I do not own Naruto or the other characters, at this point my only creations are Kita, the Kiraabi (aka the Kiraa) and the plot.
A/N: Why did I add this bit about Shibani? Well I asked myself: 'If Naruto spent 2+ years traveling with a hentai like Jiraiya, wouldn't he be pretty familiar with some unsavory/interesting places and people?'
Okay originally this chapter featured pole dancing to Britney Spears song 'Womanizer', but then I came up with this direction and it gets us to the action much faster.
Shout outs to the latest reviewers: fightingfalconfan, kraken77, WindMiko, I.E.T.S., spazzgirl, Robbie11, dbtiger63, maxslayer10, Dudtheman, -OO-Infinity-OO-, Happybird16, KiraNova19, Akudi, crazyefra, wind797, icekrim91, Gravenimage, narusaku-freakMON, and ZaionIndulias
Chapter 11: Day 1, Tanzaku Gai
The one called Umeno, appraised Sakura up and down. Then said, "Easy honey, we ain't gonna hurt him. You must be Sakura."
"Oh, yeah....Didn't he say she had pink hair? How could I forget that? I should have recognized her standing next to him!" added one of the three unidentified women.
Caught off guard, Sakura nodded numbly hearing her name mentioned with familiarity. Then a fourth woman in a long apron came running out of the club, her hair tied up in a tight bun as she searched the crowd and asked, "Did someone say Naruto was here?"
The first woman, the one Naruto had called Umeno, waved her over to the group with a gleeful call, "Yes it's Naruto and he brought Sakura."
Then, like a switch had been turned on, a sea of coos and comments about how cute she was, were poured onto Sakura as four women she never met began to greet her enthusiastically with hugs and genuine smiles.
When the love fest finally died down, a very red-faced Naruto explained to his teammates, "Shibani is one of pervy sage's favorite places to 'do research'. I had to pull him out of here more times than I can count. They saw me in here so much that Umeno and the other ladies became friends. They always made sure I ate before I dragged the old goat out. This place has some of the best sushi I ever tasted during all my travels."
Things with Naruto always worked out – there was a reasonable and good reason for his abundant greeting from the 'ladies'. Every where the optimistic youth went he made friends and won over enemies with his genuine heart – that never changed. And somehow Naruto's explanation not only cleared up all misunderstandings, it also decided where they would eat.
Everyone could agree that sushi would be good. The group headed into the establishment, loud music and dim lights greeting them. Sakura entered somewhat shyly with trepidation, following after her mentors who entered without a care, actually Yamato seemed quite happy with the choice of venue.
After the group was seated, the women joined them, each pulling up a chair and introducing themselves as they ordered sake for all at the table. The first of course was Umeno, the curvaceous redhead – her job was to watch over the girls working the floor. Then Kimmi introduced herself. Kimmi had a flattering page-boy haircut, just perfect for her shiny jet black hair. She was smaller than her red-headed friend but finely muscled. She wore silver micro shorts that highlighted the way her leg muscles rippled with every step. After Kimmi, was Maoko, a platinum blond with stars covering her torso, chaps and a bikini bottom, gave a quick self introduction just before she was called to the stage. The fourth woman was Anya, she wore jeans, a tee shirt and an apron. She introduced herself as the kitchen manager – the reason she remembered Naruto so well when Umeno had only called for the dancers.
Anya sent an order back to the kitchen for the group, promising it would be something for everyone. As the sake arrived, the ladies began reminiscing...
The women began to regal the team with tales of how poor love-struck Naruto, told them again and again about his one true love, Sakura-chan. Sakura felt her tension melt away as they teased the blond about how he remained so sweet and modest traveling with a hentai like Jiraiya. All agreed Naruto's was faithful and true, his only indulgence was food.
With a smile and a wistful look, Anya sighed as she said, "Let me tell you, this kid could eat! Good thing Jiraiya was such a good customer – that's the only reason, Emon let the pup in the door." All of the women heartily agreed.
"Wait a minute...you mean to tell me Nanba Emon runs this place?"
All eyes turned to Kita...her team amazed that she was also familiar with a name associated with Shibani.
Umeno raised and eyebrow as she nodded and asked, "You know him? What are you – one of his nieces?"
Kita smirked, unsure if she should be pleased with the woman's assumption that she was a 'playmate' of the infamous lecher, Nanba Emon. Emon was a wealthy and powerful man that owned a string of 'men only' clubs, his paramours were often referred to as 'nieces' because he preferred much younger women. Kita had no doubt he and Jiraiya would be good friends and not just because they were about the same age.
"Nope, I used to work for him at his place in Awe. But that was more than a decade ago. I thought for sure the old fool would have given himself a heart attack chasing young girls. Or at least slowed down to something closer to his age."
The reactions to hearing Kita's answer varied: Sakura's jaw fell open, Yamato smiled, Sai and Naruto listened intently, but stayed silent, and Kakashi said nothing and with his mask, it was impossible to tell if he made any face.
Another one of the ladies replied brightly, "Nope, he may be just a little slower but his heart is still going strong."
"Well, it's always good to meet another swinger!"
"So do you still got the legs for it? Want to give it a shot for old time sake?"
"Thanks but I guess you'd say I'm retired now," Kita replied not expecting the next words to flow from Umeno's mouth.
"Come on, girl! You had to be one hell of a swinger if you worked for Emon. Are you sure you're retired?" Maoko asked.
Trying to end the conversation gently Kita responded playfully, "Yep, now I only pull those tricks out for special occasions."
Walking up behind the group, Maoko finished with her dance, joined in, asking, "Well what about you Sakura?"
Sakura shook her head vigorously no as she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Kita laughed and replied, "No she's not ready yet, but give me six months and she'll be one of the best swingers around."
Sakura suppressed a gasp, trying to not let her sensei's words shock her. But Naruto, who had been happily shoveling unagi and tako nigirzushi into his mouth, could not contain his surprise and ire. The nin looked up from his meal upon hearing the reference to Sakura dancing.
"Nani?!" Naruto quickly interjected, his first thought being, 'No way!' The surprise left him quickly as he found the words to shout, "No Sakura-chan will not become an exotic dancer!"
The eyes of his teammates and acquaintances from Shibani stared at the extremely upset youth. Naruto stated firmly, "She is a ninja! There's no way in hell my kanojo is working a pole for the viewing pleasure of perverts like that old goat!"
Naruto continued hotly focusing his attention tightly on Sakura, "I'd have to kill every guy in here just for looking at you. And...and...and...Sakura-chan they don't just look, those sickos try to touch them too! Not to mention the other stuff that goes on in these places."
"Oi, calm down kid!," Kita chided. "It's just part of her training. Knowing how to dance and entice is one of our tools. I have no intention of letting this become her sole occupation."
Naruto was not convinced and the look on his face continued to say plainly: Not Sakura-chan! The rest of team Kakashi was silent. Kakashi more so than the others because he had had past opportunities to see Sakura dance – it wasn't pretty. Sakura dancing was like a cataclysmic clash of lightening on hard dirt, it wasn't pretty. Kakashi recalled the sight was actually painful to watch, add to it her complete ignorance of just how bad she was – she blindly was the first one on the floor at every party, no matter how her girlfriends tried to convince she was really a bad dancer. Naruto had been gone for more than two years, maybe he just didn't know that he had nothing to worry about. 'If Kita thinks she can teach someone so lacking of rhythm to be a dancing temptress – good luck, but,'he thought, 'it's just not very likely. It's a just good thing she chose to be a ninja and not a geisha.'
Sakura was so busy trying to diffuse Naruto's explosion she never noticed her sensei quietly shaking his head. Before her kare could overreact, Sakura interjected, "Naruto-kun it's okay, let me explain."
The blond gave a cautious nod, allowing his kanojo to continue.
"Did you see the way the dancer captures the attention of every man in the room?"
He nodded again.
"Well just think about the power of such a tool as a diversion...its relatively quiet, compared to explosives and just one woman captivated more than twenty men."
"Very good, imouto," Kita praised her student as she loaded her plate with oshizushi and makizushi. "You're learning quickly."
Indeed while they had been sitting in the club, Sakura had considering all that her teacher had told her and the added information that her teacher had worked as an exotic dancer. Sakura could imagine how Kita could control the attention of the entire room by dancing sexily, for her it was just another role to be an exotic dancer. Even on a mission to act like a vacationing tourist, kiraabi lessons were present. And all things considered, it really did have the potential for being a very powerful tool – Naruto would just have to be made to understand its value when used appropriately.
Still looking somewhat concerned, Naruto began, "But I-"
Sakura cut off his argument before it left his lips, "Koi, just trust me, okay? We can talk about it tomorrow okay?"
Kita smiled into her cup of sake, truly her imouto was even learning more than just her kiraabi lessons but also how to handle her hot-headed kare.
Sakura leaned over and asked, "Sensei, what's a 'swinger'?"
"Oh that's what pole dancers call each other. Only the good ones can work the pole hands-free using just their legs or 'swing', the mediocre ones or beginners can only slide down the pole."
'Let's see just how closely she's been paying attention,' Kita thought, then she changed the subject, Kita asked Sakura, "Do you remember the six questions I told you to consider in all situations?"
"Hai"
"Good, without turning around, think about the man sitting at the table behind you, third from the left. What would he expect of me? As this is your first assessment take your time, you have until I finish my meal."
The males of Team Kakashi, realized that they were witnessing an important training activity and stopped talking to listen raptly for Sakura's answers. Indeed it was her first test.
Sakura sat silently for a moment, rehearsing the questions in her mind: What does my opponent see? What does he expect? What face do I want him to see? What does he not expect? What can he not see? What can I expect him to do?
As a ninja, she had of course mentally cataloged all of the occupants of the room. She knew that the man seated at the table behind her, third from the left was wearing a simple tan open collar shirt and blue work pants. When he walked in she had seen he was average height and build, about five foot ten or eleven with a cheap haircut that stood up straight in several places. Sakura had also noticed the dirt encrusted on his hands as he waved a crumpled yen at Maoko.
A myriad of facts quickly flooded her brain, but what did he see when he looked at Kita? What did he expect her to be? Sakura's brain was racing too fast, working too hard....over-thinking the question. The expectations are simple things...made with relatively little information or even accurate information. She forced herself to take in a calming breath and hold it for the count of four. As she slowly released the air, her anxiety left her allowing the answer to flow smoothly into her mind...
"That's a trick question. You've already done everything to form his opinion and expectations of you. You told me on the way here what people would see and expect: He sees a kunoichi. He expects you to be a weapons master. You want him to see that you are seductive and beautiful. He doesn't expect you are a kiraabi asashin. He can't see or gauge your true strength. I expect him to underestimate you and let his guard down. And you, sensei are too good at what you, so there's no way he sees or expects anything else." Sakura finished with a self-satisfied smile.
Around the table her teammates marveled at the blind profiling. Kita lifted her cup to her bright student in a congratulatory toast. Inwardly very proud of her student and her choice.
Sakura beamed from the recognition of not just her kiraa mentor, but also Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-senpai raised their glasses to her. Naruto smiled broadly as he moved in for his own special congratulations, boldly claiming a deep kiss in front of his teammates and friends.
Sakura was actually quite glad that Naruto had kissed her after she answered the question, because when his lips left her, her head spun like a carnival ride. The way he kissed her, she would not have been able to gather her thoughts enough to remember her name let alone remember what she had seen and learned.
"Interesting," Sai intoned, "before this I would have sworn you were too dull and self-consumed to provide such an accurate and insightful observation.
"That's a compliment right?" asked the still smiling kiraabi.
"So uh, Kita...special occasions...I have a birthday-" Yamato started with a grin.
"It's not going to happen," the kiraabi cut off her teammate's question before it could be fully phrased, shaking her head.
All too soon the night ended and the group headed to their rooms to rest for the next day. As Naruto followed Sai towards their room, the artist looked at him and asked, "Why aren't you in a room with your iro?
"Nani?" Naruto replied quickly, his face flushing with embarrassment. "Wait a minute Sai, Sakura and I aren't...I mean we don't...or haven't..."
Sai shook his head as he cut Naruto off, "She obviously accepts you, even with your defective equipment. You should be torturing her with your snoring not me."
"What the frell?!" Naruto, screamed, "What do you mean defective equipment?! There's nothing wrong with my equipment!!! And...and...and I don't snore!"
Sakura stuck her head out of her door and hissed, "Will you two bakas keep it down! You're in a very nice resort, stop yelling in the hall!" The kunoichi pulled her head back into her room only to pop out once again and add, "Oh and Naruto?"
The blond looked up hearing her call his name. With a smirk, Sakura finished, "Yes, you do snore."
With a giggle the teen was gone from sight again leaving a horrified Naruto standing in the hall. 'I snore?' he thought, until he realized that if she heard the part about snoring she also heard Sai's comment about defective equipment. Mortified the teen entered the room wondering if he could get away with killing his teammate in his sleep. But Naruto was tired and decided to let Sai live another day, heck even a shower could wait until tomorrow.
Naruto climbed wearily into bed and groused, "Sometimes I really hate you – you know that?"
"Don't blame me for your inadequacies. Just be glad she's an ugly hag, she won't complain about it. Don't ugly women always say size doesn't matter? The same thing goes for function right?"
Sai never saw the fist that knocked him unconscious and there was really no reason for the second and third punch...Naruto just added those for good measure and to blow off steam. But on the upside – Naruto's snoring didn't keep Sai awake.
Two rooms down the hall, Yamato came out of the bathroom, having finished his shower to find his room mate reclined on one of the double beds. Kakashi appeared relaxed, holding the Icha Icha novel in his left hand with his right hand in his kunai pouch, mindlessly rolling around the blades. The soft sounds of metal clinking could be faintly heard.
Off-handedly, Yamato remarked as he toweled his hair dry, "Bathroom's free."
Kakashi looked up from his book, and nodded. Slowly rising to take his turn in the bathroom, "Arigato. Did you hear those two idiots?"
"Yeah, I'm sure everybody in the hotel did. But they're quiet now."
"Maybe we should separate them tomorrow."
Yamato nodded in agreement, then asked, "Ne, senpai..."
Kakashi looked back at the questioning nin, "Eh?"
"Anko...were the two of you ever, uh, close?"
Seeing where this was going Kakashi, answered his friend honestly, "No nothing ever developed between us."
"So you wouldn't mind if I asked her out sometime?"
"Yamato, if you like her, then you should. I have no say or input into her life, we are just houbai," Kakashi finished, a genuine smile evident in the shine of his right eye.
Yamato gave a brisk nod, seeming greatly relieved.
Leaning on the door frame to the bathroom, Kakashi regarded his companion and asked, "How long have you been waiting to ask her out? And what made you ask me this now?"
Abashed, Yamato answered, "Anou...two months."
"Aya, does she...does she suspect you've been hesitating?" Kakashi asked fear growing in his belly.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure...she keeps giving me opportunities to ask her out."
"Damn!" Kakashi pounded the heel of his hand to his forehead as he walked into the bathroom. Over his shoulder before closing the door, Kakashi remarked, "Thanks a lot Yamato. She and I are friends but now she's going to blame me for ruining her love life. You waited two months because of you thought I was interested in her – she's going to be so pissed! I don't know if you know this but she can be pretty scary when she wants to be."
With a grin, Yamato replied to the closed door, "Yeah I know. She's spicy. That's what I like about her."
FYI:
True fact: I went to Florida on a business trip, after our meeting some of my co-workers and I visited South Beach. We ended up lost and decided to stop at a nearby club. The woman that helped us was wearing Maoko's outfit. As she walked away, I realized we'd in a go-go club (normal people just don't dress that way – and I live in the San Francisco area). So, yes someone really wears that stuff.
Cheers!
07/01/2009 12:00 AM