Curiosity

"Think about my offer and see you around soon," Orochimaru told me as he smiled full of unspoken words at me. Naruto waited as I left Tsunade's room for Jiraiya's office.

Orochimaru's offer for me to intern with him was indeed an attractive offer, but what would Itachi think about me interning with a cosmetics company when I could be part of a broadcasting station, be a journalist or be a junior accounts executive at Itachi's friend's advertising agency? I have set my eyes on doing reporting and trying out as a broadcast journalist when I work one day. However trying out my hand in a completely new industry would be interesting too. I'll have to think hard about it though, and Itachi wouldn't be pleased with my decision but he doesn't control me. We would only have our internship gig next semester which would be our last semester of studies. I have plenty of times to think about it.

Naruto was heading towards the stairs and then paused a little so I could catch up with him. Jiraiya's office was only a floor away from Tsunade's office. Naruto walked closer towards me when we reached the upper floor. I could see a glass door with a blue square label on it, when we approached it Jiraiya's name was on it. Naruto opened the door and placed his hands on my waist. I was a little surprised with this gesture since he was normally not so touchy feely with me in public.

We entered the office and a woman in her middle twenties smiled at Naruto, and then at me. "Please come in, Mr Sannin is waiting inside. Who's this lovely lady?"

Naruto blushed instantly and he looked at me and scratched his head with his other hand, "Ah. Good to see you too Shizune."

Naruto turned to me and loosened his hold on my waist as he smiled proudly at me. "Sasuke meet Shizune-niichan. Shizune, this is Sasuke, and she's my girlfriend... but you, why are you here at Jiraiya's office instead of downstairs with Tsunade? I thought Jiraiya had hired a new secretary to replace Kurenai?"

Shizune smiled and lifted the file she was holding and placed it on the table. She got up and walked around the table to approach us.

"Someone's new secretary just quit and this time left all the work behind. That's two this month alone." Shizune rolled her eyes at the heap of files on the table and then at Jiraiya's office door. "I am only helping until the next secretary comes in. Tsunade's making sure it's a macho man this time."

"Who is assisting Tsunade-baachan then? Doesn't she like have so many things to do?"

Shizune leaned against the table and crossed her hands over her chest, "Yugao is assisting Tsunade until her morning sickness subsides. Kurenai is applying for early leave since Asuma's going to take a year leave after the baby is born."

"Yugao is pregnant too? I am going to have so many nephews and nieces next year," Naruto let go of my waist and cupped his cheeks in a gesture more common of excited aunties. I leaned away in surprise.

Shizune waved her arms around as she elaborated, "Finally. She had been brooding ever since Kurenai's baby news broke out. I guess it was hard seeing your lifelong dreams of wanting a child happening to someone else. Now she finally gets the baby she dreams of and I am very glad for her," Shizune said.

I was marvelling at their conversation. They were conversing like a real close family, full of gossips and baby news. At home, with just me and Itachi the only gossip we usually talk about concerned his business. Sometime's an invitation from our cousins and uncles whom we only met once a year now arrives in the letterbox, inviting us to a wedding or a birthday party. The Patriarch of the Uchiha family, Great Uncle Madara who was actually only fifty five years old had asked Itachi to come visit them more frequent but since Itachi's business was booming we could only make it annually.

Shizune's phone blared suddenly and she went to pick it up. She stood behind the table and looked at us horrified, "Hey, you better get in now because Jiraiya has a fundraising event tonight. I am getting him to the Sarutobi's Garments, the place he's getting his coat early today because he has a speech to deliver."

Shizune opened the door to Jiraiya's office and ushered us in. Naruto wrapped his arm around my waist again, this time tighter and then pushed me along with him as he stepped forward. Meanwhile Shizune had closed the door behind her and left only the two of us in here.

My first impression was that the office was empty. Naruto who thought that the office was empty too suddenly looked at me with a mischievous smile.

"You want to see something babe?"

"What?" I asked him. This was his territory, of course I was alarmed. He sounded like he was up to no good anyway.

"I want to show you something. Come on." He let go of my waist and took my hand and pulled me towards a book cabinet.

"Here see this serious looking books? They aren't what they seem like. Quick pick one?"

I lifted my hand at his instruction but quickly frowned.

"Just pick one Sasuke before he returns," Sasuke eyed the main door and looked at another door. I didn't notice that there was another door there.

"Ok." I looked at the rows of book Naruto pointed out. They all were hard covered brown books which looked like old fashioned Encyclopedia. The book you use for reference before the existence of Wikipedia. I chose the middle one and took it out from the row.

"Now, open it and read any paragraph on any page," his lips were smiling mischievously while looking at me and also watching the doors.

I did as he instructed and started reading, "The warmth of her feet sliding against my legs sent shivers down my spine. Her moans, her soft breaths anchored my thoughts on what was about to come. Her supple chests rubbing against mine, I could feel the difference in texture and in shapes. Now we only need to shed our earthly wares and be unified like how humans have been for each other… of skins, of fluidity of movement, of connection. "

Now that I could comprehend what the book was about I instantly stopped reading. I quickly closed the book and pushed it into Naruto's chest. I pulled the next book from the gap in the row of books i have created. I opened the next book and started reading, "Angel didn't care if her wings and status was taken, all she cared was that her body belonged to the human. He has taken her, into the lights of day, given her what she had craved for since she had the curse on her. She could never forgot the touch of his skin on hers, the emptiness which he filled into her. He had made her moan for the first time in thousand years, the moans which had filled the air and raise the coldness from her heart. He was her heaven, so if her wings were taken now she would still be sad but not for long. She would wallow in self pity, but endless nights of being stretched and filled by his throbbing…"

"What are these?" I asked him as I read the next words describing Angel's beloved throbbing p…

Naruto took the book from me and closed it. He placed the two books I took back into the gap and pushed the books so they were all sitting nicely in a row again.

"Haha, this is what my Godfather does for a living. These are his classics, written when he was about our age. His recent writings are more sophisticated. The ones you read were the not so x rated ones. You want to read the really x-rated ones babe?"

"No, I came here to meet your family."

Naruto pulled me away from the bookcase and wrapped his arms around my waist, "I wanted you to accept him like you accepted me. So I think that's taken care of. We'll wait for him, or do you want to do some kissing first? The novels kind of got me horny."

Listening to Naruto saying that he was horny suddenly made me realise that i was in the company of a man. I wriggled away from him and held his hands in mine.

"This is an appropriate place, I don't want him to walk into us or his cameras," I eyed the ceiling of the office but saw nothing which looked like a surveillance camera.

"Yeah, he has camera's but only facing at his book case. His classic books aren't in print anymore so he is extra protective of them, and you're right. This isn't appropriate. But can I have a quick kiss?" Naruto pulled me towards him and looked at me with puppy dog eyes.

"Quick," I said and pecked his lips. At the same moment my lips met his the door on the other side which I hadn't noticed at first creaked open and out came a white haired man. He was holding a notebook and had glasses on his eyes.

"Hello Naruto, you're here? Come here for a hug."

"Yeah," Naruto said excitedly and approached the man.

After they finished hugging he pulled me towards the white haired man. "Sasuke, this is Jiraiya my Godfather. I have seen his pictures so many years but we only got the chance to meet this year."

I offered Jiraiya a hand before he pulled me towards him and bear hugged me. He was really a father like figure, but reading his novels I had some little doubts about his parenting skills.

Jiraiya went to his table and placed his glasses into his drawer along with the notebook. "I am so sorry about that Naruto. I didn't know that your grandparents changed your name to Menma when you were adopted by the Uzumaki. Then I heard about five years ago that there was a Naruto in Konoha and hired an investigator. He was right and so we returned here."

"I was just teasing you Ero-Sennin, that was way past my time. I think I have forgiven you already," Naruto smiled mischievously.

"Please have a seat," Jiraiya offered us.

"What were you doing back there anyway?" Naruto began asking.

"I was thinking how it would feel to be in a cave, dark and suffocating and alone."

"That's new, aren't all your characters always with someone else or a threesome," Naruto snickered.

"Actually, this is something else entirely. Tsunade wanted me to write a book on survival and also at the end making love!"

"Jiraiya-san here has written 212 books since he was 20. He wanted me to challenge him."

I smiled as I thought it was a good idea being a writer, "You have to be very strict then."

"I have an idea to write a book about travelling, maybe we can take road trips across Konoha, to Suna, Iwa and further Ero-sennin?"

Jiraiya laughed as he leaned back into his chair,"you two go. I don't have the patience to be on a road trip anymore, it;s first class or nothing."

"Still, I am glad you still cared about this orphan here despite all this lavish lifestyle," Naruto teased.

"That's different, your father was one of my students when he was also a mass communication student like you. How could i ever forgot and just lead life away long that Minato's son is only a flight away from me. I even moved this here for you."

Naruto smiled and looked affectionately at Jiraiya before asking. "What's the new novel about?"

"It's a secret. Let's go out I need to buy you a suit because you and Sasuke are going with me to the fundraiser, I want to show off my heir."

"You already have plenty hair Ero-Sennin," Naruto said as he eyed Jiraiya's still plentiful hair.

"I was talking about the heir to this throne, you dumb ass."

"Now, let's go. Shizune will take us all to the Sarutobi's Garments."

I gaped as Naruto pulled me along behind Jiraiya. I wasn't expecting to attend a dinner at all. In my haste as we reached the elevator, I speed dialled Itachi but he didn't pick up and went to voicemail.

"Itachi, I'm going to a dinner with Naruto. I'll call you when I arrive there. See you around big bro, miss you."

As the elevator arrived downstairs, I quickly planned in my head the quickest way to get a decent dress.

"Sasuke-chan, you don't have to worry about your dress tonight. There's plenty to choose from at the boutique. But are your family ok with me kidnapping you?"

I smiled and said, "i'll inform my brother when we are on our way."

Jiraiya looked at me with a quizzical look at first but then smiled, "Well then, let's go."

I smiled at him back confidently. I was of legal age to go around on my own with Naruto who someone Itachi knew of. I don't need to ask for permission, I only need to tell Itachi where I was heading.

Five minutes later we arrived at Sarutobi's Garments which was house turned shop nestled in an affluent neighbourhood. While the other houses have been renovated to reflect the present wealth of it's owner, the former was still a simple white bungalow with minimalist decoration. I noticed that the flooring of the porch was wood. Jiraiya rang the doors and a smoking bearded man opened it, the man saw Jiraiya and instantly smiled.

"Hey Jiraiya long time no see." he said.

"Hey, you are running the shop now?" Jiraiya asked as he let go of the man.

"Nah, just picking up my suit for tonight. My siblings asked me to come as father's plus one since Mom is not well."

"Yeah, your mother has always been particular about charity events. He's sent Konohamaru if he could go by himself."

"Come in, I heard father saying your suit is already at the changing room. And hi Naruto, my man."

Naruto grinned and shook the man's hand, "What you see is what you get!"

The man then turned to me and took his cigar away from his lips before offering his hand to me, "Sorry about the cigar."

He looked at me carefully and asked, "Why do you look familiar little lady? My name's Asuma and this is my father's shop. Nice to meet you?"

I shook his hand and replied "Hi, I'm Sasuke Uchiha a friend of Naruto's . Jiraiya invited me to come along to the charity event, so here I am?"

The man laughed as Jiraiya and Naruto looked at me. The man named Asuma then laughed again and said, "Eh come in, it's getting dark already. We can be seated comfortably for a long chat."

We all entered the shop and the living room was a large single space with rows and rows of blazers, shirts and pants.

"Please be seated, Jiraiya, Naruto and Sasuke-chan, I'll ask for my father to come and serve you. I am not that proficient about where everything is."

As we sat down Naruto quickly sat in the middle and patted the seat farthest from Asuma and looked at me. I nodded and sat down. Jiraiya sat on the other end near Asuma.

"You should start working a steady job soon, Kurenai is going to have a baby," Naruto told Asuma as he placed a hand over the couch. His hand was lightly touching my back.

"Congratulations," Jiraiya added happily o Asuma. He then scooted over to Naruto and touched his knee. "Tell that to him too, Naruto."

"Ah yes," Naruto said. He leaned forward and stood, "Congratulations too. I hope you and Kurenai will have a safe pregnancy and deliver a happy baby.

Asuma grinned and hugged Naruto. Naruto patted Asuma on the back and said, "By the way smoking is bad for the baby so you should quit too."

Asuma let go of Naruto and chided him, "you brat talking to your elder like that. But you are right, Kurenai told me the same thing too. So I should really stop one fine day. Now let's go down to business. Dad is at the back doing some stock take."

"Yes please, we have an hour. Oh, and do you have anything ready to wear for Miss Uchiha. She is a petite lady, so there must be something here," Jiraiya said as Naruto returned to his seat.

Naruto lightly squeezed my hand before he placed his hands over the couch and leaned back. I smirked at him and sat there waiting for my dress like a little proper lady.

Asuma stroke his beard and said, "Father would sure know more about that. So ask him ok. Now I really regret not spending more time here," Asuma said as he disappeared behind a curtain.

"What do you have in mind for Sasuke here, Ero-Sennin?" Naruto asked his Godfather.

"Something proper which if Itachi sees he wouldn't curse me to my death," Jiraiya said. He was grinning like a cat now.

I arched an eyebrow at the statement, "So my brother will be there?"

Jiraiya looked at me and said, "The charity is his best friend's NGO so of course he will be there. Do you know the Akatsuki. That's his friends from university or high school."

"Oh the Akatsuki, friends from his secondary school."

Naruto turned to me and asked, "Didn't he tell you?"

"We were rather busy this week, I only met him a few days ago before he went to Singapore," I explained. Yes, me busy with group studies and assignments and now Naruto, while Itachi busy building his business.

"Have you told him you came with us to the charity?" Jiraiya asked. Then he lifted his hands and said, "i am sorry if I am being invasive, well if I had a daughter as pretty as you I would be protective."

I laughed at his statement, "You don't need to worry Jiraiya. I am not a weak lady. Itachi has his ways of looking after me."

This time Naruto arched his eyebrows around me and took his hands away from me. "Do you mean he knows that I sometimes, ummm touch you?"

"Yes. But he knows his boundary."

Jiraiya groaned and said, "Ok talk about your private times later kids. I don't want to hear a peep."

Naruto laughed as an old man appeared from behind the curtain and approached us. "Ah Jiraiya," he said, "Hi, I am Old Man Sarutobi, the father of the brat you just met."

Jiraiya and Naruto stood, I followed suit. After all the introductions and pleasantries pulled me aside, "This lady has my priority now since her coming here is a surprise. Come Miss Uchiha, let's take a walk to the ladies' section."

I stood and walked over to him, he gestured to me to the ladies' section which was on the left side of the living room. When we arrived, he said, "these are all bestsellers. We have sizes in standard, the XXS to 5XL, but we also do custom measures."

Asuma said, "I am sorry but I have been sizing you up since i saw you, so your size is definitely M. What colour do you prefer?"

"Black or blue black."

The old gentleman picked a few hangers and handed to me. "The changing room is just that way. You try this and we go from there," he pointed to a corner of a black curtained area. He smiled as I turned to change and he walked back to Jiraiya.

Naruto then ran up to me and took the clothes from my hand and eyed them, "These look boring. Don't you want to wear something flashy? Like yellow or red?"

"I despise bold colours," I said.

Naruto frowned and looked into my eyes, "I wear orange and I have yellow hair, and you tolerate that?"

I blushed and huffed, "I care about those colours on me, you are a different story. Now, I need to change, we are going to be late."

Naruto scratched his head and held my hand, "take care at the back."

I rolled my eyes and turned before half turning back and telling him, "You are cute but you are annoying,"

I walked into the changing room smirking.

There will be Itachi later to deal with, but right now I need to get ready. I have always detested parties but I find the idea attending a party amongst Naruto's family would be something worth experiencing. I wanted to see more of this Jiraiya and his associates, and since itachi would be there, i might get to know more about Itachi's life apart from his business.