Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Pairing: NaruSasu (I apologise for not stating this earlier. And I hope you guys aren't too turned off by Naru being the seme. I am still thinking of writing a SASUNARU fic in the future though. But for now this story's pairing is as stated)
/ HUNTED /
By XLittleMadamX
Chapter 2
Six months later
Naruto adjusted his goggles, picked up a sledgehammer and checked to make sure the area was clear. Swinging the eight-pound weight felt good. Every time the hammer came down on one of the wedges he'd inserted in the rock, he imagined himself pounding on one of the guards from the laboratory.
He'd never pictured himself a quarryman, but he could do worse. The work was hard but it kept him in shape, and working outside after spending most of his life in captivity appealed to him. An added plus, his boss was a standup guy who didn't ask a lot of questions.
Masaki Teuchi ran a small operation and for the most part he worked alone. Heavy equipment made the job easier, but if he got a big order, he'd hire part-time help. Naruto had come along the right time. His strength and enthusiasm won Teuchi over and earned him a chance to learn a trade.
The quarry owner paid him a small stipend and allowed him to stay in a rundown old shack in the property; an "independent contractor" arrangement saved Teuchi the paperwork and kept Naruto from needing ID that he didn't possess.
Naruto took of his goggles and sat on his heels to inspect his handiwork. He'd chiseled something from the earth that took millions of years to create. It was a sobering thought, and one that made his problems seem smaller in the grand scheme of things. Pleased with the thin, flat rocks, he wiped sweat from his brow and stood. It took skill to split the rock smoothly without shattering it, and he took pride in his work.
Naruto didn't own a watch; he judged time by the position of the sun. He saw Teuchi climbing down from the backhoe excavator, but he knew it wasn't quitting time yet. Figuring his boss might have a problem with the equipment, he walked over. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. It looks like I have customers." Teuchi jerked his head up toward the building that served as plant and office. A plain black sedan was just pulling up to the door. "Or it could be the state inspectors. They're supposed to make surprise routine inspections every year, but they haven't been around for a while. Today might be the day."
Two men in black suits got out of the car. Something about them didn't look right and Naruto's fight or flight reflex went into high alert.
"I'm going up to meet them." Teuchi told him. "I'll try and keep them out of the pit. Should be easy. It doesn't look like they'll want to get their shoes dirty."
Naruto nodded, but inside his guts were churning. Teuchi might think his only problem was hiring an undocumented worker, but Naruto's instincts told him these men were not from the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources. As much as he hated leaving Teuchi without a word of explanation, he had no other choice. Naruto waited until the men walked inside the building, then he scrambled up the pit and took off.
Sasuke took a seat on his favorite park bench and watched the silver-haired man hunched at the other end tossing bread crumbs to the eager pigeons at his feet. He pulled out his journal and a rogue breeze dotted the lined paper with water spray from the fountain. He rubbed it dry with his arm and searched his pocket for a pen.
A gloved hand thrust an old ballpoint pen under his nose. He tilted his head and caught the old man's eye, realizing with a shock, the fellow wasn't as old as he's first thought.
"Take it. It won't kill you."
Sasuke took the pen and tried a few scribbles on a blank page. I worked. "..Thanks."
"Don't mention it. Most people think being down on your luck is catching."
Sasuke summoned a tight-lipped smile. "I'm already down on my luck."
A pair of sharp eyes looked him up and down, taking in his polished wingtips, neatly pressed suit and designer tie. "Well, it's all in how you look at things, isn't it?"
"It isn't always about money." Wanting to change the subject, Sasuke gestured at the man's tattered fatigues. "Were you in the military?"
"Yeah, the army. Did a few tours in the Middle East." The man extended a gloved hand. "The name's Hatake Kakashi."
"Uchiha Sasuke." He reached out and shook Kakashi's hand. "Do you mind my asking what it was like? Over there, I mean."
Kakashi thought for a few minutes. "Long days in the heat, with nothing to do but count flies, then defending the base against insurgents. Watching my teammates die…" His eyes took on a faraway look.
Sasuke tried to imagine being in this man's shoes. He couldn't. Suddenly his lousy job and distant, disapproving father didn't seem so bad after all.
"What happened when you came home?"
"What home? A friend let me sleep on his coach while I looked for a job. At first I went out every day, but it was always the same story. Times are tough. We're cutting back. Leave your number. Finally I gave up. I'd wait until my buddy left in the morning, then I'd close the blinds and drink myself to oblivion. When I started waking up at night screaming, I wore out my welcome. Now I come here most days. At night I sleep in the subway. I put my life on the line and then I come back home to nothing. That's what I come home to, nothing."
Ideas started popping in Sasuke's head. Tired of writing filler stories about local politics and athletics, he saw potential for a human interest story that would garner a lot of sympathy. He'd call it Homeless Heroes and Kakashi would be the face behind the story. With little luck, the notoriety would get the vets some much deserved help.
"I write for the newspapers, and I'll like to interview you for an article. Would you be interested? I'd pay you of course."
"I guess that would be okay."
"How can I get in touch with you, Kakashi?"
"If the weather's good, you can find me right here."
They sealed the arrangement with a handshake.
TBC
A/c :Poor Kakashi =( Sorry for the short chapter. Sasuke and Naruto will definitely meet in the next one. To those who are still following and liking my story even though the pairing is NARUSASU instead of SASUNARU. Thank YOU! Please R & R