Author's Note:
Apologies for the delay in posting a new chapter for this story. I have been sick but I am now feeling well enough to update my action story.
This is the raw chapter and like those things in life, is subject to revision at a later date. The chapter contains strong language and is appropriately rated to reflect this. If swearing offends you, please don't read the story. Simple, huh?
I like to dedicate the new chapter to the very cool blaze da dragon who keeps me regularly inspired and immensely entertained as well as to one of my beta readers – the long suffering Judo Creature who puts up with my idiosyncrasies and suggested that I write a Hana/Kankuro story in the first place!
Special katsuyo thanks and dedication to icycreamluff – no, I have no plans to give up on this story... promise. :D
Thank you to my readers…and special thanks for those brave enough to leave a review.
Big thanks to Lostsoulofregret for raising the issue about the characters' ages and generally keeping me honest.
The characters are in their mid-twenties, Hana is thirty.
Just a heads up – everyone working directly/indirectly with the clients has been given an alias.
Hoshiko Watanabe – Hinata
Emiko Tanaka – Hana
Shinko – Shino
Akiko – Kiba
A sentence in Italics denotes the private thoughts of a character.
This chapter is inspired by the song "Brave" by Trapt.
Disclaimer: I honestly do not own or profit from my dealings with the Naruto characters… but we do meet regularly for afternoon tea inside my head every Thursday afternoon!
Chapter Three – Unexpected Developments
"Let's try this again, shall we?" murmured Hana in an amused tone.
Kankuro shook his head at her odd humor as they continued to stalk down the hallways of the main Suna Enterprises building.
He quite frankly didn't understand why she would find a near death encounter so damn funny but he guessed in her line of work, it pretty much came with the territory.
"Okay, since the lab is pretty much null and void as of a couple of hours ago, why don't we just head over to my car…" began the large tattooed man, only for his female companion to sharply shake her head.
A colorful tune rang out from the Hana's hand bag before the young woman had a chance to whip out a snappy retort.
"Excuse me, dearest…I think that may be our ride calling us…won't be a moment." Replied Hana casually, shooting the man a brief warning look that promised swift retribution if he so much as complained about the alternate arrangements.
"Why Hello, Shin-ko…yes…we'll be there in a moment….got it….see you soon." murmured Hana in that amused tone once more.
"What's so damn funny?!" growled out Kankuro watching the tall brunette snap the phone shut and give him a rather sexy half smile.
"You are, darling. Has anyone told you that you need to pull that stick out of your ass and give your spine a break once in a while? Such a grouch... I've always heard that all work and no play will do that to a man…" drawled out the young woman impishly.
Kankuro narrowed his emerald green eyes and shot Hana a dark look.
The infuriating woman merely raised an eyebrow and was now openly grinning at him.
She was deliberately pulling his chain to get a rise out of him… curse the vixen – it was working!
He leaned forward until their noses almost touched and murmured huskily, "Maybe that's the problem right there, Emiko… my job doesn't allow for much of a social life. So, does this mean that you're offering to play with me, then?"
Hana felt a small blush heat up her cheeks and she cursed silently at her school girl reaction to his flirting.
For a man who professed to have zero social life, he sure as hell was making up for lost time and making it quite clear to her what his future plans entailed.
The sensible part of her knew that she should probably nip this in the bud before it became too serious but instead she heard herself murmur back, "I'm not sure... do you play… rough?"
The comment hung between the couple as the phone rang once more.
Hana looked down in mild surprise at the phone still in her hand and answered the call, not noticing the flush that crept into the large man's face after she turned away.
"Alright, Shin-ko… We'll be there in a minute… don't get all bent out of shape! Yeah… well, it would be more your pleasure than mine, I'm sure." replied Hana to the caller before snapping the phone shut abruptly.
She grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him towards the exit, calling over her shoulder to her surprised victim, "We've got to move… our ride is getting antsy…so we better not keep her waiting."
Kankuro shook his head slightly as he felt himself being dragged along behind the brunette amazon ahead of him.
She was certainly a handful… but funny enough, he wasn't complaining.
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A sleek black executive car was pulled up in front of the office building as Hana and Kankuro finally exited the large complex.
The young woman covertly scanned the area, being careful to keep her charge behind her but nearby.
She swiftly strolled over to the waiting car and opened the door quickly, jerking her wrist sharply to propel the man into the interior of the car.
Hana tried to keep the smirk from appearing on her face as she distinctly heard a colorful curse come out of the large man's lips.
She raised an elegant eyebrow as she watched him rearrange those long and muscular legs of his before finally sliding into the car and closing the door.
"Smooth as always, Emiko…" murmured a dry voice from the driver's seat.
"Sorry, Shin-ko sweetie… you were in such a hurry that I didn't want to make you wait a minute longer… speaking of which… you're in a foul mood today… what bug crawled up your ass and died?" countered Hana with a small smirk as she heard Kankuro's indrawn breath over their conversation.
"Shut it, Emiko… you know you've always been more trouble than you're worth." replied the dry voice from the front, a hint of amusement now apparent in his tone.
Hana leaned forward onto the front seat, made a loud kissing sound and murmured, "You know I love it when you get like this, Shin-ko… Now why don't we get out of here and we can talk on the way to our destination."
"Great… just great… I have nut jobs hired to protect me from more nut jobs… lovely." groaned their client in an aggrieved tone.
Shino and Hana gave each other knowing looks before they started laughing.
"Relax, Kankuro… we just regularly want to kill each other… not you…it comes from being around someone as long as I have been around her… lucky, huh?" countered the man in the driver's seat as he released the hand brake and shifted the car into drive.
"Yeah, that's just swell…" replied Kankuro with a groan, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead to ease the throbbing in his temple.
Hana slid back into her seat and clicked her seatbelt into place.
"I'm guessing by your mood, Akiko was in rare form, huh?" murmured the brunette to the man in the front.
"You would be correct, dearest Emiko… these creeps caught her by surprise and you know how much she loves that." murmured the tall man, deftly maneuvering the car through the late morning traffic.
Hana sighed and muttered, "Great…just great. We both know what that means… I'm just sorry that you're going to be the one dealing with the esteemed dragon lady around the office."
Kankuro watched the man nod his head and reply, "Don't worry about it... it's not as though I haven't seen this side of the boss before, right?"
"Problems?" muttered the large man with the kabuki tattoos from the side of his mouth to the leggy brunette sitting next to him.
"Yeah... but none that concern you directly... thank goodness. I will fill you in later, okay?" whispered Hana to the man seated beside her.
"So, brat... you sure as hell shocked the daylights out of me when you called to tell me that you were waiting out the front." said the athletic brunette aloud to the driver.
"You shouldn't be complaining, old lady... I'm a much better option than who was originally planned to pick up your sorry ass." replied the young man with a smile in his voice.
"Old lady? How old are you, Emiko?" asked Kankuro suddenly, raising an eyebrow when he heard the muffled chuckling coming from the man in the front of the vehicle.
Hana leaned forward and murmured seductively into the large man's ear, "What's wrong, gorgeous? You don't like older women? You know what they say...with age, comes experience."
Kankuro felt the blush heat up his face as the woman continued in a louder voice for the benefit of the other occupant of the car, "I'm three years older than you but five years older than the brat driving the car..."
Kankuro watched the man chuckle once more and shake his head at her comment, expertly driving the sleek automobile through the busy down town traffic.
A comfortable silence settled in the roomy interior of the car before the driver casually remarked, "So, first day on the job and already you've had an exciting morning. How many stitches did you get this time?"
Hana folded her arms and scoffed, "Not enough to be worth mentioning, brat..."
Kankuro felt the smile tug at his lips.
They really did sound like the way his siblings acted when they weren't busy running a large company.
"You know, Kakashi is going to win this month if you keep slacking like that..." replied the driver with a small smirk.
"Pooh, as if I give a damn what that particular pervert thinks?! He's still sore that I was sent on that last assignment." groused Hana shifting her long legs.
Hana shot the tattooed man another side look that clearly stated that she would also explain what that meant at a later time.
"So, brat… you heading back to the office after you drop us off?" asked Hana with a serious edge to her voice.
Kankuro shot the young woman with the curious triangular tattoos on her cheeks a side glance, not missing the sudden change of her light bantering tone to one of cool professionalism.
There was a pregnant pause before the tall man in front answered in a similar tone, "Yes… why, do you have a message that you would like me to pass onto the dragon lady?"
"Yeah, I do… it looks like the big boss man himself has offered Hoshiko a position working for him."
The large man noticed the driver frowning slightly as he gripped the steering wheel before finally replying, "Are you sure that's a good idea? I heard about what happened this morning…it was hard not to...Hoshiko came back from that meeting in a foul mood. If he decides to follow through on this course of action, I have a feeling that the head honcho is going to need protection from the protection."
Hana and Shino's eyes widened in shock as they heard Kankuro reply, "My brother is a big boy. If he wants to take on your friend, he should be well aware of the risks…as I am."
A long silence enshrouded the atmosphere inside the car before the bespeckled driver finally murmured obscurely, "I see. Well, in that case...I wish your brother luck because...he's going to need it."
Kankuro frowned when he heard that odd comment and asked, "Why do you say that, Shin-ko?"
He caught sight of the driver returning his frown in the rear view mirror as he negligently shrugged his shoulder and replied, "Despite her outward appearance, Hoshiko is not a delicate wallflower. She has been through a lot in the past two years that would make most people want to cash out early. No offense but the impression I've gotten about your brother is that he's not afraid to go for what he wants and pretty much expects to get it...right now, the thing he wants is Hoshiko...and I know for a fact that she will fight him every inch of the way."
Kankuro leaned back in his seat then and crossed his arms, contemplating what the man in the front just revealed.
"Well, it will be a refreshing change from the usual for him then... I have feeling it's going to be a challenge that my brother will relish. I also think your friend will eventually succumb to my sibling's... unique charm." murmured the large man with a small smirk to his firm lips.
There was another prolonged stretch of silence within the confines of the car then before Shino and Hana both countered, "Wanna bet?"
Kankuro shifted his glance over at the young woman sitting next to him who was flashing a wide and challenging grin back at him before he looked up at the rear vision mirror to see the driver giving him a similar look.
"What are we wagering here?" replied the large man with an evil grin.
"You know the boss is going to want a piece of this, don't you?" murmured the driver dryly.
"Oh yeah... I know." smirked Hana with a knowing chuckle.
Hana and Shino looked back at the large man still sitting there with his arms folded and looking supremely confident.
"You're on, big guy. I'll accept your bet... your brother is going to hit the ground...hard." replied Hana with a sly smile.
"I'm in... she's going to eat him alive." concurred the man in the front seat.
The conversation in the car continued at a boisterous pace as the occupants hammered out the wager details all the way to their destination.
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Hinata watched as the town car pulled up in the driveway of Kankuro's home. She watched with a raised eyebrow as Hana quickly emerged from the still running vehicle, closely followed by the client.
The young woman quickly glanced at the three people in front of her, not missing the fact that they were highly amused about something.
"So, which one of you is going to tell me what you three have found so hilarious about this morning's little event?" asked Hinata in a cool tone.
Hana looked over at Shino who casually shrugged his shoulder in response before shifting the town car into reverse and murmuring, "Hoshiko, I will see you back at the office."
"Why don't I show you around my place and you can tell Hoshiko the news when we're safely inside, okay?" said Kankuro, ushering the two women slightly ahead of him.
The two women walked up the stairs, taking time to covertly scout the area on either side of the stairs.
They turned slightly as Kankuro finally reached the top of the stairs with Hinata in front to quickly scan the security alarm and the locks for possible tampering as Hana protected the pair in front of the door.
"Okay, it's clean... Kankuro, why don't you open up the door now?" murmured Hinata, stepping back to stand next to her colleague as the large man punched in the code before pressing the button under the handle as he turned the key.
Hinata waited for Kankuro to push open the door before she walked through first, an electronic device in her hand scanning the front area of the house.
"Kankuro, you can go in now..." whispered Hana to the large man in front of her when she saw Hinata give the signal.
The large man prowled into the hallway of his home, dropping his keys onto the small table in the hallway before sitting down on the sofa to watch the two women as they continued their surveillance of his home.
Kankuro closed his eyes as his hand reached up to gently massage his temple, suddenly feeling the exhaustion course through his veins.
"You okay? You look done in." murmured a concerned voice behind him.
He cracked open an eyelid when he heard her voice and turned to see her looking at him with a worried look in her eye.
When was the last time someone apart from his own family has expressed concern over his welfare... never.
Hell – he knew it was her job to protect his sorry ass but she still managed to make it as though...she truly cared.
Kankuro sighed and replied, "I'm fine, Emiko... I'm just not used to my Mondays being so...exciting."
Hana chuckled softly and responded, "Yeah, I know whatcha mean, gorgeous."
The large man looked behind the tall brunette, frowning slightly.
"Where's Hoshiko?"
Hana suddenly grinned with a small wave of her hand and replied, "She had to go to the car to retrieve my suitcase... but she will be back shortly."
"Are you sure it's a smart idea for your friend to go back to the car by herself... especially with these guys out there?"
Hana laughed heartily and smirked, "Don't worry about Hoshiko... I would be feeling sorry about the poor bastard stupid enough to take her on..."
Kankuro paled slightly at her comment and Hana could help but comment, "What's wrong, lover? You starting to reconsider?"
The brunette felt the air lock in her throat at that look that Kankuro was now giving her with those incredible emerald green eyes of his.
"Hell...no, Emiko. I still think I'm right about this." growled out the tattooed man.
"Right about what?" murmured an amused feminine voice from the hallway.
The couple turned in unison to face the petite woman standing there with a large suitcase by her side.
Shit.
Hana and Kankuro looked at each other briefly before returning their gaze back on the woman waiting for them to answer her question.
"Hoshiko, we managed to find you a position within Suna Enterprises and you'll be able to start first thing in the morning." replied Hana carefully.
Hinata smiled and exclaimed softly, "Well, that is good news! What's the position and the name of my new boss?"
"You will be the personal secretary for the president of Suna Enterprises." answered Kankuro, waiting for the dark haired woman to realize just who that was...
It didn't take long for the resulting explosion to occur.
"WHAT?! Like hell I'll work for that red haired, arrogant...prick!" hissed out Hinata, glaring at Kankuro.
Hana cleared her throat, gaining her glaring friend's attention and replied, "Ahh, Hoshiko...I'm afraid that you don't have much choice... he's made it perfectly clear that you will be working for him and...no one else."
"I'll see you tomorrow at the office, Hoshiko." called out Hana as Hinata abruptly turned and stalked down the hallway to the front door.
The sound of the slamming front door reverberated throughout the house.
"Is she going to be okay?" asked Kankuro after a while, suddenly very concerned for his brother's wellbeing after seeing that promise of future retribution in the young woman's silver eyes before she stalked away.
Hana sighed and walked over to the suitcase.
"Yeah, she'll be fine after she goes to the gun range to blow off some steam." replied Hana sadly.
"You're kidding about the gun range, right?" asked the large man slightly aghast at her comment.
Hana gave a deep sigh and shook her head as she replied, "I wish I was... but that's probably where she's driven off to...after she's blown a few holes into a couple of paper targets that she's named in your brother's honor... she should be fine."
"I see." murmured Kankuro, walking over to where Hana stood and quickly picking up the suitcase before moving over to the stairs.
"I guess it's a good thing that my brother has a thick hide then... come on, Emiko...I'll show you to your room."
Hana watched that taut behind of his in silent admiration as the man climbed the stairs before following closely behind.
This was one client she didn't mind following... hehehe.
Still, she was concerned about her friend's reaction to having to work in such close proximity to Gaara.
There was no denying that there was some type of attraction between them but she couldn't help but think that the brooding, cantankerous red-head had taken on more than he could handle in the form of Hinata.
A thought crossed Hana's mind then at the upcoming power struggle that was inevitable between those two and felt herself give a small shrug of her shoulder.
Yeah – no point in worrying... like herself, Hinata will sort it out on her own.
