumaki's clan building? Wait- does that mean Naruto is... the owner? Did he finally become Hokage?'

A million synapses in his brain were trying to piece together this startling information, and as they hurdled to understand it- they willed his legs to start marching towards it.

'I will see for myself. Konoha has changed- I cannot deny that, but are my memories of the people I once knew completely false?'

Sasuke was two blocks away and as he approached the building, his determination to find Naruto and set things straight added vigor to his step that could have been mistaken for an angry charge towards the structure.

Unfortunately, the interior of the building did not satisfy his need for answers.

Giant windows and mirrors that trailed up the walls in thick vertical lines bound the large but simple room. A cool marble tile swept elegantly toward a sleek reception desk with an arrangement of modern, but uncomfortable looking, waiting chairs off to the side.

Sasuke took all this in with a knowledgeable sweep of a trained ninja and directed his angry charge toward the small but formal girl who sat perched behind the reception desk.

She looked up and seemed surprised for a split second- then put on her I-am-being-paid-to-do-this smile while mechanically repeating the words,

"Welcome Sir, to Uzumaki Corporations Headquarters. May I help you with anything today?"

Sasuke noticed that her eyes tilted lower and her voice got a bit darker as she uttered the last sentence.

'Really?' he thought,' She's trying to come on to me'.

"Who is the owner of this building?"

Her sultry smile fell from her face and was replaced with a slim grin of amusement.

"You mean you don't know! You must be foreign. VERY foreign if you don't know that Dr. Uzumaki Naruto owns this building. In fact, he owns almost all of Konoha. You see, he contributed to rebuilding the whole village after the fire and now he resides as our Elected over Konoha."

She, Yumi- according to her nametag, sat back with an air of accomplishment at informing an ignorant citizen about their CEO but gained a sense of confusion when her citizen simply frowned and looked at the floor.

"Sir? Did I say something to displease you? Or did I not answer your question?"

Her inquisitions where met with a quick cold eyes.

"I want to meet him."

"Who Sir?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Sasuke's furrowed brow and dark countenance gave him an air of inapproachability in the elegantly styled waiting room. He seemed ready to swallow anybody who disturbed him as he stared daggers into the magazines elegantly organized on the coffee table in front of him.

Thirty Minutes Ago...

Yumi looked dumbfounded after she processed his request.

"Sir, you cannot just walk into Uzumaki Headquarters! Much less the CEO Office! You will need to schedule an appointment with his head secretary first, then she will then set up a date where you can meet with Dr. Uzumaki!"

"Where is his secretary?", Sasuke chipped out. His curiosity had now been replaced by annoyance and his barbaric past had made him completely intolerable of people standing in his way.

"She's on the 34th floor, Sir? Sir, you can't just barge up there! Sir! She is not to be bothered till next Wednesday! SIR!"

But her sentences fell on uncaring ears. Sasuke headed for the door that said "Stairwell" and dashed upstairs.

He was running over this first encounter with an actual human in Konoha in his mind when he barged into the 34th floor. His breathing was a little heavier but otherwise he was unaffected.

'Still in shape', he smirked and walked down a corridor and, by chance, ran straight into a door that said "Head Secretary - Aya Cathaway".

He had no patience for formalities as he turned the knob and slammed open the door. A small old lady peeked up over her glasses at the intruder who slammed the door. She breathed a condescending sigh and set aside her work.

She did not look up from her work as she said,

"You'd better have a very good reason for this intrusion or else I'll call security on you and have you thrown out the 20th floor. I hear it directly overlooks the sculpture garden".

Taken aback by the frail ladies threatening words Sasuke retaliated with his own confused harshness,

"I want to see Uzumaki Naruto immediately and by any means necessary. Tell him Uchiha Sasuke needs to see him."

At the mention of Uchiha, she stopped putting her work away and finally looked up. A smirk came across her countenance.

"Uchiha? Well why didn't you say so? Please have a seat in our waiting room while I see if I can make you an appointment."

"No! I want to see him now- or as soon as possible."

"Well… alright, I'll see what I can do- but if he does not find you worth his time, I will still throw you out the window. It's the double oak doors on your left."

And so Sasuke retreated to the waiting room away from the woman's cruel yet wise stare and waited his turn to see the boy he had tried to kill when he was younger. Yet- he just couldn't fathom the grinning boy as the owner of this building or the- what had Yumi called it- the "Elected"?

And there he waited in the waiting room, on the uncomfortable chairs as he surveyed his surroundings again. Wood table. Beige carpet. Interpretive painting. Pink hair.

Wait! Pink hair? He quickly jerked his head around to check if his first thoughts were true. His heart race calmed down when he realized his peripheral vision had failed him. A semi-formal dress businesswoman with light red hair had walked in front of the sun lit window, casting a rosy glow to wink in his side vision. He gave this lady a particularly harsh and undeserved glare and continued frowning at the floor. He had so many questions for Naruto… but one in particular.

'Where is she?'

Fin