Hurray nother chappy! and I promise this one will have everyone's favorite Uchiha in it...Maybe not the way everyone wants but he'll be there. Naruto's PV...I don't see why I keep saying this if it's so obvious.
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I stared blankly at Sai for the longest time before he burst out laughing. He patted me on the back with a large smile on his face. Suddenly all the doubt and unease was washed away from me. He didn't care about how I gave him a good romping back at Orochimaru's house and obviously from his good spirit he wasn't going to call the constable on me or have me arrested.
" I knew I remember you're face from somewhere, but I never have imagined I would see you again ol'man. Come, tell me of your stays in the country over dinner. I had prepared it a little bit before I'd gone out you know." He ushered me down the stairs and made me sit at a table that had been cleared of all the debris of his everyday life. We spoke about my sister and her accident, about Iruka and Sakura, and how I didn't leave on the best of terms with either of them. He just stared and nodded like my every word enchanted him. But as soon as I got to my experiences with Orochimaru, he stopped me. " Tell me something Naruto, do you know the backround of Orochimaru?"
" No, I do not." I eyed him and he just smiled at me, a smile that never really seemed to leave him. He dished out some food and I picked up a fork, placing my elbows on the table. He instantly tisked at me, like a bad cat.
" Before I weave my yarn I shall take this time to say that we do not ever rest our elbows on the table. Bad for the posture you know." I mumbled my apologies and he just flashed me a smile and said, " Not at all I'm sure! Anyway, Orochimaru was born into a very wealthy family. His father married a very young and equally wealthy woman. They started a brewery together using a secret family recipe that made their names famous around the countryside. But very soon after the success of the family buisness, Orochimaru's mother became pregnant with him, and much like many other mothers, she died giving birth to him. His father coddled him from that moment on. It was the small piece of his wife he could keep alive. But his life as a bachelor was short lived, he remarried and had another child with a different woman. My father, Danzo...I must take a small detour to say that we never eat that quickly..."
I looked down at my fork and realized that I was stuffing my face much like a pig. I took a gulp of water before mumbling another apology. " Not at all I'm sure! Back to the tale...So eventually Orochimaru's father died of disease leaving half the brewery to him, and the other half to Danzo. Both of them were set for life because of the money the brewery was making. And eventually Orochimaru met a man, a very smooth talking, individual. Now Orochimaru, was and never will be a stupid man, but the person in question was just so smooth and sweet with his words that Orochimaru gave his very soul to him...Naruto, I must say that you mustn't shove your napkin into the tumbler..."
" Oh sorry...I do not know why I did that."
" Not at all I'm sure...Now where was I?"
" The man was a smooth talker..." I said with a long pause. His eyes lit up and he nodded a couple times.
" Right. So this man, I have not been informed of his name, was a very convincing man and managed to win Orochimaru's hand, but of course the church wouldn't let them marry you know. So they hired a crooked priest and set a date. Now like I said before, this man was smooth and my father tried to warn Orochimaru about him, but being a stubborn man he ignored my father's warnings. Eventually the man asked Orochimaru to purchase the other half of the brewery from my father and trying to detour Orochimaru, my father increased the price considerably! But it did not matter at all! Orochimaru purchased it and when the day came around for Orochimaru to be married he patiently waited for the man to come, but instead he got a note twenty minutes to nine...Naruto, my good man, I must stop again to say we do not chew with our mouths open."
I paused in all movement and felt the heat rush to my face. I did not understand why but he made me feel so stupid and common...Just like Sasuke did. Only the difference between them really ended at hello, Sai wasn't rude on purpose or because he could be, he was kind and caring...Even though his statements were a bit blunt and not really thought through, I knew he meant well. " Forgive me..."
" Not at all I'm sure! But that's all I know about Orochimaru's past...Well besides that he believes my father was plotting against him and gave that man a share of the money when he bought back the other half of the brewery. This was not the case I'm afraid but somehow he still trusts my father...and will probably get the most property when Orochimaru dies. I could never understand that myself...How could someone move from betrayal to trust after all that's happened to him? I'm sorry I must be boring you by now."
" No actually, you have peaked my curiosity. Tsunade is your mother, correct?"
" Indeed she is...But her and my father have separated, not that I mind much. I like my new mother more than Tsunade. She's become a toady because of her long list of gambling debts. My father was tired of paying them so she went off to Orochimaru seeking nothing more than his money. As you can image Orochimaru does not like people in his business, so he naturally despises all the people who try to live around him...Which is why Sasuke's existence came as a surprise to me and when Orochimaru wanted me to come and play."
" Why were you surprised about Sasuke?" I felt so stupid for being at such rapt attention at the very mention of Sasuke's name...But love does make you do and say foolish things. Sai gave me a look, like a I know your secrets kind of look. He smiled at me just a little bit.
" Are you in love with Sasuke?" He asked with yet another smile on his face. He leaned his face on his hand making him just seem more and more trustworthy! Damn him, I was starting to feel that I could trust him more and more! I looked away from that all too knowing smile. " No need to feel ashamed Naruto, I can tell you for a fact that I had a bit of feeling for Sasuke myself...Though, it seems he did not like as much as he liked you. Am I correct?"
The heat was rushing to my face and I could almost feel the sweat building under my skin. How could he crack me open so easily? It was like he just cracked an egg! I still tried to avoid his gaze but I found myself looking back into his eyes...Eyes that reminded me of Sasuke...
" Am I that obvious?"
" Not really, but you seemed much more interested when I mentioned Sasuke..." He looked around almost uneasily and leaned forward as if he had a secret for me. " This is so embarrasing...But I may have started that fight with you because of you made me jealous. You were garnering all of his attention and I felt so jealous I thought that if I beat you in a fight Sasuke would be impressed with my coldness and accept me more. As you can see that backfired into your favor."
I blushed a little about that. Sai really was a kind, innocent, gentleman. Albeit kind of unintelligent at times, but for the most part he was on the right path. " Well I guess that mean I have to thank you but at the same time slap you. You have caused me much turmoil about that fight and winning Sasuke's affections. Though I loved having Sasuke's affections for me, it made me incapable of settling for less than him. I even offended my best option of a wife because of how Sasuke's touch clouds my mind...And ever since we've been apart all I can think about is him, and when I will see him again. That is why I am so happy about my new life and becoming a gentleman. It's like God has reassigned my fate in life so I may be with the one I love."
" That is a very sweet thought. You are probably too good of heart for Sasuke. He's so cold and unapproachable but his beauty...It lies. He is much like a wild horse, so beautiful, and majestic but has a wild spirit that needs to be broken and tamed. You need to break the ice around Sasuke's heart, make him human again. He is almost like a devil in pale flesh."
" I couldn't agree more with you."
" Oh how rude of me...I've avoided your earlier question! As to why I was so shocked about Sasuke being around it was because of Orochimaru. He seemed like the kind of man who wouldn't want children, like it would remind him that as the child grew, time would also flow past. He has no mirrors so I doubt he even remembers what he looks like now but he could watch Sasuke age perfectly well. But I guess even someone like Orochimaru would need something to love, someone to collect and sell the property after he dies other than my father. From what I understand Sasuke is adopted...I don't know when or where but Orochimaru isn't his blood father...But you could probably already tell that. They look nothing alike."
" Yes I have noticed that." I said quietly. Dinner and dessert were quiet after that long discussion about Orochimaru and his life. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to know. Orochimaru was such a complex man and having all of his secrets at my disposal now was just a rush. It also made me wonder if he was making me a gentleman because of his love. Sai didn't mention anything about the man's social status but I can tell that he was no gentleman. We went back to our separate rooms after washing up a bit and Sai informed me that we would be leaving for his father's house in the morning. I was almost giddy with excitement when I heard that. It was more about Orochimaru's past being throw out in front of me.
" Naruto, I just want you to know that if you ever have any questions I do not want you to hesitate in asking. I will be there during your entire training with my father so I don't want you to feel alone." His words...They were so kind and meaningful but I just didn't know what to say. He didn't know the way his words affected me. I didn't deserve such sweet, gentle words after the way I've treated some of the people who were important to me. But I would make it better with Sai. He would be an important person in my life now and I wouldn't mess up this relationship I had with him like I did with Sakura. Even if she swears that she's forgiven me, my friendship with Sai will make me feel better.
" Thank you Sai, for everything. Goodnight." I had a fitful sleep, full of strange dreams and faces I couldn't place. But I felt at ease when Sai came in to wake me. He said I was talking in my sleep but none of it made sense to either of us. I couldn't remember what I dreamed about after I woke up. I just shook my head and smiled. Sai informed me that I had received a letter, which was very strange since I had only been there a day. I wondered if it was from Kakashi about some matter about my fortune. But when I opened it I was pleasantly surprised. It was from Sasuke.
" To my dearest common boy,
I have been informed that you've come into some money recently and that you visited Orochimaru a day or so before my return. I'm sorry that I missed you. But it was likely to happen anyway and I do not regret not seeing you because I have a feeling I will be seeing you shortly. In two month's time I will be visiting London and staying with a couple of friends of Orochimaru. I expect you to meet me at when my carriage arrives. See you in a month, Naruto.
Sincerely yours,
Sasuke."
Sai had been reading over my shoulder. Not that I minded, I was bound to tell him anyway. What really struck me as odd was how he knew exactly where I was and how to contact me. But that just seemed like something he would do, something he would know. It was like no matter how far he was away from me, he could just pull a on a string and my presence would leave me and tell him everything about what was going on in my life.
" That's practically perfect for you Naruto! That's about as much time as it'll take my father to teach you! I can teach you the rest myself!" Sai seemed much more excited about this than I was. The prospect of seeing Sasuke again made me so giddy and light headed that the two months would drag on and on until I couldn't stand it no more.
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And that's where I'm stopping. So Sasuke is coming after Naruto is trained...which is like the next chapter! OMG SASUKE IS COMING BACK!
Naruto: SASUKE?
Me: Yep. Sasuke's coming to see you.
Naruto: OH MY GOD I'M SO EXCITED...I mean, yeah that's cool. I missed him a little.
Sai: Naruto's in denial.
Me: No doubt. This was Hitoko-Sama
