Hey, folks! Glad to be telling you guys that I'm still alive and running. Though I did promise this chapter earlier, a few things came up and it got delayed… A friend stayed over and I got a bad sore throat. Don't hate me? Lol. Anyways, updates will be coming in faster now and I have plans to finish Haute Couture by January if possible. But the story won't be rushed. That's the last thing I'd want to do. So here, the next chapter. Enjoy!

One Granny for Delivery!

"My offer stills stands, Tsunade. But it won't stand for long. Think about it… Wouldn't it be a most joyous occasion?" The thin, raspy voice drawled over the phone. "The both of us will get what we want."

Tsunade was facing the window of the hotel room, her lips pressed tightly together into a thin line. Her jaw didn't move to reply. Her right hand was nearly crushing the hotel phone due to the vice-like grip she had on the handset. The other was curled up into a fist, trembling. Whether it was from fear or shock, or even rage, one couldn't tell.

"Everything would be just like before… Happiness is well within your reach." The voice came again, tempting. Coaxing. "A simple choice, no? I would dread to think what would happen if you were to refuse." The voice took on a more pitiful tone, exaggerating an empathy that did not seem to be present.

Tsunade gritted her teeth, a shadow falling over her eyes as she gazed at the wooden flooring of the bedroom. Her mind was racing, thinking of all the different possibilities that may result from this one choice. She drew a shaky breath, not trusting herself to be able to speak properly. Another chuckle echoed hollowly through the receiver, sending a slight chill down her spine.

"I wait until day after tomorrow. After that I have to fly off to London. Some of us are unbelievably busy, you know?" The voice spoke one more time and the line went dead.

Tsunade let the handset fall from her hands, leaning heavily onto the coffee table beside her. She massaged the bridge of her nose. Then, her temples. She walked over to the bathroom and wanted to bang on the door. However, her fist fell just short of it before she spun on her heel, unlocked the main door with a swipe of her room key and swooped away. Her mind was wholly focused on this one thought, I need some sake.


"Really, I don't even know what to say anymore." Tomoko shook her head in exasperation, eyes closed at the ugly sight in front of her. "Tsunade, can you cover this up?"

Naruto had his hand scratching the back of his head, looking innocent enough… if it weren't for his face. It wasn't swollen as he had quickly gotten ice on the grazes after his little scuffle with Sasuke last night. Now, there were a few noticeable purple splotches on his cheeks as well as one decorating the corner of his right eye. Naruto pouted, turning a deaf ear to Tomoko's discussion with Tsunade. He knew his skin wasn't the type to bruise easily. What the heck did Sasuke do to get this strong? Judo? Naruto frowned, holding his chin. Yeah, probably something that he could use as an outlet for that rage. He shuddered, remembering those eyes.

Sasuke however, wasn't included in the scolding. Well, in the first place, he didn't get hit—he only got sat on. And, he was already changing into the clothes Neji had set aside for him. The Hyuugas of Konoha Studios were known as designers, but they acted more like stylists than anything else. He briefly wondered which brand they created clothes for.

"Tsunade, can you cover for me again?" Tomoko asked. "I've got to take him somewhere." She jerked her head at Naruto, who had been kneeling ever since he arrived this morning.

"Tsk." Annoyance showed very clearly on Tsunade's face. "Fine." She huffed, heading over to where the Uchiha was waiting.

"Come with me." Tomoko, despite her size, hauled Naruto up by the arm and dragged him away, not stopping to let Naruto speak.

They walked away from the San Siro, a huge football stadium that they had chosen for some of the sportswear photos. One of the rare days this stadium wasn't in use… As Naruto let himself be led through cobblestone streets, he noticed Sakura and Anko were nowhere to be seen with the rest of the crew at San Siro. Just as he was about to ask, Tomoko halted, jerking him out of his thoughts.

They had stopped in front of some tram tracks, the place where they had initially arrived this morning. The day was temperate, with a brilliant blue sky above them. A comfortable silence fell upon the pair, until Naruto, who was itching to get back and finish the shoot as fast as possible, broke it.

"What?" He uttered a single word, turning to the young woman, also of his age.

"Have you thought of a way to get Tsunade to take over?" She asked, not looking at him.

"Uh…" Naruto avoided her then pointed gaze, averting his eyes to some very interesting clouds above them. "Not really?"

Tomoko closed her eyes and sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Yeah… I'm having a tough time too. There's pressure from the editorial sector that I'm aiming for pushing me to become a novelist. I'm not complaining but I won't have time. I have to leave the company by next week if I don't want to miss this offer." Tomoko chuckled lightly, shaking her head at the helplessness of the situation.

"B-but, they can't force you to do that!" Naruto exclaimed, his brows knitting up in anger. "That's not fair!"

"I think Tsunade will probably tell you the same, Naruto." Tomoko said, voice sincere. "You are naïve. Not everybody gets the chance to do what they want to do in this world, especially those who are in the fashion industry. You're only lucky because you've got a hopeless sap as a manager who's fallen for Hatake's charms, I'm sure. If he has any, that is."

Naruto's mind backtracked to when he first saw Sasuke's manager. Silver hair pointed to on side and a mask over the whole of his face except one eye. Iruka's type were shady guys like that? Naruto shuddered at the very thought, willing it to disappear from his mind when another conclusion surfaced to his mind—Iruka liked guys? Seeing the wheels turning in Naruto's head courtesy of the horrified expression on his face, Tomoko burst out laughing.

"It's a joke. I didn't mean it. But I won't be surprised if it was truth." Tomoko patted Naruto's shoulder, the boy collapsing into a squat from relief.

"So what are we going to do?" Naruto asked.

"At any rate, we're caught at a dead end at the moment. The media is hungry for a good scandal as there have been no recent ones these past three months. We can't make a sudden move. It would place our position in jeopardy. There are people waiting for a perfect chance like this. If only we could find an inconspicuous way to just replace Tomoko with Tsunade." Shikamaru came up from behind them, holding his chin in deep thought.

"Gyaah! Shikamaru!" Naruto picked himself up from the floor (he had fallen over in shock) and pointed accusingly at him. "What are you doing here? This was supposed to be some big secret mission tha—,"

"Everybody in the company knows, y'know. Shikamaru was the one who decided that we inform you about it." Tomoko cut him off good-naturedly.

"So not cool." Naruto pouted.

"But in the end, you still didn't provide a route out. Troublesome…" Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his neck tiredly.

"How was I supposed to offer a lifeline?" Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I know I'm destined for heroics but…" He let a small smirk play on his face.

"The way you often screw things up." Shikamaru answered, earning a indignant yelp from Naruto. He shrugged, continuing, "The way you always somehow mess up adverts, fashion shows, modeling opportunities… so on and so forth. They're not big mistakes, but enough to make certain people sit up and notice. I suppose you have had your fair share of criticism, some of which without reason."

Naruto kept silent as Tomoko paced about worriedly.

"According to the last five years, you've grown to become a good enough model to be accepted into Konoha Studios. The first two years were just haphazard jobs with you often making faces at the photographer. Umino Iruka had to patrol the streets of Japan, hunting you down for a few shoots before you escaped from his grasp right after. This pattern continued until you finally started settling down for the later part of the second year. You moved to New York during the start of your third year of modeling." Shikamaru closed his eyes, finishing his speech.

"How… How the hell did you know?" Naruto took several rapid steps towards Shikamaru, a mixture of awe and panic present in his voice.

The only reply he got was a shrug.

"We sat back and waited, hoping that you would somehow make several mistakes along your way, supposedly driving me round the bend before I leave. Your reputation won't be affected either, as your skills are good. It would just be seen that I couldn't deal with it, as a perfectionist." Tomoko explained further. "But now… we don't have the time to plan anything now."

"I can just screw up on purpose. It's no problem." Naruto grinned.

"Do you want to risk your reputation for that? You won't be able to build a company that way. You'll also be tarnishing our company name— something that we cannot allow. 'Screwing up' has the highest possibility for you to make one of your worst mistakes if it is impromptu." Shikamaru turned to face him. "Unless we can do something within this week, in public."

"That's insane! I'd understand if it was an ad, but going public gives the media the chance to warp stories at their will! Besides, I'm not connected to your company anyways so why am I going to be blamed if something goes wrong?" Naruto narrowed his eyes, put off by Shikamaru's remark.

"You do know that your modeling agency is known as The Leaf, right? It's a branch of Konoha Studios that was set up a year after. We've got quite a few around the world. The director of Konoha Studios controls all of it."

Naruto glanced at Tomoko, with his eyes so wide you could see the whites. She nodded, confirming the truth of Shikamaru's words.

"There are no further big shoots for this week. We might as well give something for the media to chew." She held her chin, trying to find opportunities.

"Did you notice? Tsunade has been slightly off since yesterday." Shikamaru stated, sitting down on a nearby bench.

"Oh yeah! She actually didn't beat me up today." Naruto recalled, holding a finger up. One could almost see a light bulb switching on beside him.

"She seems… distracted. Hopefully nothing will happen during the fashion show they're holding for Versace the day after. It's a small one we're doing for them. They're showcasing their latest arrivals for this season. That is when we'll have to get Tsunade to sit on the throne of Konoha Studios." Tomoko patted their shoulders before walking off.

"Hey, Shikamaru? The nickname of every director of Konoha Studios… Is it 'Hokage'?" Naruto asked, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Yeah."

"I remember reading about it a few years back in a magazine. You know what? I'm so gonna be Hokage! That way, I can inherit a whole company instead of setting one up!" Naruto announced, punching the air.

Now even Shikamaru couldn't stop the bark of laughter bursting out from him. Naruto looked at him questioningly.

"You? Look, if you compare yourself to your higher ups, you hardly qualify. To become Hokage, you need to be experienced in not only modeling and photography, but styling. You need to be able to pick out the clothes that best compliments a person with the perfect hairstyle and batch of colours for makeup. You need to learn about healthcare, nutrition, manage your models and finances. When people come to you for shoots and adverts, whether a picture or video, you need to determine the most suitable backdrop, lighting and props, if required. Honestly? I doubt you'd make it at this rate." Shikamaru got up, holding his hands at the back of his head and left.

"Oh, you just wait." Naruto muttered, a grin growing on his face. "I definitely going to be Hokage, believe it!" He shouted, his voice carrying across until all the way to the other side of the street.

Shikamaru gave a careless wave without turning back. But he couldn't help a small smile from forming as he walked away. Troublesome. Shikamaru thought and began searching for the best spot to watch clouds again.

Naruto rushed back, knowing he was late. He crept behind the rest of the crew, trying to look as if he had been there all along.

"Dobe." Came an all too familiar voice.

"Geh! Sasuke? Aren't you supposed to be there?" Naruto pointed to the field, in the direction of the camera mounted on a tripod stand.

"It finished five minutes ago."

"Oh, shit." Naruto gulped and walked (more like crawled) up to Tsunade. "So, uh, old granny? Is it my turn?"

She clucked her tongue and shook her head in disapproval, "Late." Then, she went on to check the camera, calling Shizune to give Naruto his final touches.

"I survived." Naruto blinked, not really believing what Tsunade had just done. "I'm actually still alive."

"Hn." Sasuke watched on, his gaze lingering on her retreating figure. "She's not herself today." He noted softly, before turning away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Naruto yelled after him.

"Tram tracks." Sasuke replied.

Naruto paused for a bit then called over his shoulder, "I'll come and get you later then! Don't forget!"

"Who could when a certain moron kept repeating the same sentence since last night?" The Uchiha scoffed, not too happy about it.

"He—," Naruto started, his words dying when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.

Tsunade squeezed it so hard, Naruto swore it cut off the blood circulation to his arm, "Get your ass over here. Now." She growled, lifting him with just an arm (yes, just an arm) and throwing him onto the field.


Sasuke leisurely sipped the warm coffee he had gotten just minutes ago from a nearby café. A slight breeze drifted gently by, and the morning sun was bathing the city with it's gentle rays, creating just the right temperature. Sasuke allowed his eyes to go half-mast—something he rarely did. Hey, even Uchihas can appreciate a beautiful summer day in Milan. All around him people were bustling about, doing their daily activities. He leaned back against the wall of the café, his other hand finding it's way into his jeans pocket, a little habit he didn't mind.

All of a sudden, he heard footsteps of another, racing across the cobblestone streets. Though they had speed, they landed rather lightly, making just about as much sound as the next person walking by. But Sasuke lifted his head slightly, knowing that pretty soon, he would have to fight off another headache.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, waving him over from the tram tracks. "C'mon, the tram's coming!"

Sasuke drank the remains of his coffee and walked over, boarding the tram with the hyperactive blonde. He spoke little, choosing instead to listen to Naruto speak in rapid Japanese. Though they often travelled to other countries, the members of Konoha Studios always preferred to speak in their mother tongue. Since Naruto and Sasuke were fluent in both Japanese and English, they didn't have any problems.

"Italian is so hard!" Naruto whined, stretching his arms and legs forward. "The alphabets don't tell you how to say the word…"

"Hn." Sasuke acknowledged, not really paying much attention.

Sasuke watched the scenery flow by as the tram moved at a moderate speed. Naruto continued talking, explaining to Sasuke about Tsunade's case. He listened with slightly more interest, filing away certain bits of information that may be useful later on.

"Don't you think it's so cool?" Naruto bounced in his seat, leading Sasuke to compare him to the five-year-old tourist sitting two rows in front of them. "I mean, the Hokage practically controls the entire fashion industry!"

"Hn."

"What's up with you? Still got that piece of ice shoved up your ass?" Naruto frowned at Sasuke's nonchalance.

"Not interested." Sasuke's reply was curt. Then, as if sensing Naruto's thoughts, his eyes narrowed, "It won't be enough for him. Mutilated looks should be the only reason why he got thrown out of this industry. Nothing less."

Naruto, who had his mouth open, for once chose the better option of closing it. The rather one-sided conversation died, which was just as well, for the tram had reached it's destination. Naruto shot up, hooking his arm with Sasuke's and pulling the raven off the tram and all the way into lush greenery.

"Parco di Trenno?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the blonde.

"Hey, how did you know?" Naruto cried, a bit put out that the Uchiha wasn't as surprised as he thought would be.

"It's the park that's closest to San Siro." Sasuke scoffed lightly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

One of the most obvious, actually.

Naruto pouted, letting go of Sasuke and crossing his arms defiantly. He didn't follow Sasuke as the raven walked on, blatantly ignoring Naruto's childish behaviour. After a few seconds, Sasuke looked back, still seeing Naruto in the same position—hunched over, with a giant pout. He let out a small sigh, bending down to pick up a pinecone, showing his irritation by throwing it at Naruto. He threw it with surprising accuracy, for the pinecone landed right in the middle of said person's forehead (he had originally planned that it should land there), leaving a red mark. Naruto's hands flew to nurse his hurt, glaring daggers at Sasuke.

"Teme! What'd you do that for?" He shouted, the wound stinging.

That bastard was smirking! He had the nerve to smirk at him!

Naruto's glare slowly transformed into a face full of mischief, as a master plan started brewing in his mind. Sasuke's smirk was gone and he had turned his back on Naruto—big mistake. Two can play at this game! Naruto grinned, crouching low. Just as Sasuke looked back to see what was taking so long, Naruto lunged at Sasuke's legs, causing the both of them to fall over. So happened that they were standing on sloped ground, and this caused them to roll further into the park, with Sasuke trying to struggle out of the messy tangle of limbs. Naruto jammed his fingers into Sasuke's ribs—rather painfully, one might add—and the raven stiffened.

They paused, unmoving. Naruto looked up into Sasuke's eyes, searching while his fingers rested gently on Sasuke's sides.

"Sasuke…" Naruto murmured, disbelief showing clearly on his features. "Are you… ticklish?"

His question was met with silence. Sasuke, noticing his vulnerability, grew stiffer than before, tensing his whole body in preparation of escaping. He was about to jump, really, but the grip on his sides tightened, causing him to trip over Naruto's legs. As he landed on his side, the fingers tightened their grip and started their vicious… tickling. The usually controlled Uchiha lay powerless, laughter being forced out of him. Naruto's grin grew smug, and he let his guard down. He felt a little sorry because tears started forming at the corners of Sasuke's eyes so he slowed his tickling, earning him a nice kick in the stomach.

Naruto didn't resist the impact, letting himself fall back onto the soft grass. The scent of dew instantly hit his nose, and he relished it. Sasuke was panting, trying to regain his breath. Oddly enough, he wasn't thinking about how to keep his reputation outside his work. Whenever Naruto glued himself to his side (which was quite often, mind you), he found himself not bothering about the paparazzi's hungry eyes or the perceptions of major companies. Well, with Naruto, one didn't really have much time to think about anything else.

The models watched the sky, blue and magnificent in the morning. The cirrus clouds were spread out above them, high up with the sun hitting just at the right angle, setting their outlines ablaze. The wind was strong, bending the tall grass Sasuke and Naruto were lying on. Bliss indeed.

A shrill neigh broke the spell, and heavy thudding started right after that. Sasuke nudged Naruto lightly with his foot, signaling that the other should get up as well. A beautiful bay stallion burst through the dense foliage, the rays of sunlight falling on his body. A large, stout man came running after it at breakneck speed. Rather amazing, considering his size. A closer look told you that he was a young adult, no older than seventeen. The two models watched as he stepped in front of the horse and talked to him using a soothing voice, calming the creature enough so that he could pet it. He scratched the stallion's ears fondly, a grin breaking out on his face. He had on a red coverall and hair that could rival Jiraiya's mane. Only, it was copper coloured.

"Hey, must've shocked you guys a bit." He walked over, a lead rope restraining the stallion. "I'm Akimichi Chouji. I help out at the Grizzetti Galoppo often."

"Grizzetti Galoppo?" Naruto echoed.

"It's a horse training center." Chouji said, fishing out a bag of chips seemingly out of nowhere. "It's close by."

"Chouji, if you've got the horse, come back to the stables. Your father is looking for you." Another person appeared.

"Shikamaru! Why are you here?" Naruto did a double take.

The pineapple head seemed to be everywhere!

"It's too troublesome to explain." Shikamaru yawned, emphasizing his laziness. "Let's just say I was watching clouds."

"Our fathers are childhood friends." Chouji had the courtesy to fill them in, in between fistfuls of chips. "He helps out too when he's free. Wanna see the stables?"

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed.

"No." Sasuke refused at the same time.

"Aw, come on, Sasukeh!" Naruto dragged the sentence out, grating three pairs of ears. "It'll be fun! I was planning to take you there anyways."

"Did you even know of the place before?" Sasuke gave Naruto his signature 'you're-a-moron' stare.

"Uh, no. But now we do!" Naruto laughed. "Problem solved. We're going!"

And with that, he marched off with Chouji. Shikamaru and Sasuke lagged behind, not really keen on rushing. They heard Naruto asking for some chips, jumping for joy when Chouji thrust out the second bag.

"You know something, Chouji? You may be fat, but you still share your food and that's a good thing." The blonde popped a chip in his mouth.

Chouji on the other hand froze. Shikamaru hissed and moved faster than Sasuke had ever seen him. The lazy technician hooked his arm around Naruto's neck, choking the model and bringing him further back.

"Did someone say 'fat'?" Chouji's arms were at his sides, the chips in the bag being powdered by a strong fist.

"No, you must be imagining it." Shikamaru had a hand covering a struggling Naruto's mouth.

"I see." Chouji walked on, resuming his eating.

"It's an unwritten rule that you never say the word 'fat'," Shikamaru's voice lowered noticeably, "to Chouji. Got that?" He whispered into Naruto's ear.

"But it's true!" He argued back. "What happens if I say it?"

Shikamaru whipped out his hand phone, not even looking as he pressed the buttons which lead to a particular picture always stored in it's memory. Naruto paled and Sasuke's eyes widened ever so slightly. Shikamaru nodded and put the phone away, knowing it's job was done. He then walked ahead, hands behind his head once more, catching up with Chouji.

When they arrived at the stables, they were greeted with a barrage of whinnies, snorts and whickers. They were led through the stalls, and into a large storeroom, big enough to hold a dining table for ten. Naruto's mouth had to be forced shut as he saw the whole of Konoha Studios gathered there, including a grumpy, hay-covered Sakura. She was even in a blue coverall of her own. Sasuke threw a questioning look at Shikamaru as Naruto struggled to come up with a response to their (excluding Neji) cheerful greetings.

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru did an exaggerated sigh. "Chouji is our nutritionist. He phones the director of Konoha Studios every morning to give a list of restaurants serving suitable food for the models depending on the climate and country. He also controls the diets of models working for The Leaf."

"I don't believe in dieting. I think everybody should eat what they want as long as they're healthy." Chouji had his arms crossed, nodding his head. "Can you believe some modeling agencies deny their employees the joy of eating pizza? They only get salads for dinner with supplements for whatever nutrients they have missed out. Too bad for them…" Chouji ranted, tugging lightly on the lead rope.

"Sakura, put Baron back in his stall." Anko took a sip of her tea, her eyes closing at the warmth that filled her.

Sakura knew better than to whine after spending so many days with Anko, so she got up and did as she was told. Naruto took in this attitude with growing concern, wondering what could be the matter. He followed her out, watching her fondly as she worked.

"Sakura-chan? Is everything OK?" Naruto probed, careful.

He didn't want to see that rage in her eyes again. Sakura stopped for a bit before nodding her head. But that didn't hide her trembling shoulders. Or the sniffling for that fact. Naruto rushed to her, his mind going overdrive.

"Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan?" Naruto held those shoulders, marveling at how small they were, even if they could deliver super punches.

"Kuurgh!" Sakura let out a cry of frustration. "I can't take this anymore! I don't understand why I'm even doing this!" More angry tears fell from her eyes. "Tell me, Naruto!" She grabbed the collar of his shirt. "What the hell does lifting bags, arranging props, working at cafés and helping to train horses have to do with modeling?"

"H-huh? Sakura-ch—," Naruto was interrupted as Sakura pushed him away and ran off, trying as best as she could to stop the tears.

He stood there for a while, gathering his thoughts. It ached to see her act like that, when before she had joined Konoha Studios she was just your average happy-go-lucky girl. A blinding rage filled him and he flew back into the storage room, slamming his fists onto the small coffee table provided. Everyone turned to him, some surprised, some annoyed.

"What did you do to Sakura-chan?" He demanded, looking at Anko.

"What, she broke down already? Though she lasted longer than I expected. Still," Anko whipped out a stick of dango and bit off a piece, "she's pathetic."

"But what did you do to her?" Naruto growled, his knuckles turning white.

"I just made her carry my bag." Anko jerked her head towards a large, black duffel bag.

Naruto walked over to the bag, hooking an arm through the slack strap and attempting to lift it up. It was made out of smooth leather, several metal buckles over the openings. He remembered that Anko went nowhere without her bag, claiming that she always needed her equipment around her. He also remembered that Anko often took hikes during the break of every photo shot, scouring the city for a shop that sold dango, sometimes walking for about five kilometers non-stop. His eyes grew wide as he slung the bag over his shoukder and walked a few steps with it. Satisfied, he set the bag down with a heavy 'thud'.

"Watch it, brat. That's Tommy Hilfiger." Anko said in a clipped tone.

"That was at least twenty kilograms! Are you crazy?" Naruto yelled,, furious at her dismissive attitude.

"You do not question me about my methods. I have full authority over each and every model that comes into this company. Just like the others." Anko's eyes turned into slits, burning from underneath the thick layer of eye shadow (maroon-coloured this time).

He hesitantly turned to Tomoko, unsure of what to say, and received a curt nod. Naruto then shook his head, his expression of hurt showing clearly on his face before he too, bolted out of the stables.


Naruto ran as far as he could from the stables, not really caring where he went. In the end, he didn't have the stamina to continue, so he doubled over, holding his knees and panting harshly. He wanted to look for Sakura… but at the same time, he wanted to be alone. He felt betrayed. Whatever Hanaki Fumiko had revealed to the media—was it true after all? Were Konoha Studios really like that? Naruto cursed, his fist itching for a wall to punch. He hated the feeling of believing something that wasn't real. Especially for the good three weeks he had been working with the crew.

He continued walking (for the sake of walking), debating over what to do in his mind. Then, he decided, I have to look for Sakura-chan! And off he went once more. Though in the midst of sprinting at full speed in the opposite direction, he soon found out that he didn't exactly run in a straight line before. The sun was setting fast, and it was nearing dusk. Naruto bit his lip worriedly, as various unsettling things often happened from this time onwards. Being a woman just doubled those chances of anything happening, didn't it?

So he searched wherever he went, hoping to find his childhood friend. However, from the outside, it seemed as if Naruto was trying desperately to imitate a headless chicken. When someone did that, accidents were bound to happen. He crashed into another person—a drunkard. And getting a six-footer angry wasn't the wisest thing to do. The man's eyes were already glazed over from alcohol, and he roared something in Italian. Naruto balked, stumbling away from the man's rage.

"I'm sorry!" He made a hasty retreat.

After a while however, he was pretty sure that the man was following him, hearing snarled gibberish that were no doubt swear words. Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration. How was one to tell another that one didn't have the mood to fight? Oh, and there were three conditions. The other person was drunk, pissed and didn't seem understand a word you said.

"I said I'm sorry already!" Naruto craned his neck to look behind. "Go find another guy to mess with!"

More Italian.

"Ah godammit, fine!" Naruto cried, turning around and holding up his fists. "Bring it on, punk!" He answered the man's shout with his own.

Just at that second, a hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him to one-side, the both of them narrowly missing the blade that had been thrown. The blonde followed whoever it was in a myriad of directions, cutting through back streets and alleyways until they finally reached the green of Parco di Trenno once again.

"You are an idiot." A fist biffed him roughly on the head, the all-too-familiar insulting tone making Naruto's head snap up in recognition.

"That hurt, teme!" Naruto didn't lower his volume. He stood up and peered around in the dark. "Did we lose him?"

Sasuke did the same, "We should have." And he started to walked off, heading towards the main street.

A taxi was already there, presumably waiting for them. As Sasuke opened the door, Naruto grabbed his arm.

"Wait, we still have to find Sakura-chan!"

"She returned and left with Anko." Sasuke got into the car.

Naruto stood outside, stunned. He was stammering, trying to form a sentence. His utter disbelief however, couldn't be put to words.

"Hurry up, usuratonkachi." Sasuke snapped, wanting to go back and rest at the hotel.

Naruto stepped into the vehicle, a bit wobbly on his legs and collapsed onto Sasuke's lap out of sheer relief.

"What the— What are you doing, you moron?" Sasuke hissed in surprise, the unfamiliar weight of Naruto resting on his thigh.

"I'm so tired… And faint from knowing that she's safe. Gimme a break." Naruto snuggled closer, his hair tickling Sasuke's arm that was resting beside him. "You're warm, you know… I expected you to be ice-cold, y'know, from being a bastard and all… Ouch!"

Sasuke continued pulling on Naruto's cheek, a vein popping on his forehead, "Insult me any further and I shall leave you by the roadside."

"Asshole, stop it." Naruto slapped away the hand lightly. "Wow, your thigh's so bony…"

"I'm not a girl, idiot." Sasuke rolled his eyes, resting his chin on one hand. He watched the changing scenery of the night through the taxi window, aware of how the taxi driver tried not to stare.

One Uchiha glare was more than enough to stop him.

"You know what, Sasuke? Thanks." Naruto said, his voice getting softer as sleep consumed him. "You're the best friend I've ever had… And I guess the only friend I have besides Sakura-chan." With that, light snoring replaced the constant chatter of the blonde.

Much to the raven's surprise, before he could stop himself, he ruffled Naruto's hair with a slight fondness he did not know he was capable of. Seeming to catch himself, he then kept both hands away from Naruto. But if one looked closely enough, a tint of red dusted Sasuke's cheeks in the darkness before disappearing a second later.


"Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!" Tomoko hustled, trying to get everything perfect. "Neji, where does this tie go? Shizune, has Tsunade arrived yet? And what the hell are Sai and Anko doing? The final touches to the stage aren't done yet! Shikamaru, how's the lighting? And can someone get the bloody pig out of the way before I roast it? I want this fall-winter show to work, dammit!"

Tonton squealed his displeasure before Shizune grabbed him.

"Heh. Before a show, there's always chaos!" Naruto snickered, clearly enjoying the scene.

However, his grin wasn't in place for long. No explanations were given for yesterday's revelation, and to be fair, Naruto didn't really ask. Even so, the blonde wasn't really ready to talk to the rest of the crew yet. He surveyed the situation in their fitting room, observing how Konoha Studios worked.

Hinata had several pins in her mouth, her brows knitted together in concentration as tweaked Sasuke's clothes. She had done her job well as a stylist, bringing out Sasuke's simplicity through equally simple clothes. She chose a pair of black wool pants which were adequately tight, showing off some contours of his lower limbs. A black, long-sleeved overcoat was worn over a plain white T-shirt, all made of the same material. She also decided close-toed leather shoes were a must and got them this morning, resorting to polishing them herself as the crew had no time. It was a very neat yet not-too-conservative look and the young girl was happy with the results.

"Hmph. Average at the most. You're in the Main Branch and you can't even do better?" Neji scoffed, he lifted his chin in disapproval. "Well, I suppose once a failure, always a failure. You can't change that."

Hinata lowered her eyes, removing the pins from her mouth and scurrying to get the next set of clothing ready, her flip-flops going 'slap-slap' across the wooden flooring. Naruto, who had been nearby, decided he had heard the conversation a little too clearly and it ticked him off.

"How could you just blow her off like that, bastard?" Naruto shouted angrily. "She was good! And she works hard! She deserves more than your… your…" He paused, trying to find the right word.

"Condescending attitude?" Sai offered, a smile brightening his face as he looked up from his work.

"Yeah! Whatever he said…" Naruto pointed his finger at Neji to emphasize the effect. "And isn't she your cousin? Be nicer to her!"

Neji scoffed, narrowing his eyes at the blonde, "I am destined to be better than her in this field. And there's nothing she can do to change that. It can't be helped. It's her fate, even though she is from the Main Branch." He turned away, his hand raising to stop the vicious hook from hitting his face. "Blood ties have nothing to do with this. Why should I waste my time comforting a failure?"

He turned to face Naruto with such nonchalance, that all the blonde wanted to do was to punch the living daylights out of the Hyuuga. That raised eyebrow, the smug look and the aura that literally translated to an 'I-am-better-than-you' feeling just pissed him off. Neji examined him from top to bottom, eyeing him carefully as if contemplating something.

"What? Like my body that much?" Naruto sneered, "Sorry, but I don't swing that way!" He tried to punch the Hyuuga with his other fist, only for it to be blocked and countered by an open palm.

The impact made him breathless.

"The way I see it, you will never be Hokage. As you should know, people's limitations are set, fixed and unchangeable. You are a fool, wasting time trying to become something you can never be!" Neji finished, turning on his heel to get back to his work.

"Alright, that's it!" Naruto charged at him, knocking him over.

Before they could change any blows, Anko held the pointed end of her paintbrushes at both of their necks.

"Neji, get working. And Uzumaki, if you have time to waste, then look for Tsunade!" Anko snarled, at her breaking point.

"Yeah, Naruto!" Sakura laid down her paintbrush, in a better mood than yesterday. "You need to stop causing so much trouble for everyone!"

"Sakura-chan… Fine!" He stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

In the midst of his fury however, he noticed a very familiar presence walking down the same hallway. The person paused for a while before peering into a room through the keyhole of the door. His movements were quick and precise, as if he had been peeping all his life. His hushed, perverted giggling gave him away.

"Pervy Sa— Mmph!" A hand clapped over Naruto's mouth before he could continue, as the old man rushed down another corridor, screeching to a halt when Naruto bit his finger.

"Ow, you little brat!" He brought a fist down on Naruto's head. "I told you not to call me that in public!"

"What are you doing here then, Ero-sennin?" Naruto asked, suspicious.

"Oh, nothing… Here I was invited to this little show, so I came a little earlier to do some research. There were some pretty hot babes in that room… Italian women have big tits, did you know that? And it doesn't make a difference whether you say the insult in English or Japanese." Jiraiya sighed, glaring at Naruto who had 'forced' him to run. "I'm also here to search for someone."

"Who? Besides, it doesn't matter since other people can't understand Japanese, right?"

"The fact that I understand both means you should just shut up."

Some shouting came from a nearby room, and since the walls weren't very thick, it was easy to recognize the voice as Tsunade's. Naruto was about to rush in and call her, as ordered, before Jiraiya stuck out a foot. Naruto tripped spectacularly, any protest being knocked out of him as the elder man sat on top of his back. Jiraiya had a finger on his lips, his face more serious than Naruto had ever seen it and the blonde knew he meant business. They both squinted, trying to see what was happening through the crack of the door.

"Like I said, you have to give me more time! You can't expect me to make this sort of decision in three days!" Tsunade exclaimed, clearly frustrated. "A week is all I ask of you!"

"Is it really that hard of a choice to make?" A new voice slid through the small space they were staring into. "Very well. I will delay my flight. But one week is all you're going to get."

Naruto instantly disliked that voice. It was cold, evil and grating on the ears even at a low volume. There was a certain wickedness, a particular cruelty that was present, and combined with that raspy quality, 'creepy' was hardly a word for it.

"What luck. It really is Orochimaru…" Jiraiya muttered, apparently not too happy about it.

There was a 'click' and the door was unlocked. In a speed that seemed humanely impossible, Jiraiya hoisted Naruto away right back to where they had bumped into each other. Naruto watched him exit the dressing area of the models, and take his seat within the crowd. Almost everybody was there, considering the show would begin in ten minutes.

The blonde rushed back to the fitting room specially for Konoha Studios, hearing Neji click his tongue in displeasure as his clothes were ruffled. The Hyuuga patted away the creases on Naruto's soft orange cardigan, straightening the zip in the middle as well. He checked the ribbed cuffs and waist, making sure there were no folds in the fabric. The low rise jeans and the black sneakers passed his inspection and he nodded, pushing Naruto to Tsunade.

Naruto was slightly surprised that Tsunade made it back to the fitting room before he did, but made no move as she started to apply some face powder. After a while though, he couldn't hold it back any longer so he asked a question that would give him the answer he was dying to know.

"Hey old granny, why don't you want to be the Hokage?" Naruto saw her hazel eyes darken before he had even finished his question.

"Because it's a piece of crap. Only an idiot becomes one." Tsunade stated in a decisive tone.

"What did you say, ya old hag?" Naruto jumped out of his chair, "I'm going to punch you in the face!" He raged, taking a step forward and found out, he wasn't moving anymore.

"Hold up, brat." Jiraiya was holding his shoulder firmly. "You've got a show coming on. It would do you no good to get injured by her."

"I thought you were outside, Pervy Sage!" Naruto growled. "But no matter, she's gonna get it from me! Even though she's a woman!"

"Ho… You dare say that to me, little boy? How about you try and get some skills with make-up before you challenge me?" Tsunade smirked, her hands literally flying across the tubes of colours and the stacks of brushes, finishing Naruto's face in two minutes flat.

"She's good." Jiraiya whistled, impressed.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping me, Ero-sennin?" Naruto argued.

"Tell me, brat." Tsunade crossed her arms. "What's it to you anyways? It's just an idiotic title."

"Owning a company… Training models… Being Hokage… it's always been my dream!" Naruto stood up, something intangible reflected on those aquamarine eyes, making them glow. "And I refuse to let my dream be laughed at or looked down upon. Unlike you, I… would definitely accept the title without second thoughts!" He walked off, through the curtain and out onto the stage.

The music was already blasting, and Naruto was just in time for his turn. Shizune and Tsunade stared after him, dumbfounded while Jiraiya's face was smug as if knowing this would happen all along. That boy… Shizune thought, memories flitting through her head. He has the same fire in his eyes.

"Actually, I'd like to ask, but why is The Leaf doing a collab with Sound for this show?" Jiraiya turned solemn.

Tsunade, seeming to have recovered, said, "The Leaf didn't want to put out too many models this summer. Orochimaru stepped in and offered his models. Not exactly international standard but we had no time to contact others."

"You should become Hokage, y'know. Your skills are unparalleled. The current director refuses to be called Hokage and is acknowledged as a stand-in by everyone, including the media. The longer you try to avoid the title, the more damage there will be to Konoha and your own reputation." Jiraiya patted her shoulder affectionately before leaving. "Think about it, Tsunade."

The people in the fitting room were still busy, especially the two Hyuugas, who had to prepare set after set of clothing for both models. The directors of both The Leaf and Sound had taken their VIP seats next to the designer long ago, watching the performance with interest. Sai and Shikamaru were working from the back, controlling the lighting and the sound. They pretty much had to sit there and get things back in order in case there was a breakdown. It was little wonder that the lazy pineapple head was asleep in his chair.

Anko had disappeared, her job done. Tsunade and Shizune stood by the corner of the stage, leaning against the side door of the fitting room. Sakura was also given the opportunity to watch, and her eyes were sparkling with excitement, especially when Sasuke came onto the stage. But Tsunade kept an eye on Naruto, more so than Shizune, noticing the determination in his stance and the passion still burning bright within those eyes. Her fingers came up to a simple amulet that she always wore around her neck, fingering it thoughtfully. Her eyes clouded over as several stages of her life flashed by her, and she didn't notice the show was over until Shizune shook her by the shoulder worriedly.

Tsunade took off immediately, her mind and heart set on one thing. She knew where Orochimaru's chauffeur was waiting, and she headed there without wasting any further time. Shizune followed, as loyal as ever, picking up Tonton as she left. Since the show was held at the ground floor of a mall, in front of the Versace store, it was relatively easy to find the valet service just outside. However, as the glass doors of the main entrance parted for her, plenty of news reporters, magazine editors and cameras surrounded her. Tsunade bit her lip in frustration—she had forgotten about the paparazzi. Very well then. Tsunade spotted Orochimaru trying to be as discreet as possible. If I'm going to be risking everything, you're not going to be spared!

In a blink of an eye, a smile (fake one, mind you) brightened up her features and she waved at the general direction of Orochimaru. Seconds later, half the crowd blocked his way to the Mercedes Benz parked ten feet away. Tsunade walked over, a hand on her hip, nearly laughing out loud at the 'deer-in-headlights' look that passed through the man's face before he composed himself.

"I must say," Tsunade raised her voice over the questions that were bombarded at her, "it is a pleasure for you to so graciously lend us a hand back there. Your models had such an unnatural beauty that I couldn't believe my eyes."

"Dearest Tsunade, have not The Leaf and Sound helped each other out in the past? It is a tradition that best be carried on." Orochimaru replied, calm. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear about Dan. We haven't really been in contact lately so I heard about it just recently. It must've been a terrible accident. Losing both of his hands at once…"

You damn liar! Tsunade paused struggling to find words to say.

Before she could counter, Orochimaru went on, gaining confidence, "Two months ago, the both of you were known to be the top make-up artists in the world. Dan has been in comatose ever since that accident, and he lost both of his hands. My assistant, Kabuto, then informed me that you had developed haemophobia and couldn't stand the sight of red in your make-up bag. How pathetic, I dare say." He chuckled, smirking at his victory.

"You're not too bad yourself, Orochimaru." Shizune intervened, tone curt. "Your arms are merely prosthetics, from what I can see. The acid that burnt them off during one of your 'experiments' must've hurt. But since you've got your assistant, you're pretty much fine, aren't you? Wasting your time trying to get a full arm transplant when knowing that the rate of success is so low. Funny that you should come to Tsunade-sama for it."

The crowd around them hushed, their recorders switched on and their pens scratching furiously on their notepads. This conversation (thankfully in English) was worth more than gold.

Orochimaru gritted his teeth, furious. He was willing to tear Shizune into pieces if it weren't for the prosthetic arms slowing his down. This was what the 'best technology of this time' could offer? Bah!

"Well, I surely hope that the amulet around your neck won't cause anymore unwanted deaths. Poor Nawaki and Dan…" Orochimaru shook his head slightly, his waist-long black hair moving with his head. "They strived so hard just to be Hokage. And when granted with that amulet, a symbol of your affections, misfortunes so great befell them. As of now, Dan is already as good as dead. I truly express my—,"

"Stop right there, you snake-bastard!" Naruto shouted, in between heaves. He was holding the corner of one building, looking as if he had just finished a ten kilometer marathon. "You have no right to speak to the future Hokage like that!"

Naruto? Tsunade turned, trying to keep calm. How did he get here? Tomoko should've kept him inside! Or Shikamaru! They know what Orochimaru can do!


A few minutes back…

"Where is Granny Tsunade?" Naruto rushed to Hinata, who was the only person standing in the fitting room. "I've got something to finish!"

"S-she went outside, I think." Hinata blushed, the distance between her and Naruto a bit too close for comfort.

"Right!" Naruto ran for the nearest exit he knew of.

"W-wait, Naruto-kun!" Hinata tried to call after him.

But he was already gone.

Why is Naruto-kun heading for the other exit? It's all the way on the other side of the mall. There's another just a few doors from here… Hinata thought, slightly puzzled.

Naruto burst out of the glass doors, and instantly, cameras starting flashing all around him. He shielded his eyes, trying to get away from the media, but it soon proved to be impossible. He couldn't even take a step in any direction without bumping into a reporter of sorts.

"Moron." Sasuke muttered in Japanese, walking in the opposite direction of Naruto, drawing majority of the media's attention to him. "They're at the valet counter."

Naruto didn't have to be told twice, and hurried off, seeing that the path was somewhat clear. He didn't hesitate to look back and give a thumbs up, as well as his signature fox grin to Sasuke. The latter merely smirked in reply.


"Future Hokage?" Orochimaru purred. "Oh, what is this? A new toy you've gotten, Tsunade?"

"She's going to be the future Hokage, believe it! It's something we've all decided upon, considering that Tomoko doesn't have the patience to deal with you!" Naruto shouted, getting his point across.

There was a momentary silence. So strong even the cameras stopped clicking. Orochimaru jerked back, a visible scowl on his face, having lost his train of thought.

"Yeah, that's right! You heard me! You and your Botox-filled models!" Naruto grunted, brushing his thumb across the tip of his nose. "Besides, who uses acid for experiments with models? Anybody normal would freak out!"

A man got out of the Mercedes Benz Orochimaru was originally heading to. This man was probably in his early twenties, even though he had silver hair that was tied back into a ponytail. He pushed his glasses back against the bridge of his nose and escorted Orochimaru away from the media.

"Orochimaru-sama is still quite ill at the moment so he won't be answering any questions." The man said, his glasses glinting.

He himself then entered the car through the other door and the trio watched it speed off, leaving a cloud of dust behind. Tsunade didn't bother glaring at the now stammering Naruto (he was failing to come up with an excuse), so she simply pulled him by the ear right back into the fitting room where the rest of the crew were presumably waiting. Shizune was left to fend off the wall of people known as the paparazzi with Tonton.


"How dare that brat humiliate me?" Orochimaru slammed his fist against the car window, cracking the plastic of his arm. "That little piece of scum will pay!"

"Orochimaru-sama! Please, rest your arm! You can still get new ones—we have the contacts! Tsunade was merely the first option!" His assistant tried to calm him down.

"Kabuto… That other boy from Konoha… What is his name?" Orochimaru stroked his chin, his pallor complexion almost glowing under the light that penetrated through the window.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Orochimaru-sama." His assistant answered, relaxing as his boss reverted back to his laid-back state.

"Uchiha Sasuke…" Orochimaru dragged his long tongue across his lips in a rather disgusting fashion and grinned, the saliva on them glistening. "I want him."


"Sasuke Uchiha! Sasuke Uchiha! What is your relationship with Uzumaki Naruto? Rumours say that the both of you are partners for the Y² magazine! Is that true?" A nerdy reporter spoke up, holding a recorder to Sasuke.

Sasuke's right eye twitched. Now and then, there would be these annoying bugs that wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. They just kept on following you, trying to get a scoop. That's how they probably extorted more information than the others. Sasuke eyed him, seeing the young man trying not to let his knees buckle under his nonchalant gaze.

"Lui è il mio rivale… e un buon amico." Sasuke answered, face placid, eyes closed.

Wasting no more time, Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets, and calmly headed back to the fitting room.

Dare I say it? Halfway through medication, I've finished this chapter! Whoot! Finally! Consider this my early Christmas present to all of my readers. Well, actually, I owed this to y'all a week or so earlier. Ehehe… Note, I don't own anything here except Y² so don't sue. Oh, and Sasuke is speaking Italian! The meaning of his words will be revealed in the next chapter so don't worry. Thanks to all who've put up with me! May you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!