The Guardian

Operation 10: Initiate

"Marcus." Haku greeted Naruto warmly, though there was a definite chill to his tone. "I'm so glad I ran into you."

Naruto and Kiba exchanged carefully level looks, though there was nothing calm about how they felt in that moment. Their hearts surged as one to their respective throats and both agents felt as if they were about to choke on them. Before them stood the man who could single handedly get them the vital link they needed with Mist which would lead them directly to the hopefully unsuspecting Akatuski.

And right behind him was the man who was the bait they would need to lure Uchiha Itachi into the open and make the entire plan work.

"Haku!" Kiba managed, glancing once at Naruto and forcing what he hoped was a smile of welcoming surprise onto his face. Naruto easily interpreted the silent glance and nodded in what would seem like a greeting to Haku, yet was truly a nod of consent to Kiba's silent command. I'll take care of Haku. You get to Sasuke.

Naruto continued to walk, clapping Haku lightly on the shoulder. "Give me just a second, my friend. I see someone I must speak with and I'm afraid it's urgent." Naruto accompanied his silky words with a smooth smile. He was sure to speak with an accent once again, but he managed to speak low enough that his false accent wouldn't be heard by the ever-nearing Uchiha.

Haku smiled easily and stepped aside so Naruto could pass him easier. "Of course, Marcus. Take your time." He intoned, voice practically dripping with honey. "Roarke and I will occupy ourselves."

Kiba nodded, smiling in what seemed to be an easy manner. "That we shall. Care for a drink, Haku?" He had also slipped into his alias and spoke with a thick Irish lilt.

At Haku's nod of approval Kiba lead him towards the bar, slipping Haku the money for their drinks and excusing himself for a moment. He took the opportunity to slip off to the bathroom while the drug lord was occupied with ordering their drinks from Genma. Kiba knew better than to think that being in the same vicinity as Genma would do anything other than blow his cover clear out of the water.

And he had to inform HQ about this surprise visit.

Meanwhile, Naruto quickly closed the remaining distance between himself and Sasuke and tried to force his expression to reflect his previous enthusiasm from the show and not the nagging worry that he felt now that Haku had shown himself at Lithium. After all, there was no good scenario that the blonde agent could think up for Haku's surprise appearance. Chances were he and Kiba were being followed.

Dammit, Naruto mentally cursed, this was a rookie mistake. It was only logical that a drug lord with as much power as Zabuza would have them tailed. If there was one thing that Mist was it was cautious. It was thanks to their cautious nature that they had managed to stay under the FBI's radar for so long in the first place. To not factor Mist's instinctive distrust of outsiders into Naruto and Kiba's duty to protect Sasuke was a blindingly stupid move.

Naruto just hoped that they could somehow managed to roll with this new development and that everything wasn't about to tumble out of control.

"Dobe." Sasuke said by way of greeting, though his tone held little of the ice that he had originally used when addressing Naruto. The raven shone in a light sheen of sweat from his antics onstage and when Naruto finally stopped in front of him it was all the blonde agent could do to remember the mission at all.

He recovered from his daze quickly enough. "You're going to have to learn basic manners, Uchiha." He replied dryly, though his tone was far from offended. Naruto had come to terms with the fact that "dobe" seemed to be Sasuke's appointed name for him. However, when he wasn't so busy worrying about a hovering henchmen of one of the most powerful drug syndicates in Chicago hovering behind him, Naruto was sure he would feel indignant over his pet name once more.

"Uchihas don't need manners." Sasuke responded flatly.

"Yeah, if you don't like someone you just kill them, right?" Naruto quipped before he could stop himself. Almost immediately his eyes widened to the size of saucers and he turned his head slowly back to face the Uchiha, his gaze having somehow wandered behind him to the bar during their banter. He mentally kicked himself for having said something so stupid. Naruto's head was so confused with his warring missions that he wasn't thinking straight.

The raven didn't look too pleased either. "Hn. Or we buy out their companies, sue their families, fire them, repossess their houses…" His eyes were narrowed dangerously now, betraying his casual tone. "You know, whatever cold blooded thing comes to mind. As a rule we try to keep murder within the family, though."

Naruto opened his mouth to try and stammer out an apology but found the raven was already turning around and disappearing into the crowd again. His mouth opened and closed like a floundering fish for a second before Naruto finally gathered the brains to go after the raven. "Sasuke," He groaned, drawing out the syllables of the smaller man's name in a whine. He felt a weird mixture of desperation and annoyance as he watched the increasingly familiar sight of Sasuke's retreating back as the singer simply continued to walk away from him.

He chose to attribute the desperation that was factored into that equation as a direct result of the fact that the FBI needed the young Uchiha to bring down the Akatsuki.

There were no personal emotions attached to the feeling at all.

Right.

Sasuke was heading towards the bar in search of his ever present bottle of booze by the time that Naruto caught up with him. "Sasuke, I'm sorry." He said bluntly, grabbing the raven's arm in a firm grip so that the singer couldn't pull away from him so easily again. "I wasn't thinking."

"Which would lead one to wonder what the hell you actually are thinking if that sort of shit just slips out on accident." Sasuke's tone was snidely mocking, his eyes deliberately scanning the bar in search of Genma or Raidou rather than looking at the blonde man attached to his arm.

"I--" Well shit, Naruto had no idea how to counter that argument. He couldn't very well just tell Sasuke that he'd been thinking of Itachi's criminal record and that the comment had simply slipped out. That would lead to a whole new level of questions that Naruto wasn't willing to touch with a ten foot pole.

"Fuck off, A--"

"Adair!"

Both Sasuke and Naruto blinked as Haku appeared in front of them, the petite raven holding his and Kiba's beers in either hand. Clearly, he'd been in search of Kiba.

Naruto felt his stomach drop to somewhere around his feet.

"Roarke just went to the bathroom, but I'm beginning to fear he fell in." Haku explained with easy charm, his eyes shifting from Naruto as he finally noticed Sasuke. "Oh! My apologies, Marcus, this must be the man you were needing to speak with. My apologies!" Haku laughed graciously, shifting the mugs into one hand and offering his other to Sasuke. "I'm so sorry I interrupted. Allow me to introduce myself, my name's Haku."

Naruto forced himself to look at Sasuke from the corner of his eye. He felt his stomach tighten further at the way the raven's eyes steeled over for a single instant before Sasuke's face suddenly was overtaken by a dazzling smile that could have easily charmed the most venomous snake. The breath in Naruto's lungs refused to budge as Sasuke reached out and shook Haku's hand firmly.

"Uchiha Sasuke, it's a pleasure." Sasuke responded smoothly, his face a perfect mask of charm. "Please excuse my appearance, I'm a bit of a mess at the moment."

Haku shared in the raven's easy laugh, shaking the offered hand before shifting the beers in his hold back so that he held one in each hand. "Not at all! I managed to arrive just before your show ended. Spectacular, really."

Sasuke's answering smile froze the blood in Naruto's veins.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. It's rare that people actually come out just to enjoy the show."

There was no missing the subtle jab at Naruto as Sasuke spoke, even if the singer didn't so much as spare Naruto a glance. Naruto fought back the urge to flinch at the words and did his best to read Sasuke from the corner of his eye without giving himself away. He was startled to find that the Uchiha that stood next to him now bared little resemblance to the one that Naruto had been arguing with only seconds before, despite the fact that it was obviously still Sasuke.

However, there was nothing Sasuke about the man beside Naruto anymore.

Naruto noted that there was a steel to the raven's eyes and a set to his jaw that made Sasuke suddenly seem much more formidable, intimidating even, as he and Haku continued to converse with false ease. The raven stood straighter and his shoulders were squared, making even his lithe body somehow appear larger. Sasuke now even used his height to his advantage, looking down his perfect nose at Haku as he spoke as if subtly reminding the smaller raven and everyone else in the room that Sasuke was an Uchiha and therefore was above all of them.

Naruto realized with a start that this was no longer the Sasuke he was coming to know. This was Uchiha Sasuke, heir to the Uchiha legacy and the man who single handedly controlled exactly one third of the nation's businesses.

And he was quite a site to behold.

"Marcus, you certainly run with a prestigious crowd." Haku observed with a small grin, taking a drink of his beer in a move that was anything but casual. Naruto could tell by the man's calculating gaze that Haku simply drank to hide his expression as he mulled over something in his head. "Is Uchiha aiding in your latest business venture's finances?"

Before Naruto could get a word in edgewise Sasuke was once again speaking up.

"Of course, that's what Uchihas are for, isn't it?" Sasuke laughed icily, waving one hand dismissively. "I was actually just about to write up the check."

Naruto whirled to look at Sasuke, eyes narrowed and jaw set. "That won't be nece--"

"Nonsense. Who do I make the check out to?" Sasuke had already reached into his back pocket and miraculously pulled out a checkbook and pen. "Marcus…?" The way the question was phrased it would sound innocent to Haku, however Naruto caught the silent stab.

"There won't be a check. We don't need your money." Naruto shifted his gaze, attempting to force the steel from his expression as he looked to Haku. "I assure you, Haku. Roarke and I are more than capable of providing our own funds for our arrangement."

"Of course." Haku placated gently, his voice somehow managing to be heard above the crowd without being raised in the slightest. "I was merely pondering aloud, excuse me."

"Well since I have the checkbook out in any case, here." Sasuke quickly scribbled an amount on the check and signed his signature, ripping out the fragile paper with a flourish and pressing it into Naruto's chest. "I think 30,000 should suffice."

Naruto's jaw set and he barely managed to force his fingers closed before the-- he glanced at the check, sure enough-- blank check had a chance to flutter to the ground of the club floor as Sasuke disappeared into the crowd.

"Your friend is quite a character." Haku remarked with a raised brow, clearly trying to understand the tension between the two men as Sasuke moved away from them.

Kiba chose that moment to reappear, glancing at Naruto fleetingly as he apologized for his delayed reappearance and explaining to Haku that the line to the bathroom had been utterly ridiculous. When he saw his partner's expression Kiba's shoulders tensed just slightly, but it was a subtle enough change that only someone as well tuned to the brunette's body language as Naruto would have noticed.

"Did I miss anything interesting?" Kiba asked with a grin. Did something happen while I was gone?

"Not at all, I was just about to suggest that we go somewhere a little quieter so I don't lose my voice yelling over the music." Naruto replied, gesturing to the private rooms and grinning at both Haku and Kiba. We're so fucked.

R-2-F

"Something just happened."

"No shit, something just happened. What are you, Captain Fucking Obvious?"

"I'm going to kill you both."

The three men sighed in frustration, Neiji and Shikamaru shooting the redhead an annoyed glare at his threat. They were currently hiding out in one of the booths towards the back of the club and had been watching from afar as Sasuke and Naruto encountered the small man who was dressed far too nicely to just be wasting a night at Lithium. At least, if one could assume as much simply judging from the Armani suit the small raven wore. Not to mention the way that Akamaru and Ashiya had both scrambled the second that they ran into the man.

"Any idea who the midget is?"

"He's like an inch shorter than Gaara, Nej." Shikamaru observed dryly.

Gaara's eyes narrowed further. "I'm really going to kill you both."

The other two seem as unaffected by the redhead's threat the second time as they had the first. Neji was too busy eyeing the finely dressed raven to take heed, while Shikamaru was busy observing the way that Sasuke suddenly shifted into business mode after only a few words were spoken after he and the Armani man were introduced. Gaara watched Sasuke and the other two men intently, his eyes especially fixed on the oh-so-subtle twitch in Ashiya's cheek that could easily be attributed to nerves. But what did the blonde man have to be nervous for…?

Suddenly the three band members collectively rose to their feet, each looking as murderous as the other as they slammed their beers down angrily. They'd seen Sasuke reach for his back pocket, where he kept his checkbook, and now saw him scribbling down an amount on the paper emotionlessly. Before they could even begin to storm their way over to Naruto, Sasuke was heading directly towards them. They watched as the proud raven strode his way towards them with his chin raised, looking down his nose at everyone around him as he reached the table.

"Someone take me home." He commanded, his voice clipped as he claimed Gaara's beer.

"Troublesome ass." Shikamaru groused, though his voice lacked any venom as he deftly retrieved his keys from his pocket. He didn't even bother taking offense at the tone that Sasuke used to address them. None of them did. The three band members all knew that Sasuke was only keeping his business front firmly in place for his own sanity. So long as the raven acted as if he was nothing more than the Uchiha heir, nothing touched him.

However, they all also knew that the second he was alone that Sasuke was going to come apart at the seams for being used for money once more. It wasn't exactly an uncommon occurrence when the entire world saw Sasuke as young, naïve, and rolling around in more money than any "brat" would know what to do with. That didn't mean that this "common" occurrence didn't send fire running through each of the band member's veins.

"You two take Sasuke home. I'm going to stay for another drink." Gaara intoned flatly, sinking back into his seat and folding his arms. His posture was rigid and even Sasuke knew not to pick a fight with the redhead when he held himself that way. It would be a losing battle.

"Alright." Neji responded in stride, already moving with Shikamaru and Sasuke towards the back exit of the club since it was the nearest. "Stay out of trouble." He added as an after thought, sparing Gaara a pointed look.

Gaara allowed a rare but dangerous smirk, claiming Neji's abandoned beer and silently toasting his friends' retreating backs.

Neji and Shikamaru shared a look behind Sasuke's back, each wearing identical feral smirks as they left Gaara behind to "finish his drink".

R-2-F

It felt like hours before Naruto managed to slide away from Haku's side long enough to glance at his phone. Once out on the dance floor he managed to conceal himself well enough to attempt to call Sasuke without the worry of Haku "stumbling" across him as he tried to speak with the raven.

As was expected, Sasuke's phone went directly to voicemail. Naruto read the forwarded call for the silent fuck you that it was and sighed heavily, pocketing his phone and dropping his head back with a groan. He was ignorant to the swaying bodies around him due to his misery at the night's turn of events. What was worse than Haku's impromptu appearance at the club, was that any progress he had made with Sasuke had been destroyed in a matter of seconds. Worse still, all Haku had spoken of since the Uchiha's disappearance had been Sasuke. Not only was the obsessive drug dealer grating on Naruto's nerves, his interest in Uchiha was pissing Naruto off by no small amount.

Suddenly, Naruto felt someone grab his shoulder and whirl him around. The blonde agent barely had time to be surprised before he felt a firm fist connect with his nose. Naruto stumbled back in surprise, his hands not going to his nose but falling to his sides and curling defensively instead so that he was ready to block a follow-up attack. Through the bright spots dancing before Naruto's vision he saw Gaara standing before him, looking coolly furious.

Oh. Shit.

Despite Naruto's defensive stance he still wasn't able to move quickly enough to block the next punch that the redhead aimed at him, this one catching his left temple and making the agent's vision black out for several seconds. Naruto managed to keep his footing and shook his head to clear his vision, knocking Gaara's next attack askew with his forearm. "What the hell, Gaara?" He managed to exclaim, stumbling back another step.

Shit that guy was stronger than he looked.

Teal eyes narrowed further in anger as Gaara took a step towards him. "You used him." He said simply, his voice so low in fury that Naruto had to strain to hear it. Their fight was already gathering a crowd. This was the last thing that Naruto needed.

"I don't know what you're--" Naruto never had a chance to finish his sentence because Gaara seemed pretty intent on knocking his teeth in. This time Naruto retaliated before he could stop himself, dropping to the ground and bracing himself on his hands before sweeping his leg out in a smooth motion that knocked Gaara's feet from underneath him and sent the redhead to the ground as well.

Gaara was not one to be outdone and sprung into a crouch and literally tackled Naruto to the ground, his fists flying unrepentantly. The redhead's anger was frightening and he wasn't giving Naruto a chance to defend himself or even to get in a punch of his own. Not that Naruto could actually fight Gaara to the best of his abilities-- it would give away his cover. However, he'd really like the chance to try.

Just as suddenly as the fight began it was over. Naruto suddenly felt the furious redhead being pulled away from him and looked up to see Raidou holding Gaara from behind, his arms hooked beneath Gaara's arms so that the younger man couldn't break the hold.

Naruto sat upright slowly, rubbing at the back of his head gingerly as he felt his entire face throbbing from the thrashing that he had just been handed out. He cracked open his eyes again and saw Genma standing between him and Gaara, a bottle of Jack in hand.

"What the hell is going on here?" Genma demanded, his gaze going between Naruto and Gaara sharply.

Naruto could swear that Gaara's gaze had turned into pure ice as he looked up at the smaller man, still in a daze that a man who was so much smaller than Naruto could actually pack such a punch. "Th-that son of a bitch just attacked me!" Naruto finally stammered indignantly, pointing accusingly at Gaara.

Genma and Raidou both looked at Gaara, their gaze holding something that Naruto couldn't quite discern.

"Gaara." Raidou prodded harshly, tightening his hold on the smaller man's shoulders in a way that Naruto was sure threatened to dislocate Gaara's shoulders if Raidou didn't lessen his hold soon. Still, there was something off about the owner's voice as he addressed the redhead.

"He was after Uchiha's money." Gaara intoned at last, voice utterly devoid of emotion and just as softly spoken as before.

"What? That's bullshit!" Naruto screeched, scrambling to his feet indignantly.

Naruto barely had time to register that Genma was walking towards him before the bartender drew back his arm and shattered the bottle of Jack Daniel's over Naruto's head, rendering the blonde unconscious.

R-2-F

Operation 10: Terminate