Can't Be Good - Chapter Four
"The first step is to find out why Sannin is intent on bringing us down."
Neji and Hinata were close cousins and their skills complimented each other – but neither had ever been on a mission with the other. They could communicate with one look or gesture or just by feeling each other's byakugan chakra. It was rare, though, as Hyuuga nin were usually spread into other groups.
Itachi had debriefed them shortly before 5AM and it was done quickly. "You two will be going to extract information from Kakashi. Neji is the interrogator and Hinata is your back up in case anything goes wrong. I expect to see you by the end of the day." It went unsaid that if they weren't back before dinner he would send Genma and Yuugao after them.
As soon as he had left, both cousins stared at each other blankly.
Hinata was running through specs, "ah, Kakashi is friends with K-kurenai-sensei…"
"He is also friends with Gai-sensei," Neji responded, his eyes looking straight into hers.
"Kakashi gets one chance," Hinata said confidently, her voice soft.
Neji nodded in return and stood. He collected his papers and said quietly, "of course. I will meet you in the lobby."
Hinata went to her room and opened her wardrobe. The whole thing was covered in small screens. There were live video feeds from every part of the entrance into the apartment, to the lobby, and even one outside of the lobby. The doors were covered in OLED screens that were mounted on the inside and displayed the hacks her sources had gotten her.
The purple-haired woman tucked her shirt into her skirt and tied her hair with a special ribbon Itachi had given to her and checked her appearance in the mirror. Shuriken were hidden in the stiff material of her skirt and the two 'decorative' diamond kunai that were tied to the edges of the ribbon were actually sharpened to perfection.
Neji, who was already downstairs, led Hinata outside. Shikamaru was standing still, a cigarette held loosely between his lips. He saw them and put it out. The still long cigarette meant that Shikamaru was going to be a dick wad today.
"I'm your driver and you're back up," Shikamaru said as he got into the driver's seat. The nondescript black Mercedes E-class drove smoothly over the asphalt as it barreled to Sannin Inc. Neji watched the streaming buildings and he wondered why Shikamaru drove so fast. Obviously, he would have suspected that the lazy ass drove slowly.
"Troublesome…" Hinata could not help but giggle at his languid antics.
"You know, Shikamaru, you didn't have to," Hinata sighed, a blush forming.
Shikamaru snorted and pulled his suit jacket tighter around him. It was lined with fleece, discreetly, and the outside was all luxurious cashmere. "Itachi's a bigger pain in the ass than this. Besides, I've got something to accomplish too."
Neji resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He did not know how Ino put up with this. He thanked his lucky stars that he had not been introduced to the lazy ass before. Neji was Ino's partner for five years. It had been a unique pairing, but it worked splendidly. Neji made Ino calmer and she gave him an edge.
"It's almost brunch time guys," Shikamaru commented, watching the many restaurants fly by.
Hinata sat still and played with her fingers. Her back was rigid and the back of the head rest looked very interesting.
"How do you suppose we question Kakashi?" Hinata asked to break the long pregnant silence.
A smirk rippled its way across Neji's face, "I know a way."
Shikamaru lazily responded, "You know more ways to torture someone than there are grains of rice in a 10 kilo sack."
"How do you know?" Neji's calm façade was back in place, with no traces of his previous smirk. Neither Neji nor Shikamaru got on very well, something about being too alike and so different.
A snort came from the front as Shikamaru pulled into a drift, "you work with Ino." Hinata held onto her seat belt and tried not to let her head smash into the window. Unfortunately, Neji's went head first into the glass and he gave a soft moan.
"Damn it, Nara," Neji sneered, green medical chakra glowing on his hand as he waved it over himself.
Hinata stared, amused, "you know medical jutsu?"
"He works with Ino," Shikamaru said, again.
Neji's pale eye twitched in annoyance. What was with all the 'Ino' remarks? Logically, it made perfect sense as Ino had taught him medical jutsu during a long stint in Mizu no Kuni and he and Ino had perfected their torture techniques together. His thought process was jarred when Shikamaru suddenly slammed on the breaks and gravity kicked in.
"We're here. I will see you guys later," Shikamaru put on his chauffeur's cap and started to snore.
Hinata giggled and stepped out of the car. Her black suit was stunning and she walked over to the elevator. Kakashi's room was on the 43rd floor, she already knew from Ino's previous adventures. Neji stood behind her and was quietly wondering how Hinata had been able to get an appointment at Sannin.
"Hinata-sama, do you think we'll have to trap him?"
Her pale eyes dimmed, "of course not."
Neji's own fierce eyes brightened at the challenge. He really wanted to try out a new technique. His fingers formed one-handed seals and he released his chakra inside the elevator, so as not to alert any of the guards.
Hinata spoke to the receptionist. Neji knew Kakashi was a lawyer, but what the meeting was about did not matter. He was sure that everything would fall into place. Closing his mind, he focused on his genjutsu.
The receptionist, a short girl, Moegi, led them to his office and seated them. Kakashi walked out of a private room, his silver hair mussed and his eye patch on. Neji kept his genjutsu almost nonexistent, except for small points in his ears.
"Kakashi, the Hyuuga would like to congratulate you on your position, perhaps some sake?" Hinata purred softly.
Neji picked up on the subtle differences in his cousin's character and frowned. What was she doing? This was not a seduction mission. Hinata seemed to have some sort of insight into Kakashi that was not in his dossier.
For the next half hour Hinata had Kakashi drink almost the entire bottle of sake and they had opened a second and a third. Her subtle good manners and alluring passiveness had him at hello. Neji kept his part minimal, putting input in here and there, to allow him to infer certain things. Neji examined the contents of the sake bottle with his byakugan. The bottle was almost empty.
Their conversations had turned to big corporations and they were having an easy conversation. Now, though, as Kakashi was shit-faced, his lips were loose and he said all sorts of things Neji would not have suspected of him.
"Kakashi, what about Uchiwa?" Neji decided to be direct with his approach. It usually worked best with drunkards.
Using his enhanced vision, Neji looked for patterns in his breathing and eye movement and so on. He made small notes of things that Kakashi did in order to put them in the dossier. Neji asked more questions about Uchiwa Inc. from an outsider's point of view. Hinata was already aware, as she was PR, but what Kakashi said could be valued.
"Why does Sannin want to bring down Uchiwa?" Neji asked innocently. Hinata was surprised. Her cousin was evading questions and creating circles for Kakashi to navigate in his inebriated state.
Kakashi grinned freely, "because! Tsu-u-nade and Ji-i-raiya think that Ame-e-gakure Facilities was a missstake! They are trying to get rid of ALL of the subdivisions of A-a-katsuki-i! Hic!"
Neji's eyes sharpened, but he kept his body message relaxed and waited for Kakashi's brain to give him another opening.
"Why would you target Uchiwa? They work for the government?" It was innocent and Hinata thought she saw a halo around her cousin's head. It was amazing watching him segue from one topic to another. It was not, per se, the way he did it that shocked her, but it was his fluidity and emotionless manner.
The drunken slob giggled and sloshed his cup, "They're rogues! ROGUES! And they torture people, poor, poor people… I bet, hic!, the government is not even aware of that."
Neji did not outwardly show it, but his sudden spasm of chakra confused Hinata. Hinata hissed as Kakashi spilled his sake all over the front of his desk. Neji scowled and stood immediately.
"Kakashi-san, this is no way to behave in front of the Hyuuga heiress. It is time we go," Neji took Hinata's arm and led her away in fake indignity.
Once they were in the elevator, Neji's genjutsu unravel. It was plain to see, his inner ear held a recording device and a listening chip. Whatever was going on was being recorded and transmitted to a safe place. Hinata was surprised, as she was doing specs and she wondered how he had obtained it without her knowing.
"You want to know how? I will tell you in the car," Neji said, breezily. He could have said, "Its sunny outside," for all she could have known.
Stepping out of the elevators, both Hyuuga strode across the black marble floors and out to the car. Shikamaru was waiting and still snoring. Hinata was about to nudge him from her seat in the back when Neji shook his head. She stared questioningly, since when had her cousin become so mischievous? Had years with Ino changed him that much? What happened to her shy, reserved, formal, tradition up-holding cousin?
BEEP! Neji had tilted Shikamaru's head so it slammed into the horn in the middle of the wheel.
Shikamaru scowled, "so troublesome…"
Neji turned to Hinata, "he got his one chance. The next time I see him it won't be as…clean." His bright eyes turned to look out the window for the remainder of the trip. Hinata wondered about him. Her father had never said anything negative about his nephew, but he made some comments that made more sense to her.
In the theatre of her mind, she could hear them, "Neji is different, now. He is more hardened, but has less barriers."
Hinata settled herself in for Shikamaru's driving. Perhaps Ino did have a lot to do with everything.
I can't remember
but its alright, I'm alright
Itachi sat in his office, the sound proof system on and La Scala on each of his six flat screen TVs. Half way through the first act of Il barbiere di Siviglia when a ring on the intercom came on. Sighing, he turned it off and pushed the button, "come in."
Neji and Hinata shuffled in with a bored Shikamaru. The Nara plopped into a seat and Neji stood behind Hinata who sat next to Shikamaru. Itachi saw that Hinata was looking more stressed out than usual. The creases of her eyes looked like she had been using them.
Shikamaru grunted, "Itachi-san, I saw Sabaku no Kankuro enter through a side door. He had official Sound stamps all over it."
Itachi nodded, "dismissed."
Straightening up, Shikamaru bowed and turned to leave. As lazy as he was, Shikamaru knew that he had to use standard mission protocol because it was more troublesome not to.
Neji took the seat and he put the recording device into a small box Itachi had on his desk.
"Apparently, Sannin is trying to clean up their act. Tsunade and Jiraiya believe that they can eradicate all companies that have either spawned or have roots from Amegakure Facilities. By gathering information and spying on us in our villa, they believe that there might be information that is vital to them bringing us down," Neji said, smoothing over the details.
Hinata bit her lip as Neji finished the rest of the report. He was over shadowing her again. She should be stronger and speak up but –
"-Hinata-sama may have information concerning our being watched," her cousin had passed off something to her!
Finding her voice Hinata agreed, "yes, I have a transmission being sent to their feeds. As no one is watching right now I have been streaming unused feeds from the Metropolitan Opera as well as Palais Garnier."
"Good, you guys did well. It's only noon, take the rest of the day off," he dismissed them and then put his next plan into action.
Ino soon planted herself in one of the two chairs before him. She was rigid, as he expected, but her blue eyes were blank and she was the perfect image of a doll.
"Ino, I believe you have received the outline from Hinata?" his voice was neutral and soothing.
She either did not pick up the tone or was deaf, "yes, Itachi-sama." Her back seemed to go stiffer and Itachi winced.
Ino counted the tiles on the floor behind him in her head. Shikamaru had given her the 'count-to-ten-then-open-mouth' speech earlier. She told him to remove head from sphincter and then speak.
Studying her svelte face he asked, "Any questions?"
"No, Itachi-sama," she breathed softly. Somewhere a thought rattled around her brain, shut up four eyes. Very immature, Ino chastised herself and she twitched when Itachi scowled. Something darted, kind of like a rabbit, across her face. It was fear.
He studied her face and it was perfectly neutral. He could have sworn she looked frightened. "There's a second banquet tonight. I expect you to be on your best behaviour."
"Dismissed," he waved her away and could hear her sigh of relief as she left the room. His next course of action would be to arrange a meeting with Morino Ibiki and then he would apologize – maybe.
Gonna be okay
Just spin that record, babe
Punching in buttons Ino was busy fighting with the fax machine. A scowl emitted from her face as it flashed the little red light again. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she hit it lightly and the light went back to being green. Pushing the papers through, Ino typed in the 10-digit number.
Ino frowned. Even years of training and reflex could not help the pangs of guilt she felt at using Sakura. They were rivals in everything when they were in university, but they were always friends. When Ino needed someone else's opinion other than Shikamaru's she usually went to Sakura.
Picking up one of the hotel phones Ino phoned the number scrawled on a little piece of paper. She spun the little dial and put on her fake Itachi-is-my-boyfriend-and-I-love-him voice.
A man picked up, "Kotetsu speaking, how can I help you?"
"Hello, this is Yamanaka Ino, I'd like to speak with Tsunade?"
"One moment please."
It must have literally one moment because the older woman was on the line, "Ino? What do I owe the pleasure of this surprise?"
A grin settled on Ino's face, "I just sent you my friends resume. What about an interview?"
"Ah, you sent me a good one. Have her come my way this afternoon before the second banquet," Tsunade chuckled.
Ino looked up at the ceiling and smirked, "sure. I'll send her over."
After university and getting her Master's in four years and Ino was waist deep in the espionage thing they lost touch. To her surprise, Sakura was working at Uchiwa Inc. Ino knew it was strange because Sakura had perused a medical career.
She pulled out her cell phone and punched in numbers, "Hello, Sakura? Are you pulling into the hotel now? Good, I'll meet you in the lobby."
Ino put on her expensive sunglasses and sky high heels. She readied herself and let her hair down, curling over her shoulder. It was silly for her to worry, but Sakura could read her better than she would like. Ino patted Deidara on the shoulder, to let him know she was leaving.
Deidara nodded, still reading the newspaper.
Ding!
Ino stepped out of the elevator dressed in an expensive designer ensemble. Her delicate silk corset tank top with a high waisted black pencil skirt made her more approachable. A long thin knit cardigan covered her bare shoulders for the slightly nippy weather.
A flash of pink caught her eye before Sakura greeted her joyfully, "Ino!"
"It's good to see you Sakura," Ino gave her a hug and smiled back, pushing back all emotions. She led Sakura to the restaurant and smiled, "how about some lunch?"
Sakura chirped, "alright!" and they went back to talking about some inane gossip.
"You know, forehead, I met Tsunade this weekend," Ino said, sipping on a glass of water and flipping through the menu.
Sakura stared, "damn, Ino!"
"I know you idol worship the woman, so I got you an interview," she was met with squeals of delight and Ino grinned. If only her life was so carefree.
Beckoning the waiter Ino placed her order, "the champagne for us and I would like lobster ravioli."
"I would like the mushroom pasta," Sakura nodded and both handed over their menus. Ino no longer felt bad when Sakura started to tease her.
"Aw, Ino, you're still going to be Itachi-sama's little secretary," the pink haired girl giggled and Ino rolled her eyes. If only she knew.
A vicious streak in Ino tried to come to surface, but she tamped it down, "its alright, I still have Hinata-chan."
Sakura took another sip of water and announced, "I should go to the washroom before the food comes."
Blue eyes curved upwards and fingers tightened around a little vial in her pocket. "Of course, it's on the left."
As soon as the pink-haired girl was gone the waiter came back and poured their champagne. Relieved at his good timing Ino was sure to leave an extra large tip for him. Her nails broke the safety seal and she dumped the entire contents of the vial in.
Taking a sip of her champagne, Ino silently pondered if this was spy versus spy. No one really knew whether or not Sakura was no longer seeing Sasuke, but one usually does not disobey a direct order from Itachi. Sitting up slightly, she took a bigger sip and sighed at its sweet flavour.
Her cell buzzed in her purse and she checked the caller ID. It was Ibiki. Frowning, she pressed end call and send him a text message.
Ibiki-sensei! Sup?
Closing her phone, Ino saw Sakura come back. Ino raised her glass and smiled, "cheers, to you getting a job at TCH!"
The pink haired woman rolled her eyes and said cheers as well, "bottoms up!"
Ino took a long gulp and then poured herself some more. Sakura was their Trojan horse. Unknowingly, she was about to unleash vital information from her new job straight into the hands of Uchiwa Inc. Keeping quiet about the details of her own job, Ino continued to talk animatedly to Sakura about gossip and Sasuke.
"I see you finally got him," Ino grinned impishly. Her 'ravioli' was actually two pieces of pasta with a lobster tail stood up between then with the sauce poured around it.
Sakura rolled her eyes, spinning her pasta between her fork and spoon, "you still got to him first, Ino-buta."
"Yeah, right, because he took me out on a pity date!" she growled back, a smirk on her face.
Sakura sighed, "I guess, I don't see the problem Itachi-sama has, but I do."
Immediately Ino thought back to him shaking her and scowled, "whatever, now you can date Sasuke again!"
"Yeah right, Ino, I dumped him because I wanted to work for his hated brother. What am I going to say now? 'Oh yeah, I quit working for your brother because I saw the light. Please, please, take me back?' As if that would go over well," Sakura poked her fork in the air.
Ino nodded, chewing her lobster thoughtfully. At the end of the lunch Ino left the waiter a big tip and sent Sakura on her way to see Tsunade. The rest of the bottle of champagne, Ino took with her up to the hotel where Deidara was watching the screens.
"Brilliant, yeah? Now, give me the rest of that and some sour old man wanted you to call him back. Speaking of which, Itachi-sama's shut himself in his room and the Hyuugas along with Genma, Yuugao-chan, and Tsuzumi are out picking up lunch," he summed up in one breath.
Ino uncorked it for him and he sipped straight from the bottle and sighed contently. "Oh yeah, baby. It's slightly chilled and tastes like grapes."
"You're heinous, sometimes," Ino left and sauntered to her room.
Once again pulling out her cell phone she pressed speed dial 8 and her favourite sensei answered with a growl, "Yamanaka!"
"Gomen nasai, Ibiki-sensei, I got caught up with Sakura-chan," Ino shrugged, flopping over and powering up her laptop.
"Yeah, well, your superior is coming over. Wants to have a look at your dossier," Ino bolted upright and heard her back crack.
Wincing, Ino shrieked, "what? Ibiki-sensei! I thought that stuff was already cleared!"
"Apparently Shikamaru did all the paperwork, what do you want me to say, kid?" Ibiki was on her side, thank god.
Ino smirked, "answer all his questions... Ugh, knowing Shika it'll be done sloppy."
Ibiki caught her tone, "will do, Yamanaka."
Uchiha Itachi was going to be sorry if he messed with either of those two.
I woke up kind of early today
something told me that it wouldn't be the same
Itachi made a video call to Ibiki at exactly 16:00 hours. The older man stared silently and solemnly. His head band was off and Itachi could see the screws and many scars lining a once pleasant face.
"Morino, I wish to discuss certain things pertaining to Yamanaka Ino's dossier," Itachi said, making the first move.
Ibiki nodded, "have you cleared it with Yamanaka Ino, herself?"
"No."
"Good, I have," Ibiki countered, moving his pieces into place. Anyone who knew anything about Ino knew that she liked her privacy and was often discreet. Shikamaru thought it was ironic because Ino was a huge gossip.
"It says she was raised in Yuki no Kuni, but born in Konohagakure. Is that during the time when Sarutobi Asuma left Konohagakure for 'green pastures'?" Itachi asked, not thinking about Ino's feelings. He felt like he needed to be in control.
Ibiki inclined his head slightly, "yes, Ino spent most of her time living in Kazahana Castle with Asuma."
Itachi could feel that the older man was laughing at him some how, but ignored it. "Why was he allowed to take her to Yuki no Kuni?"
"Because her father was declared KIA and Sarutobi had just assumed his position as the Third during the war."
"What are her relations with Empress Kazahana Koyuki?"
"I do not know. Ask the Empress yourself," Ibiki knew what they were. Trying not to show his satisfaction at these points, he waited for the next question.
"Her relations with Hyuuga Neji?" the question was clipped.
Ibiki snorted at this, "You work with them. Besides, it's only Class A because he's a Hyuuga and it involves mission details."
"It says she went to Hoshi University and she obtained a Master's in four years. It does not say who her professors were or what she studied," Itachi went on. He had never had a dossier come in so full of holes. Someone in Human Resources was getting fired tonight.
"Her professors, I do not recall. Ino did study economics, psychiatry, history, and linguistics," Ibiki would not give him the name of the professors because they were all long dead and there was no point.
Itachi scanned down the page and asked, "What's with her choice in men?"
Ibiki sighed and knew that this was something that was not to be talked about. However, it would be good for someone else to know other than himself and Neji. "Only if you swear upon your life that you never ever bring this up with her, unless she brings it up first and if you don't tell her I told you."
"Of course," Itachi nodded.
Ibiki grinned, "Sabaku no Kankuro is Suna royalty and they hit it off in high school while her 'Daddy' shipped her off to an expensive boarding school for rich kids. They had a thing until she was called back to Konohagakure no Sato to do some stuff for the Third. The next time she met him was on the battlefield. She no longer looks at him the same way."
"Good, as Suna is now a rival faction."
"Yeah, I guess," Ibiki scowled openly. That kid was a little shit bag.
"It says that she is a Class A spy, do you know her Bingo Book stats?" Itachi asked, scanning for any information about the Bingo Book pages.
The older man grinned, "She's in six different Bingo Books, each with the same picture and only her last name is known. In the Iwa Bingo Book she's worth a million ryou for helping another Iwa nukenin. In the Konoha book she's worth half a million ryou because she's a known spy. In Kumo she's worth three million because she assassinated the daimyou. In Suna she's worth a million because Kankuro bumped up her status. Kagerouge does not openly court her death, but she's in their Bingo book as well. You know how Kusa feels about their women being shinobi. She's worth half a million for being a woman."
It sounded like Ibiki was proud of her. Itachi wondered if Shikamaru had put together this dossier, because that would make sense with all the holes and gaps. "Ah, and the last bit at the end, explain that."
"It is what it is," Ibiki snorted.
Itachi did not think this was an acceptable answer and kept going, "Sai? What the hell was she doing with anyone from ROOT?"
"He seemed harmless at the time. Ino was doing volunteer undercover stuff at the local institute with him. One day, they were just friends and the next week she's engaged. She was about to elope when I talked her out of it," Ibiki frowned, "she told him and he hit her. Needless to say, there's not a lot of him left after I was through. Rumour has it he's working with Tsunade in Cell 7."
"Sasuke's old cell," Itachi breathed, "Codename: Sai replaced him?"
Ibiki's mind was turning the cogs quickly and he slipped in his own question, "why did you want to know about Sai?"
"I'm her superior," Itachi was quick to say. He winced at the lie. Ibiki probably knew it was a lie. Fuck, he should have just asked Shikamaru these questions.
"Her mission, the second one she ever did, why?" Itachi glowered at the man.
"She was living under Dotou's rules then and she had to. Ino did what she did to survive," Ibiki snarled, "Ino was involved with the overthrowing of him. Asuma says she had nightmares until she was 15 over killing anyone from Hi no Kuni. It got worse when she met Sasuke."
Itachi nodded and gave a curt, "good bye."
Ibiki smirked, "as long as you don't hurt her I won't have to kill you."
"Shut up," he growled back and ended the call.
Those guys wanna come treat you right
because you're sweeter than apple pie
Ino growled in frustration. She had nothing to wear to that night's banquet dinner! She even found out where she was sitting! With the Mist Seven! How hot were they, except for Kisame, he was kind of blue, and Zabuza, his face was always covered.
"Genma! GENMA!" she yelled, not caring because Itachi was out.
The lazy man leaned against her door frame, "what, woman?"
"I have nothing to wear!" she wailed, the contents of her closet were stacked on the bed.
"Ino, you'll be fine, you look stunning in all of those," Genma reassured her.
The blond beauty leveled him with a glare, "don't you sweet talk me Shiranui Genma! We're going to buy me a new outfit on Itachi-sama's credit card – NOW!"
Genma didn't give it a second thought as she was back in authority, "yes, ma'am." He picked up his blazer and car keys along the way and scuttled down to get the car ready."
There was a long pause and Ino smirked at her reflection. Maybe, she should apologize later… Ino sighed and promised that she would apologize after she found the perfect dress. She could just envision her perfect dress. It form fitting in all the right places and oh so sexy.
"He can't make me go to a party if I'm unhappy," she grumbled under her breath, "I'll behave foolishly or be silly or something." Deep down, Yamanaka Ino was a professional and nothing would change that, no matter how much she griped.
Grabbing her big YSL Muse bag she put on sunglasses and raced to catch up with Genma in her platform stilettos. Surely, Itachi could not know what she liked to wear, so Ino was taking matters into her own hands.
A round of applause
Standing ovation, oh
Genma was tired. He was tired and annoyed and his feet hurt. He had been on missions through stinking, swamps, in blood covered houses, traveled for days on end, and Yamanaka Ino was tiring him out – shopping.
"Ino, we've been to SIX different boutiques, can't you just pick one?" he pleaded from behind her.
Even with her sunglasses on, he could feel the heat of her glare, "No."
And so off they were, into the last big department store. Genma sat down in a chair and watched as the salesmen flit around Ino as if she was the sun. She picked up dresses and they offered their opinion. Ultimately, Genma knew he had the final say before she made up her mind. He watched as one of the salesmen put the clothing on the hangers in the fitting room and Ino strode in.
"My, my, aren't you cute?" cooed the salesmen, "Is she your woman?"
Genma shifted uncomfortably under the attentions of the man, "uh, no. Boss' girlfriend."
His long plait fell into Genma's face as the salesmen bent over, "well, my name's Jakotsu."
Nodding slightly, Genma thought of women. Women, women, women! Feeling slightly ill at the thought of a man finding him attractive, Genma responded, "Genma."
Suddenly, the curtain swung open and Ino stepped out. She wore a leopard print dress with a pair of black pumps. She turned for him and Genma thought she was hot.
"Ino, darling, you look gorgeous! Genma-kun, what do you think?" Jakotsu purred.
Genma grunted, "Not to the banquet. Too racy, it's Dolce & Gabbana."
Ino pouted, "but sex is good!" and stepped back into the change room and slipped it off. She piled all the animal print dresses to one side and tried on another dress.
She stepped out of the curtain and posed, "Jak, what do you think?"
"I'm biased, you're just too gorgeous, I'm jealous," Ino winced at the jealous bit and looked at Genma who was looking bored.
"It's tartan and besides, it's not even in the right colours of the Uchiha house," he waved his hand and slumped over again.
Ino frowned and went back into the change room, "Jak? Do you still have the Emilio Pucci pumps? I think I'm going to purchase them."
Jak squealed, "Of course, my dear! Let me go put them at the register for you."
As soon as he was gone Ino emerged in a more conservative Pucci number that had Genma shrug. Her icy blue eyes narrowed at his apathy.
"Uh, you're not fifty."
Ino looked in the mirror again and agreed, totally frustrated with his lack of enthusiasm. Nonetheless, she was not going to let it weigh her down.
Just as she fingered a dress Genma called, "don't even touch that feathered thing."
Swearing inside her head, Ino wondered if this was her payback for being so mean to him. She looked at the other hangers that hung off the rack and the little hamsters in her brain started to run. Unzipping the dress slowly, she heard Jakotsu flounce back into the area.
"Hey, Jak, do you still have the Louboutins I tried on last week in a size up? My friend got a job and I wanted to celebrate" she called, pulling on the little scraps of material the French called lingerie. It was La Perla and she smirked deviously, hooking the bra on.
"Ooh! Of course! I will be right back!" Jakotsu was grinning and she could tell without seeing him.
Breathing deeply, she wondered if this would ruin their tight friendship. After all, even Neji the Prude had been awkward with her at first. Pushing all thoughts from her mind, Ino focused. Genma was a pervert and a former sex fiend, he was going to love this. As soon as it went deathly still Ino stepped out of the change room, one bare leg first, then followed by a push of the heavy curtain. She giggled, he was sleeping! Well, she thought to herself, I'll have to fix that.
Ino rearranged her scantily clad self to sit in his lap and purred in his ear, "Genma-sama?"
His eyes opened slowly and Genma stared at her. He looked at what she was wearing and a "yes" popped out of his mouth before he could control it.
"Yes, I should wear this to the banquet?" Ino said, standing up, stretching and posing in the floor length mirror. Her ass swayed slightly as she swiveled her hips, checking herself out in the mirror. She pretended to be self-conscious and insecure.
Genma was slack-jawed for a moment or two before he regained his vocal cords. "Stop pretending to be self-conscious, you know you're hot."
Squealing, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and got dressed in a silver Herve Leger dress. It was sparkly and pretty.
"That one, that one!" Jakotsu cried coming back with the shoe boxes wrapped and handed back Itachi's credit card.
Genma nodded and said, "Can we go?"
Ino laughed at him, "sure." She went back in and took off the dress and changed back into her day dress. It was a knockout and it felt so good. Now...what was she going to sing at the banquet? Itachi said she was going to be one of the exclusive lounge acts.
As they left Genma turned to Ino, "where did you meet Jakotsu?"
Ino chuckled, "he's my costume supplier. Or he was, I met him on a mission in Konohagakure."
Everything you did, everything you said
Now I'm left standing here looking like, damn
A/N: Comments or (constructive) criticism? I'm sorry, I had to borrow Jakotsu, he's just so cute.