Chapter 10: For love and honor.
On a morning on Tokyo, Angelo, André are helping Minato, Kushina, Sakura, Hinata and Jiraya on organizing the last details on a party at Naruto and Naruko's house. It's a special day for them as it is Naruto and Naruko's birthday. Suddenly, the bell rings. Angelo answered and it was Jade.
"Oh hey, Jade. Wassup?" he says.
"Hi Angelo. Am I early?" She says.
"Uh…yes. We're finishing with the decorations." He says. "André is on the backyard." He adds.
"Thanks." She says as she goes to the backyard to look for André. Then she finds him doing some stretches on the blueprints of an house and a pool on the backyard of it.
"Uh…André?" she says.
"Oh hi Jade." He says.
"Uh… what's this? Is this… a pool?" she says as she look at the blueprints.
"Yeah." He says excited.
"And…why I can see some octopus and some other fish on it…?" she says.
"To make some money." He says, then she gets speechless.
"….are you kidding me?" she says, with a tone of shock.
"Why the shock?" he says.
"You're saying…that in the end… you want to live… as a backyard fishmen? Is that what you are saying to me?" she says.
"W..well…" he says. Then she makes a signal of 'no' with his head, and return to inside.
"Hey Jade, what's wrong?! Jade!" André says as he follows her.
Inside the house, Minato and Jiraya are giving instructions to Angelo, as he is on a ladder, trying to fix the upper left corner of a banner.
"A little more on the right." Minato says.
"Like this?" Angelo says, as he follows his instructions.
"Now lower it a little bit." Jiraya says.
"Right… okay." Angelo says again.
"That's it. Well done. How about it, girls?" Minato asks to Sakura, Hinata and Kushina.
"Wonderful, dear. Good job all of you." Kushina says.
"Sugoii desu…" Hinata says.
"Hummm… Could have a little more of pink on it, but is okay." Sakura says.
"Well then." Angelo says. "Humm? What the heck….?" He adds as he hears André and Jade's voices.
"Jade, what's wrong now?! Hey, answer me!" he says as he and Jade enter the room.
"Want to know what's wrong?! When you said 'yes' on everyone here's presence, you promised that you would raise a little of responsibility! You're 18 years old! You promised! But now, you shows me something today that practically wasn't serious! Through this week, you haven't shown the minimal sign of responsibility!" she says, practically yelling at him.
"Hey guys, calm down. This isn't the place for it. Jade, what he did?" Angelo says.
"He did another of his schemes, Angelo! The sixth on this week!" she says. Minato tries to approach them, but Angelo slightly raises his hand.
"Bro… if you're in troubles with money… why you don't you just say? You know I'll help you with everything. But please.. you're not going to get anything with those… 'schemes' of yours." Angelo says.
"Am I hearing right?! You Angelo, a guy I called 'brother' for 10 years, and you Jade, the girl I love more than anyone else, are saying I can't make money by myself?! That I can be successful?!" André says, with his temperament rising.
"No bro, we didn't meant that…" Angelo says.
"Fine! Wanna know something?! I'm gonna get money, and when I do, you all are going to be sorry for had doubted of me. Just the persons I most doubted that would be against me." he says, as he leaves, but Angelo pursues him, but André leaves first, and slams the door, when he leaves, almost hitting Angelo, who turns around and says.
"Uh… nobody mind if I go after him right? I'll be back in a minute, I promise."
"Okay then." Minato says.
"Thanks." Angelo says as he leaves. Meanwhile, André walks down the street, thinking.
"Will I be successful? I know my family has money, but still… I will prove that I can be successful by myself. And I know that Angelo and Jade didn't want to mean that, but…"
"Jeez… I'm starting to behave like Angelo when he was depressive." André says, looking at the sky.
"Betcha you do, bro." Angelo says, as he has been following André. Then they start to walk together down the street.
"Look man, I'm sorry for that yell, but… I just want to prove that I can be successful. Remember, your dad started that company from the bottom, and now here you are." André says.
"Well… dad sure is a terrible example on everything else, except on company management. Although it's known that we don't have the same luck with it…" Angelo says.
"So, what's your idea?" André asks.
"Are you serious man? We have been trained on flying lessons from a Gulf ace, which was also an Afghanistan ace, and what-the-hell-more ace."
"And? We heard what that granny that was my grandpa's student said. We're in reserve, like your girlfriend and her friends. The max we can do is get employed on an airline and become two new aerial bus drivers." André says. Then Angelo looks around and says.
"Well… there's still another thing." He says as him and André walk towards an outdoor.
"Martinez Security… It's one of those new PMCs companies isn't?" André says.
"No, it's the military's future. Think about it: 50 years ahead of this year there can be no more governmental military, just those companies there. We sure gotta make sure we're in a good place when it happens." Angelo says, then André thinks for a moment and says.
"Angelo… why you're so excited on getting us onto this? Doesn't look logical. You dad can make you a rich guy for fifty lifetimes."
"And? It's not the first time that I say that behind all that money, my dad is not worthy of not even his own shadow. I don't give a damm of what the journalists say, no matter if what they say is good or bad about him. Nobody knows my dad better than me, mom and Camilla. I don't want a single cent that comes from him anymore, although it's obvious he'll gave everything to Camilla, so, good riddance to the enterprise. Besides that…" Angelo says.
"What is it?" André asks
"You're close to me like a brother, André. I can't let you to go on this alone after being the only person to stay with me when I really needed." Angelo asks. Then André thinks a little and says.
"What about your girlfriend and her family?"
"If you are asking me this, without putting Jade on the subject, you already know the answer. The same reason why you are really doing this…" Angelo says, then André completes his sentence.
"… is the other reason why you are coming with me: the girls."
"Bingo, bro." Angelo says. "Now, let's get on the address which is written on the banner already. I promised her father I would I would be back shortly, and YOU, my brother, owns Jade some apologies." He adds, as they then head down the street towards an address mentioned on the outdoor.
About half an hour later, they return to Naruto and Naruko's house, where André says to everyone that he's sorry for what he said, then Jade says she's sorry to for had doubted of him. Then they finish the part preparations, and then Naruto and Naruko arrive with Sasuke, who had gone out with them by insistence of Sakura, so he could buy some time for them.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Everyone says, as the trio opens the door.
"Oww, thank you everyone! I love you all!" Naruko says.
"Thanks guys!" Naruto says. Then Kushina and Hinata approach Naruto, and Minato and Angelo approach Naruko.
"Happy birthday, dear." Kushina says to Naruto.
"Happy birthday, Naruto-kun." Hinata says, then Naruto hugs them.
"Thanks you two. I love both of you!" He says.
"Happy birthday, kiddo." Minato says to Naruko.
"Happy birthday, Naruko." Angelo says.
"Oww, thank you too! I love you and you too!" She says, as she kiss Minato's cheek, and then kiss Angelo.
"Happy birthday, you two." Sakura says.
"Happy… birthday." Sasuke says.
"Thank you guys!" Naruto and Naruko say.
"Happy birthday." André and Jade say.
"Thank you!" Naruto and Naruko say.
"Happy birthday for you two." Jiraya says.
"Happy birthday, kids." Tsunade says.
"Thanks, ero-sennin! Thanks Tsunade-bachan!( Grandma)" The twins say. Then after some seconds, Tsunade whispers to Jiraya.
"6 years and they still call me grandma. Do I look like a old granny?"
"Hum… let's say you're fine." He whispers
The party then continues as the twins blow the candles sometime after they arrived. Some minutes later, Angelo and Naruko are on the backyard, looking at the sky, as the night arrives. She's sitted on his lap, with her right arm on the back of his neck, and the other arm holding his shoulder. He's holding her by her belt, while his head is leaning on hers, and his other hand is caressing her hair.
"You know… you're the best birthday gift I had in a long time. Thank you for being here." She says.
"And you is for sure the best thing that ever happened on my life. Thank you for letting me be part of yours." He says, then he kisses her cheek.
"I love you." He says.
"I love you too." She says, as she puts her head on his shoulder. She then look at his eyes and ask.
"Hey honey, what's wrong?"
"There's something I must tell you, but… I'm scared of how you will react…" he says.
"Don't worry. I'll be okay." She says. He then take a heavy breathing and says.
"André had an argument with me and Jade while we were making the arrangements for the party and…"
"And?"
"… me and him… joined a PMC today."
"…. Really?"
"Yes…" They stay silent for some time, then she says.
"What will happen with us?"
"I dunno… I just… couldn't let him go alone on this. He's practically a brother to me." She then let a tear fall, hugs him and says.
"Be careful, and get back in one piece. I can't lose you." He also lets a tear fall while he says.
"I can't lose you too, my angel…. I promise I'll back only for you… I promise… I love you." He says, as more tears fall from his eyes.
"I love you too… Please be careful." She says as more tears fall from her eyes.
This is the end of this chapter. Thanks for reading, and next one will be done soon.