Chapter 4: The Secret Life of Waitresses
She missed the way his eyes flickered before he answered, "…Of course, Saya." He confirmed after a moment's hesitation. He swallowed thickly, "… Friends."
"I'm glad." She said happily. Taking a sip of her hot chocolate, she wiped a bit of foam from the corner of her mouth and licked her finger.
She looked up in surprise as Itachi suddenly gave a world-weary sigh, and rubbed his eyes, for some reason turning his head away from her. He muttered something that sounded very much like "I'm an idiot" under his breath, but she didn't quite catch it.
"Sorry?" she asked, puzzled.
"Nevermind." He said hastily. "Just talking to myself."
"... Okay."
Saya blinked at him as he avoided her eyes, and seemed to be casting about for another topic. His gaze fell on the desk to the right of the bed. "Are you writing something?" he asked with sincere curiosity, tilting his head at the mess of papers there.
Saya hesitated. "I'll tell you," she said, steeling herself. She looked at him very seriously, "But you have to keep it a secret."
He raised an eyebrow at that.
She got up and walked over to her bookshelf, retrieving two volumes of identical size, but different colours. "I'm, um… I'm actually not a waitress." She admitted.
He stared at her. She was still wearing her apron. "Could have fooled me." He quipped.
She smiled sheepishly, "Well, I am a waitress in the sense that I serve tables, but… Matada doesn't pay me, so it's technically not my job." She shrugged, "I enjoy keeping myself busy and talking to people, so I don't mind helping out. But I'm actually working on these." She held up the books.
"You're a writer?" he said, surprised. He took the books that she hesitantly offered to him. "You published these?"
She blushed. "Yes, under a fake name."
"What kind of books are they?" he asked, turning them over to read the back.
Saya leaned against her desk. "Well, two years ago," she explained, "Matada and I went to Rock Country to visit his family, and a lot of interesting things happened while we were there. I had so much fun, I started writing things down... Just little anecdotes about the food, the places, the people we met… When I got back I put it all together and Matada convinced me to give it to a publisher. I did and… he said it might sell."
"And did it?"
"I've been… moderately successful," she said modestly, but Itachi could hear a hint of pride in her voice that made him wonder just how well her books did. Somehow, he wasn't that surprised at the subject matter; she was inquisitive and chatty, and (in his opinion) dangerously observant. Humorous travel-writing would suit her personality to a T.
"So I signed on to write a series using the same concept –" she continued, "Basically just travelling and writing about what happens along the way. With a focus on civilians, of course." She emphasised, seeing the question on Itachi's face. "I don't think ninjas would take kindly to being interviewed." She chuckled, "The second book turned out better; I visited Lightning Country and made sure to stop along some famous landmarks, try out some infamous local food." She winced. "I even learnt a traditional dance native to Lightning in one of the western villages."
"That's… fascinating." Itachi said truthfully, "So little is known about the different countries, besides research on their military strength. Could I borrow these books?" he asked seriously, "I really want to read them."
She blushed immediately. "Um… sure, I suppose…"
He raised an eyebrow, amused, "They've been published for more than a year already, right?"
"Yes, but I've never…" she fumbled with the words, "Well, other than Matada and my publisher, no one else knows I'm the writer." She admitted. "If you think they're stupid, you'll think I'm stupid."
"I already know you aren't stupid." He immediately assured her. "Far from it. And I'm honoured to be entrusted with your secret." He said solemnly.
She blushed again. "Well, thanks. So..." she gestured at the desk, "At the moment I'm planning out my next trip, to Wind Country..."
A thought suddenly struck him. "Did Matada-san go with you to Lightning, as well?"
She shook her head, "No, he couldn't take time away from the restaurant. I went alone-" she made a calming gesture at Itachi's alarmed expression, "It was fine, I travelled with a merchant caravan across the border, and then I made a lot of friends along the way, which was sort of the point. I wasn't alone for the vast majority of the trip."
He frowned. "Still, it's not safe to travel alone. Matada-san let you go?"
She winced. "He… thought I was going with friends, to be honest. But I'm old enough to take care of myself!" she said strongly, "I know the risks. Next time, I'll probably hire some genin to escort me to Wind… At least to the border. I've heard there's some bandit activity on the roads."
"Make sure you do." He said firmly, still looking concerned. "Just because we signed a peace treaty with the other nations doesn't mean that their shinobi will act accordingly, if they suspect you're a spy."
"A civilian travelling the main roads doesn't attract much attention," she reminded him, "There are plenty of people crossing the borders all the time. I mean, you can tell by just looking at me I'm not much of a threat." She gestured vaguely at herself.
Itachi ran his eyes over her carefully. It was true, she didn't stand out too much; her soft build and curvaceous figure lacked the muscle tone all kunoichi possessed. Her unmarked hands were also a dead give-away that she'd probably never handled anything sharper than a butter knife. And overall, her cheerful and friendly demeanor was very hard to distrust. She was also a lot smarter and more observant that she looked…
Hm, he thought wryly, Wouldn't all of that just make her, in fact, an excellent spy?
"Still," he said at last, dragging his eyes back to her expectant face, "There are civilian spies, too. Just… will you let me know your travel plans before you leave?"
She smiled, touched by how seriously he was taking this. "I will," She said, "But only if you promise to take better care of yourself."
"Me?" he seemed surprised.
"Of course," she said, frowning, "You seemed really worn out today. Maybe you should talk to your superiors," she suggested, quite seriously, "Tell them you need a bit more time to recoup between missions."
He gave a soft, humourless snort. "Haven't you heard of my reputation?" he said quietly, a tinge of bitterness infecting his voice. "I'm infallible."
"I have heard of your reputation." she said, not amused by his attempt at flippancy, "And however fearsome your ninja skills might be," she said stubbornly, "No one is infallible."
His black eyes were unreadable. "Most civilians are afraid of me." he stated, and then paused.
"Are you asking why I'm not?"
He merely gazed at her in silence.
She shrugged. "Perhaps I just can't think badly of a man who likes dango so much."
At that, Itachi's expression eased a little, and he finally looked away.
"It's getting late… I should get going." he said next. He started pulling on his shoes.
"I hope the Hokage doesn't give you grief for being late." Saya remarked, somewhat anxiously.
"Tsunade-sama won't mind," he murmured, "To be honest, she's been ordering me to take better care of myself for weeks."
He picked up his flak jacket, which had been laying over the back of her desk-chair. He pulled it over his head quickly – Saya couldn't help ogling his back muscles as they rippled, pulling his black undershirt taut against his body with the movement. She instantly felt guilty for her inappropriate thoughts, but he was very handsome. She was only human, too.
Unaware of her scrutiny, he buckled on his utility belt.
Saya's brain suddenly caught up with what he'd said last. "The Hokage is not the one who's been giving you back-to-back missions?" She asked, confused.
Itachi glanced at her, as if debating how to answer. "It's... complicated." he said at last. "There are various… Factions in the village that I answer to." A shadowed look came over his face, "They don't all have the same approaches to solving problems. It's a balancing act that I've had to deal with for a long time."
"I'm sorry." She murmured.
He looked surprised. "Why are you sorry?"
"Of course I'm sorry." She replied, meeting his eyes earnestly, "You looked half-dead today, no offence…"
"Thanks." He muttered drily. She waved a hand dismissively.
"Civilians in the village like to take what they have for granted," she continued, "But I don't. I'm sure you've had to sacrifice a lot, in the service of Konoha, so… I'm sorry. And you're welcome back anytime," she offered, "To talk or eat or… Whatever."
He was silent for a long moment, once again just gazing at her with an unreadable expression, and then his mouth quirked up into a mischievous smile. "Or… Whatever?" he teased.
"Oh, shut up." She flapped a hand at him, blushing again. Was he flirting? "Perhaps you're spending too much time with Genma-san."
"Perhaps." He allowed, still smiling. "Thank you, Saya. For everything."
"You're welcome."
He slid open her window.
"You're not going to use the door?" she laughed.
"Ninja." He reminded her, and smiled crookedly. "Tell Matada-san I said thank you for the sandwich and the hospitality. I left some money on your desk to cover the food-"
"Oh! That wasn't necessary!"
He just shrugged.
She was suddenly sad that he was leaving, and a strange anxiety came over her. "Hey, Itachi…"
He was perched on the windowsill, clutching her books to his chest. "Hm?"
She bit her lip. "…Take care of yourself. And come back soon, alright?"
He was quiet for a beat, his dark eyes softening as he took in her anxious expression. "… I will."
He leapt out into the night and vanished.
Saya was lost in thought for a few minutes, before she drew the curtains closed, and gave a deep sigh. She threw herself down on her bed with a huff.
She turned her face into the pillow.
"You smell nice." she whispered, and then rolled her eyes at her own foolishness.
I DON'T date ninjas...!
