A/N: *Zelda treasure chest music* duh duh duh duuuuuhhhhh! Here it is. Finally.
Shinobi and Wealth
Chapter 8 - The Great Race
"But he's too level-headed," Kyoya speculated to Kakashi, "Naruto's the rash one."
"Hmm, yes," Kakashi wondered, "but there is the famous Uchiha temper."
Kyoya's eyebrows rose. "Famous Uchiha temper? Is that something I want to experience?"
Kakashi chuckled lightly, "That's why I think his odds are so high."
"But I've been watching Naruto, and I'm surprised the others haven't noticed yet, I mean he's so obvious."
"But Naruto acts like a dunce all the time, everyone thinks he can't do anything. While that infuriates him, it's very useful for this mission."
"But he caught a falling teacup so quickly, it was almost inhuman. Sasuke is far more careful."
Kakashi's head tilted thoughtfully, "Yes, but Naruto slips a few things in short bursts, I reckon Sasuke and Tamaki are going to blow up, and that's his cover gone."
Kyoya smiled, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Okay then. How about ¥1000?"
Kakashi smirked under his mask. "No, that's too little. ¥3000."
Kyoya seemed genuinely surprised. "Okay, if you're so confident."
"Actually, no. Money's too boring," Kakashi got a dangerous glint in his eye. "Why don't we raise the stakes. How about a favour?"
Kyoya frowned slightly. "What exactly do you mean?"
"Well, only for an hour. Maybe two." Suddenly he leaned forward and started whispering rapidly in Kyoya's ear.
Slowly, a light blush grew over his face. Kakashi leaned back, clearly grinning despite his mask. Kyoya smiled sheepishly and scribbled something in his ever-present notebook.
"Now, let's watch." They moved to a tea table, ordering two teas from Honey and Mori.
"Let's. End. This."
Tamaki gripped the chair he had been hiding behind earlier. By now the entire host club had gathered round and were avidly watching the pair. Tamaki hmph'd. "I'd like to see you try."
Sasuke snarled quietly and raced towards him with speed only a ninja could have.
About two metres before Sasuke was due to collide with Tamaki, Tamaki raised his hand so quickly Haruhi barely saw the action, but Sasuke must have because he stopped so suddenly.
"Stop!" Tamaki shouted, glaring at Sasuke through his fingers, "My dignity prevents you from coming any further!" He paused for dramatic effect, and the host club collectively held their breath. "Gentlemen do not engage in such physical altercations! We shall compete in a far statelier manner, through a series of challenges!"
As Kakashi sipped his tea from the sidelines, a certain green-clad figure popped into his mind. He smirked; Sasuke was in for an interesting ride.
"Right! Kyoya, call off the club today, we're going to hold challenges and we'll see who's worthy."
There was a slight pause where everyone stared at each other with mild curiosity, but then they snapped into action and prepared for a 'Tamaki Outing Day'.
They were soon down by the lake on the school grounds, having already attracted a small crowd of their usuals of which most were chatting with Honey and Mori, who had kindly provided a table of cakes and tea.
"So what's going on, Honey-san?" Sakura asked as she picked a cake from the large selection.
"Well, Sasuke somehow managed to find out about Haruhi's boyfriend, Kenji, and Tamaki overheard, and both of them got very overprotective over Haruhi, but when they noticed how overprotective the other was, they became angry. Now, they're having a competition."
Sakura frowned. "A competition to prove what?"
Honey looked up in thought and popped a cake in his mouth. "I'm not really sure, but I think it's to see which one of them is worthy to be overprotective over Haruhi."
Sakura sighed exasperatedly, but she'd go along with it.
"Attention ladies!" Hikaru yelled down a megaphone (or Kaoru, one could never be too sure). "The one hundred metre freestyle swimming race between Host King Tamaki and New Recruit Sasuke is about to begin!"
"'New Recruit'"? Sakura mumbled to herself. "Because that's blatantly not biased at all…"
Standing by the lake, which is obviously maintained to an excellent standard and is as clean as a brand new swimming pool, were Sasuke and Tamaki, both of whom were carefully removing their shirts.
Slowly, as more flesh was revealed from both of them, the girls began to cheer. Or scream, it was hard to tell which.
After removing their shoes and socks (and not wanting to remove anything more) the two slid into the lake.
"I bet another favour on Sasuke." Kakashi murmured to Kyoya.
"Well of course Sasuke's going to win if he's a ninja, betting on Tamaki would idiotic."
"Hm, okay. Then I bet a favour that Sasuke will win by thirty metres."
Kyoya quietly snorted. "He may be a ninja, but… no. I bet five metres."
Kakashi's single eye moved across to Kyoya, and he almost felt like saying, 'You did not just say that,' but refrained himself. He could gloat for all he was worth when he won that favour.
"Sasuke!" Kakashi shouted over all the screaming, "one, two , three, okay?" Somehow Sasuke heard him and nodded his head. 'One, two, three' was a phrase Kakashi often used when training with Sasuke. It indicated his triple jutsu combination and, as Naruto had grudgingly admitted once, it was 'badass'. However in this situation, Sasuke presumed that his teacher meant for him not to let Tamaki win. Not that he was ever going to…
"That's not fair, you can't give him secret instructions. That makes this bet void." Kyoya huffed.
Kakashi smirked. "I can hardly give him instructions in a swimming race. I was merely confirming that he wasn't going to hold back and let Tamaki win to hide his ninja abilities."
Kyoya merely shot him a sidelong glance as he jotted something down in his notebook.
"…get set… Go!" Hikaru shot the air gun and both boys kicked off from the side of the lake.
There was a tense silence from the crows as both glided through the water, but even then Sasuke had used a stronger kick and was more streamlined, making him the one marginally ahead.
Their heads popped up for a breath and they started to swim furiously. The onlookers began to cheer, shouting words of encouragement to their chosen host.
By the time Sasuke reached 50 metres, it was clear he was going to win. Sasuke's supporters cheered louder, and Tamaki's supporters were stunned into silence. Sakura was certain she could hear a few 'I told you so's, to which she could only roll her eyes to.
"Ladies! We have a clear winner! Winning by at least 40 metres is the Demon Swimmer Sasuke!" Hikaru roared down the megaphone.
Everyone was almost deafened by the squeals and screams that followed. The girls ran towards the finish of the lake where the two were climbing out and surrounded them. Sasuke had to give it to Tamaki with how he dealt with them – there was no way he would have had the much patience, especially after losing something.
The rest of the hosts slowly approached the group. "…I merely let him win. I didn't want him not to be liked when he was so new –"
"What!? That is such a lie!" Sasuke exclaimed.
The girls gasped and whispered amongst themselves, deciding who they believed.
"Fight." Kaoru said.
Hikaru glanced at him. "Fight." He repeated.
"Fight." Kaoru said again.
"Fight, fight, fight…" Hikaru chanted, and slowly the ladies joined in.
A circle was formed around the two as the chanting got louder and faster, but before anything could happen, Kakashi parted the circle.
"Ok, ok, calm down. There's going to be no fighting, it's not gentlemanly." He sent a meaningful look at Tamaki, "the competition is over."
There were a few sighs of disappointment, but it didn't take that long to get back to the club, which was still closed to the public. Tamaki and Sasuke had dried themselves and changed their clothes, but there was still the worthiness of Haruhi's overprotection to be decided.
"Since I won the race, I'm the one who's worthy!"
"But I let you win! I didn't want to embarrass you, so out of the kindliness of my heart, and my gentlemanly behaviour, I gave that race to you, making me the worthy one!" Tamaki shouted.
Suddenly, a vicious growling could be heard. "Would you two STOP ARGUING!" Haruhi's voice echoed several times around the room.
"I'm in the room too, you know! Don't just talk about me as if I'm an object!"
Immediately, Tamaki got on his knees before her. "My dearest princess, I never meant any offence, I only wish for what's best for you, and it's my opinion –"
"SHUT UP!" Tamaki flinched. "There is NO winner. You BOTH LOSE! You have insulted me and wasted our time when we could have been entertaining ladies. We could have earned more money –"
"Actually," Kyoya interrupted, "this little show has gained us twenty-five extra customers, so –"
"SHUT UP!" That silenced even Kyoya. "Argh! What is it with rich people!?" Not knowing what else to say, she stormed out of the host club. Even Tamaki had the sense to leave her alone.
"Tama-chan," Honey whispered.
"Honey, why have you taken me to the bathroom?" Tamaki asked him curiously.
"It's about the competition you had with Sasuke," Honey told him in a deadly serious voice. Tamaki nodded at him to carry on. "It's not Sasuke you should be worried about. It's Sakura."
A/N: And so the shit hits the fan.
