Guardian Bay
Chapter Seven
A job.
That's what Iruka wanted him to do today. Walk around town all day long and see if anyone had job openings for him. He didn't have qualifications for a job in this stupid rundown town. Sakura said it was just about who you knew.
She even offered to see if Shizune would lend him a job at the cafe where she now worked. He turned that down fast. Moreover, didn't she work at a bait shop?
No WAY was he sitting in some frilly cafe to serve coffee and tea to boaters and local morons.
So here he was, strolling along the docks and peering into the various small fishing shops. They seemed busy enough, mostly local fishers standing around drinking beer and conversing with the owners of each store.
"Naruto!"
The blonde looked up and sighed. Deidara was standing in front of Shizune's cafe, waving happily. Itachi, who just rolled his eyes, held the glass door open for his best friend. Music was seeping through the opening and the older blonde beamed.
"Oh my! Sasuke's playing today!" The blonde then shoved Itachi through the door, completely forgetting about Naruto and followed too, bouncing with as much energy as he could get from a few hours' sleep.
Naruto lifted an eyebrow, walked towards the glass door, and pulled it open. Music punched him in the gut as the shop was filled with people, both standing and sitting. Some leaning against the walls, sodas, or ice cream perched in their hands.
He spotted Sakura, dressed up in blue jeans, a red shirt, and a white frilly apron. She had a tray of miller lights perched on her shoulder and a smile for the group of men, whose attention was focused on the small stage in the corner by the eat-at counter.
Naruto's first thoughts were, 'Kiba was back'.
Said messy-haired boy sat on the edge of the stage his hands tapping on old wooden drums and bouncing his head side to side. Then some lazy-looking brunette in a fisherman's vest was perched behind a keyboard, using one hand to play along.
The there was a black-haired bastard sitting in an old wooden chair, light brown guitar seated in his lap and pale, graceful fingers strumming the notes to Billy Jewels 'Help Pour out The Rain' .
A few of the other waitresses were walking around, trays in hand and giggling as some of the younger boys stood up and twirled them around. Shizune was standing behind the counter, swaying back and forth with the music, a soft smile on her face.
"This happens every Sunday." Deidara's voice whispered from his left. "Oh...and you might want to close your mouth before Sasuke sees."
Naruto shut his mouth; he hadn't even realized it was open.
No one should have a voice like that, Naruto thought with a small sigh. It wasn't deep, or country, but it was soothing and sensual and had everything to do with everyone in the room. He glanced over at Deidara, who had his arm linked with an amused Itachi.
A rare sight, but only a sight seen with the gray-eyed man around.
As the song finished, people shouted out their thanks to Sasuke, who just gave them a nod and started packing up his stuff.
Sakura rushed over, throwing her arms around the blonde's neck and squeezing. "So?" She drew away slightly, "What did you think?"
"He can sing."
There wasn't much else he could say that wouldn't make him feel inferior to the dark-haired teen. Who was now walking in their direction. Shit.
"Wonderful." Deidara breathed, pulling the younger Uchiha into a hug. "You never fail at give me goose bumps."
"You get goose bumps watching kittens getting taken care of on Animal Planet." Sasuke snorted, pulling out the hug with a smirk.
Deidara pouted, but didn't argue against the truth. Curse Sasuke for watching him watch TV!
"You're not half bad Bastard." Naruto snorted, shoving his hands in his pockets and tilting his head at his well…his 'rival'.
Dark eyes studied him cautiously before nodding, "Thanks."
"Oh, and what was all that racket about last night?" Naruto asked, "I heard something crash in your room." an un-holy smirk crossed a whiskered face. "Fall out of bed did you?"
Sasuke growled, "No. Some stupid fox has been sneaking into my room at night."
"A fox?" Sakura muttered, "Don't see many of them around here." She smiled, "Was he cute?"
"It didn't do much, just slept on my windowsill." He sneered, "Just like you to ask if the bloody thing was cute."
"She's a girl." Deidara smiled, "was it rabid?"
"Do you honestly think I'd let a rabid fox would sleep on my window?" Sasuke asked, giving his brother's friend an odd stare. "Have you been getting sleep?"
Gray eyes blinked, and then a sheepish grin blossomed. "Ahh...well..."
"Some woman's trying to buy out his house." Itachi interjected, knowing his friend didn't want to be questioned about his lack of sleep. Whatever was causing it.
"Like...trying to evict him?" Sakura gasped, "Can someone do that?"
"If they're rich enough." Itachi sighed. "Kakashi's scouting her out right now. It's lucky I found the file before she decided to walk up her declaring the property was hers."
Naruto crossed his arms, " Yea, but why Deidara's house?"
"Why are you discussing business here?" Shizune snapped, walking over and shaking a wet rag at them. "I have customers to serve, things to do. Sakura, get back to work."
Green eyes rolled, before she gave Sasuke a quick kiss on the cheek then headed off for a table. The boys left the cafe, Deidara and Itachi heading to the office and Sasuke and Naruto heading home.
The blonde glanced over at the expressionless Uchiha, then sighed. "Hey. About the other day."
"What day?"
"The day on the dock, when I got snippy."
"Ah." Sasuke shifted the guitar to his right shoulder, "The day you accused me of being under house arrest."
"You were trying to be nice."
"Trying, be the key word there."
Why was the bastard so hard to talk to? Azure eyes narrowed, he talked around the problem, just to confuse him!
"I wanted to apologize."
The road started to tilt up now, meaning it was going to be a hard walk to the house on a day this hot. He wasn't expecting an answer from Sasuke till they reached the top. It wasn't exactly easy to walk up a hill in 90 something degree weather.
He could hardly wait till fall next month.
"Does it snow here?"
"You talk a lot." Sasuke snorted, looking over at his blonde neighbor. "Did you know that, or does your brain need to recharge constantly so you know that you're talking annoys people?"
"Bastard!" Naruto shouted. He stopped walking and scowled at the older teen. "I'm trying to be nice."
"So was I." Sasuke stopped and turned back, "I tried last week. Did it work? No." He started walking again, this time; they were on flat ground and could see their houses mere feet away.
Naruto watched as Sasuke walked onwards past Naruto's house and next door to his own. Once he stepped on the porch, the blonde smiled and leaned over his railing. "Hey asshole!"
He could see the elder boy twitch as he unlocked his door.
"You give up too easily!"
With that said, Naruto strolled into his house, leaving a curious Sasuke to enter his own house.
Monday, Monday, Monday. Sakura mused, a small smile on her face as she brushed her hair out. If it weren't the busiest day of the week, she would call it the best day.
For she has Monday's off.
Take THAT Ino.
She peered at her reflection in the mirror and beamed slightly. No use in taking a shower, for today, she was going to lay out on the docks and tan.
'Or attempt to tan', As Sasuke put it. Yea...he also did the air quotes.
"Sakura! Your father and I are heading to Arkansas. "Her mother's voice called from downstairs. Sakura unlocked the bathroom door and hurried downstairs. Her mother smiled at her, pushing brown hair out of her face. "You'll be alright alone?"
Sakura laughed softly, "I'll be fine mom." She gave the woman a hug, then her father, who walked from the living room carrying two suitcases.
"If anything happens, go straight to Sasuke or Naruto's." Her father stated firmly, "I'd tell you to go to Ino's, but she lives on the other side of town."
"I'll be fine." Sakura insisted with a smile, "We've done this dozens of times. Go enjoy your holiday and I'll enjoy the last few days of summer."
"Alright dear..." Her mother gave her one last kiss on the cheek before walking out the door.
As soon as she heard the car start up and drive off towards the outskirts of town, Sakura let out a heavy sigh and collapsed on the couch. It was always like this when her parents went out of town. They rarely got a vacation from work and were constantly out of the house, but they always made time for her.
She smiled again. Her wonderful parents.
The smiles faded when she heard a car door slam, then an engine kick back on and drive away. She blinked, standing up and walking over to the large living room window. An eyebrow rose as she watched Tsunade's blue Cadillac disappear down the hill.
She had obviously stopped...but no one was at Sasuke's place today. Sasuke was working, Deidara was working, Itachi was working, and Naruto was looking for work. Kakashi worked with Itachi and Iruka was managing the local daycare center.
So who-
Her eyes narrowed when she saw a dark figure pass by the kitchen curtains in Naruto's house. She spun on her heels, grabbed the bat by the TV, and fled from the house, heading for Naruto's house.
The back door was unlocked, because Iruka insisted on it, just in case they needed quick shelter. She wondered if Tsunade thought she had seen someone in here.
Well, there was someone.
She lifted her bat higher, then burst into the kitchen, raising it high over her head.
"Brave girl."
Her breath hitched at the voice. It was behind her, right next to her ear and something...oh god...that was a knife wasn't i?, was pressed into her lower back.
"Very, very brave girl." His chuckle did not mean anything good. "Did you think a wooden bat would stop me?"
"What are you doing here?" She hissed, gathering up all her remaining courage and shoving it through her lips. "This isn't your home."
"It is now."
Her body tensed, "Iruka and Naruto don't need a killer in their house." She whipped around, bat poised back and not caring that the knife he held would do worse damage. A squeak was all that left her when she went to swing the bat.
A firm hand grabbed her wrist and cool metal pressed up against her throat. She hadn't realized that her eyes were closed, and opened them slowly.
Only to regret it.
She was staring into an abyss of darkness, disguised in translucent teal. Blood-red hair framed his pale face and those harsh, cold, empty eyes. And was that a Japanese kanji on his temple?
Her breath came out in a rush. "Who are you?"
"Your worst nightmare."
To be continued...
Go on.
Kill me now. lol Now come ON, I'll hurt anyone who can't figure out who that is. I TOLD you he would have a rather large entrance. (Of course...the door he entered through was rather small...)
Anyways, you're welcome for updating. I enjoy doing it every time..
Hope you enjoyed,
Blessed be,
Angel
