Byakuya

Chapter 10

"Estate?! You actually dare to call this pile of rubble an estate!" Naruto asked incredulously. Mika huffed.

"Well, it is a big house with a bigger garden. Besides, it's not like the economy in this country is exactly good. Even though we got lot of income from the bridge, doesn't mean were all suddenly rich." She said, while opening the wooden door. She stepped out of her shoes, frowning at the drink stain on them, before muttering; "…And it's not exactly like I have so much money coming from my job either."

Naruto looked away, feeling slightly inconsiderate for dwelling on such private matter. Sure, he had know Mika for over two years now, but they hadn't been in a fight together, so there wasn't that sort of trust going on, like he and Gaara had. They met every now and then, hanging around the same people, going to the same party's, drinking together and making fun of Yuki.

Naruto settled Koichi more comfortably on his arms, while waiting for Yuki and Drake disappear upstairs while cursing about Ringo. When he could no longer hear their steps, he stepped closer Mika.

"I have a favor to ask from you." He said. She bit her tongue to keep the first thing that came to her mind in her mouth. She saw the way he was looking at her, and doubted that he would appreciate the humor in 'Oh honey, if want me to blow you, you'll really have to return the favor'. She hanged her blue jacket on the nail by the door and turned her fiery red eyes on him.

"All right. Ask." She said, and Naruto almost shivered at how much she sometimes reminded him of that Kurenai, jounin friend of Kakashi's. Naruto tucked one of Koichi's lilac strands of hair behind his ear, and realized that Koichi really was so young. His long eyelashes contrasted against the while complexion, and he truly looked like a child.

Inwardly Naruto frowned. Koichi was thirteen already.

Did I look that young when I fought against Kabuto? He wondered, before turning to Mika.

"I want you to look after him. I'm worried. He'll do his work, I'm sure. I doubt he would accept charity. But, I just… I don't want him sleeping on the streets where anyone can attack him, or sleeping with old drunk men just because he is hungry…" Naruto tried to explain how he felt, rambling slightly. Mika nodded, understanding, looking so adult, even though Naruto knew she was only fifteen. Sometimes he forgot that, and he felt bad about asking her to do this. But he couldn't take care of Koichi right now. He had a mission to complete, and Konoha would hardly want him to take someone as innocent looking as Koichi.

They would probably accuse me of hurting him, Naruto mused.

"…He's so young, and he's elite. That's something hard to accomplish, as you know, and I really don't want him losing it." Naruto ignored the shocked gasp from Mika. Finally she bit her lip and nodded.

"I and onee-san are going to take good care of him. For how long?" She touched some of the lilac locks too, smiling softly. Naruto breathed out in relief.

"Until I come back. It can take a week, it can take a year. At this state, I really don't know." Naruto said off handedly, not really knowing when he would have the chance to talk with the Gondaime and arrange for him to get Koichi to Konoha. Mika nodded again, and led Naruto to a bedroom where he could tuck Koichi into one of the beds. He caressed the blanket for a moment before turning to Mika who was leaning on the doorway. He captured her red eyes with his own blue pair, and forced as much emotion into the words as he could.

"Thank you."

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"Urgh, that Ringo really is a bother…." Yuki complained. Naruto smacked him on the head hard.

"That was like an hour ago! Stop fretting over it, and let Drake fuck you or something!" Naruto snapped, sipping from the small glass of alcohol he had before him. Yuki, Drake, Naruto and Mika were sitting around the kitchen table, waiting for Tala's shift at the club to end so that he could join them.

"Y-yeah! I'll stop fretting over it and let Drake f—"Yuki started slurring, before his purple eyes widened in mid sentence. Naruto and Drake laughed at Yuki while Mika just frowned at the three drunken youths she suddenly had in her home.

"Ah, no worriers! Gather around, for I have the story of a lifetime to tell you!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice slightly sluggish. Mika covered her face with her hands.

"It has everything! A princess to be rescued and a brave prince--"

"Hear! Hear!" Drake announced his green eyes directed at something over near Naruto's ear while fingering his own piercings on his left ear and eyebrow.

"—But this story, is most of all about—," Naruto continued to holler, pouring more liquid from the sake bottle at the table.

"Pass the booze." Yuki asked from Mika, who complied while sighing.

"—About RAMEN!" Naruto finished explaining and Mika wondered how he could still form sentences after all the alcohol he had consumed.

"..It all started in a stormy day in a city from far away called ramen-land…"

Mika groaned and prayed the gods for Tala to arrive soon.

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When Tala finally showed up, dressed in red leather, Mika had lost the rest of her patience, and had thrown them out. They were currently sitting in the garden, planning their next move.

Their mind still trying to figure out something to do, because often it was Mika who came up with plans, they racked their drunk minds for an answer, before Tala, being clear in the head, suggested something hesitantly.

"Uhh…karaoke?"

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"Remind me to never ever ever ever let Drake sing again… I mean I huf heard a lots of crappy singing, but zat takes the top…" Naruto hollered while leaning on to Tala as they stumbled across the road, trying to reach Drake and Yuki who were walking ahead.

Tala giggled.

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When Naruto started to near consciousness, he could feel a pounding head-ache coming on. He suppressed the groan, inside his head promising to remember to never drink again.

Naruto felt something poke his side and cracked his eyes open slightly. His sight was filled with pink, and with a start he realized he was lying in a bush. His hand was thrown over Yuki and under Drake, who were both naked. Naruto didn't even want to think how that happened.

He poked Drake with the hand that wasn't between the two naked guys.

"Oj! Minoru!" Naruto tried to yell, but it came as a harsh and pained whisper instead, followed by a painful groan. Drake did move though, so Naruto guessed he was only in deep slumber. It suddenly occurred to Naruto that it was way too bright, and while hugging his arm looked up at the small bit of sky showing between the branches.

Naruto's eyes widened as he realized it was perhaps ten in the morning already.

Crap! Naruto though, but then snorted, not having the energy to panic over such. Not like it was the end of the world, really.

Someone groaned from behind him and he turned so that he was lying on his back and hissed as a stone poked him in the back. His naked back.

And suddenly Naruto was aware of several things. He could feel a nice breeze between his legs he wouldn't have, had he been dressed, and that a pair of very male arms were draped over him. Naruto threw the arms off him, not listening to Tala's whining when he lost the body contact.

Naruto shivered. Now he had done it. Now the redhead would probably be even more set to marry him.

Naruto looked around for his clothes and could only spot his leather pants and a black tight t-shirt with the green text 'don't fuck with the weasel'. Naruto snickered slightly as he realized that it was what Yuki had been wearing yesterday. He pulled on the black leather pants, flinching as he felt some body fluids between his legs.

Oh god, I just fucked with Tala. Reality set in and Naruto drew in a shaky breath. It was best to measure the situation and act calmly according to it. Tala moved slightly in his sleep.

Naruto jumped on his feet, crabbed the t-shirt, and made a run for it. Naruto ducked behind another bush just incase someone was watching, and pulled the t-shirt over his head, grimacing as he felt that his blonde locks were full off leaves and sticks. He listened carefully, and just as he had expected, the three guy's ninja senses woke them up in seconds.

"Where the hell are our clothes?" He heard a muffled voice as which he presumed belonged to Drake. Realizing he had just stolen the only clothes nearby, Naruto snickered. The three guys in the bushes froze, and Naruto realized too soon they had heard him.

"Rokudaime!" Yuki hissed, and Naruto ran from the bushes, no longer worried that his friends would see his blonde hair as he ran. Naruto's face split into a full grin as a giggled at the prank he had done by accident, and realized absent mindedly that the Kyuubi had healed his head-ache.

Maybe this won't be such a bad day after all.

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"Naruto!" A screeching voice reached his ears, and Naruto froze to meet up with the enraged face of one Haruno Sakura who was looking at him in shock. Naruto flinched when he realized his make-up had spread all over, his clothes were only half his and none of what Sakura had seen him wear when he had left the previous night. His hair was messy and filled with random stuff, like leaves, sticks, mud, and Naruto flinched as he pulled his hand through his head and found a pink umbrella.

Naruto looked at the umbrella in complete and utter amazement.

"Wonder how the fuck that got there?" Naruto muttered low to himself, as Sakura continued to stalk through the inn garden. Naruto saw the rest of their group walk behind Sakura; Sasuke and Neji looking irritated, Lee worried, Ten-Ten smirking and Kakashi seemingly uncaring at the background.

Sakura opened her mouth to start yelling at him, when Ten-Ten screamed from behind her.

"Naruto! Who was it?" Ten-Ten yelled, drawing confused looks from most of the others while Naruto cursed inside his head. Damn that girl was too perceptive for her own good.

"Not really sure…" Naruto muttered, because inside he still tried to grow some hope that maybe he hadn't actually fucked with Tala. Maybe he had done it with Yuki or even Drake.

Ten-Ten was standing beside him now, and even rest of the group noticed that Naruto did, indeed, look a little… well fucked.

"Don't remember? Too drunk to tell?" Kakashi remarked from the side, smirking. Naruto turned to Kakashi, his glare ready for use. The affect wasn't really that expressive, considering he had still sticks and leaves in his hair.

"What are you implying?" Naruto asked, and couldn't help but be curious. How did Kakashi know?

"Oh, I was taking a walk some time ago when I saw you running. Decided to check out what you were running from, just in case you scared of a big bad wolf…" Kakashi started, and Naruto groaned.

"—And so imagine my surprise when I found three males, naked, in a bush by the Wave's feudal Lord's main fountain, cursing you and yelling after their clothes. Those poor guys really had it tough, especially when the Lord's body-guards wondered where all the noise came from…" Kakashi finished, and Naruto snickered. His team-mates turned to him and he realized his mistake.

"I mean, wonder that! Never knew Naruto was such a popular name." Naruto laughed frantically with his eyes closed, hoping, begging that the others would buy that. But of course, none of the ninjas were stupid.

"They were calling after someone called 'Rokudaime', and were talking about finding him and punishing him 'as the fox deserves'". Kakashi cleared helpfully, smiling under his mask in his usual manner. Naruto stopped in mid laugh, letting his arms drop and his eyes glaze over.

"Oh god. They're so going to get me for stealing the only clothes around…" Naruto mumbled, looking down and spotting something on his hand.

In slow motion Naruto silently raised his shaking hand against the sun, so that the sun shine caused the ring on his left ring finger glimmer. Naruto's eyes widened, all different reasons to why exactly there was a ring on his hand going through his mind, and coming up with only one solution.

Naruto screamed so loud that the girls had to cover their ears.

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A/N: Ah, another long chapter! I just had to put the drinking and the morning after in the same chapter…It wouldn't have felt right otherwise. Now, let me hear what you thought… about my writing, and especially the interaction between Naruto and company.

Oh, and if you're too lazy to check from a dictionary what "Byakuya" means, it will come up later on the story… And I've counted I've written about ¼ or less about this story, so I'll exept it to hit 40 chapters…that is, if I feel up to it…yes I'm evil, now let's move on!

I loved the ring thing, which I will get a bit more into on the next chapter...

I loved creating Naruto an own lovesick puppy, Tala. (The name is from Beyblade, but BELIEVE me, he looks nothing like the Russian from Beyblade…no way! Tala looks lots better, and I'll draw him out when I have time. He looks actually more like Gojyo from Saiyuki…)

Oh, and I LOVED the pink umbrella! Come on, if you say you didn't notice and at least snicker, I'm going to be disappointed! pout

Or maybe it would be just simply to say I'm really starting to love this fic…and thanks for you people's support… I just checked couple of days ago and "Byakuya" had 4000 hits! And I got like 28 reviews…

So that means review people!

Or if you won't, I'll withhold the next chapter, all right? T-T Jiriya grin

--Dark