Chapter 4: Proposal

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Everything I do is just borrowing okay?

Naruto happily changed his vest and white shirt. He seemed to be walking on clouds as he moved through the restaurant. It didn't even bother him when the head chef yelled for him every second to deliver orders. Even though there was more than one waiter in the place. Sasuke was acting the same way. He crawled up through a crack in the side wall in the locker room. Traveling through to a high decorative ledge in the dining area, he watched his blond move around. He noticed the blond smiled a little more and acting like he was on cloud nine, he himself was too. Swinging his tail and squeaking happily now in then. If he could hum he would, if he could skip he would.

Sadly, though . . . He wasn't human.

Naruto was getting ready to leave when he ran into his friend Shikamaru.

"Naruto, what the hell was with you today? You pregnant or something?" Shikamaru asked, shifting his duffel bag to the other shoulder.

"What?" Naruto yelled, raising an eyebrow and putting a hand on his hip. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"I'm talking about your mood swings. You were gloomy for the first half of work and the next you're all happy. Did you get a large tip or something?" Naruto shook his head and carefully reached into his bag. He pulled out the blue-violet flower and showed the other boy. Shikamaru smirked and dramatically put a hand to his chest.

"I'm touched...I didn't know you felt that way about me..." Shikamaru said, almost looking himself like he could ever burst out in laughter. Naruto made a disgusted face and snatched the flower back.

"No way you dumb ass! It's for me! Someone gave it to me!"

"Who?"

"I don't know; it was in my locker, so someone must have put it there?"

"How did they get the combination?"

"Who cares! Isn't it neat?"

"Its scary..." Shikamaru said, scratching the back of his neck. Naruto gave him a sour look and turned away.

"Whatever, I'm going home!" he announced, picking up his duffel bag and turning toward the exit. Shikamaru shrugged and picked up his own bag. Naruto opened the back door and felt the cool night air hit his face. He shifted his bag and held the flower he got to his face. He sniffed it and let a wide smile take over his face. He tucked it into his collar and happily made his way home. Had he looked up, he would have seen a happy little rat watching him from above.

"He's so cute when he is happy..." Sasuke sighed, scratching his ear, "He's going home now...I should to . . . " he sighed and jumped from the ledge of the roof to the storm drain on his right; he went down it and came out on the street. He followed Naruto for a while since they sort of lived in the same direction. However, when Naruto turned to go on to the bridge, Sasuke took a right and down an alley way. He went behind a dumpster and into the crack into the street. He crawled through it and down, down, down. Soon he found himself in the sewer, watching garbage and a few unmentionables float by. He took a tunnel that led even further down. Finally, he started hearing other noises, some laughter and even a little arguing. He entered a tube and came out at his home. The colony was filled with at least three hundred other rats. All scavenging and talking among themselves. He saw a few of his friends and nodded to them. Farther away he saw Kakashi talking to a much grayer rat, and another red rat on his right. He trotted over toward them and sat near Kakashi.

"Ah your back! How was the hunting today? See anything you like?" Kakashi asked, winking. Sasuke hissed at him lightly and looked toward the much grayer rat.

"Hello Elder, I'm back," Sasuke said, a little loudly, knowing the Elder was hard of hearing. The gray rat nodded and proceeded to stare out into space. The red rat next to him turned to Sasuke and smiled.

"Ah! There you are; I was worried you weren't coming home!" Sasuke raised an eyebrow and nodded him to go on.

"Why so?" The red rat cleared his throat.

"Well...I have a proposition for you Sasuke." Red lights were going up in Sasuke's mind, as much as he didn't want to talk to this rat, he knew it would be rude to excuse himself. He didn't want his reputation to be dented in any way.

"Really now, what's that?" The red rat seemed to beam.

"Its about my daughter, Sakura, I really think you two would make a nice couple. So how about this Sasuke, I know many of the rats have offered you their daughters, but you see, Sakura is special. You're all she talks about, and I know, deep down, that her feelings are real. Mating season is only a few months away you know, and last season you didn't even take a mate! Even Kakashi mated," the red rat went on. Kakashi shrugged and looked around at some of the girls. He only did his part, never actually taking a mate, but that didn't mean he was heartless. Some of his own children had grown and had mates of their personal now. He was always watching over his children and had even come to love them, just not their mothers. Sasuke wanted to tell the fat, red rat off. Sakura, a more slightly pinkish rat with green eyes, was well...

That stupid bitch is more annoying than Naruto only walking out of the showers with a towel around his waist! Not to mention she can't shut up!

Some days it took Sasuke half way across the city to lose her and keep her off his trail.

"Well, please understand," Sasuke began, "I'm sure your daughter is nice and all, but...I'm just not looking for a mate at the time."

"Nonsense! It's about time you did! How are we expected to keep the clan going if everyone here refused to mate?"

"Everyone mates, just not me," Sasuke drawled. The red rat seemed to shift on the spot and sigh.

"Please think about it, what other reasons could you have?" the red rat persisted.

"Well for starters, he isn't in love with Sakura, and two; he has eyes for someone else..." Kakashi said, sounding between bored and eager. The red rat's eyes went wide, and he stared at Kakashi.

"W-What? When? How long?" the red rat stuttered. Sasuke wanted to kill Kakashi, him and his huge garbage eating hole. Sasuke sighed and turned back to him.

"Its true, I have someone else, sorry..." The red rat stared at him carefully and seemed to look around the colony. Looking as if the rat Sasuke mentioned would pop out and say 'MEMEMEMEMEMEME!'

"Surely you can't be serious? Who?"

"None of your business, besides if I told you, you'd tell them off or something for even being in my presence," Sasuke hissed at him.

"Sasuke," the red rat said in all seriousness, "your father started this clan and its up to you to choose a suitable mate. It is your duty to..." he was cut off by a very angry Sasuke.

"Excuse me? Are you that full of yourself? If you want your daughter screwed so bad, then give her to Kakashi! I don't need your pompous ass to tell me where my place is with this clan! Do yourself a favor for you and your daughter, GROW UP! How dare you tell me what to do! Sasuke Uchiha! The last black fur to scavenge the streets of this undeserving city! It is not up to you who I choose, understand? NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Sasuke hissed, not caring that some of his fellow clan members were trembling or running for cover. Lesson number one, was to never piss of the clan leader's son. The red rat seemed frozen on the spot; he quickly turned and ran, trying hard not to place his tail between his legs like some dog. Sasuke breathed deep and looked over at Kakashi. The rat was petting his tail and zoning out.

"Well, that went properly," the grey rat said, looking at Sasuke and smiling. The black rat wanted to rip him apart; he was way beyond pissed. He turned and started out of the tunnel, many of his fellow rats immediately scattered. He trotted back to the sewers and sighed. He needed to calm down and there was only one way to do that.

I want to see Naruto; I need to see him. He is the sole one I want, the single thing I could ever want...

He crawled back up the tunnels and made his way to the street. As soon as he surfaced, he walked in Naruto's direction. Crossing the bridge, he made his way toward the living districts.

TBC

R&R