Summary: Sakura breaks code and Naruto has to suffer the consequences.

World Status: Definitely AU.

Pairings: ItaNaru

Verboten.

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(Forbidden; Prohibited)

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29/01/10

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Naruto loved Sakura, he really did. She was a great friend, a loyal one, someone who had stood beside Naruto through thick and thin. She had a wicked tongue when she needed it and could cut down grown men in seconds with a smile.

Of course, he didn't love her right now.

"Naruto! Stop being so inconsiderate and just go buy me some! How can you not understand that this is a serious issue we need to sort out."

Naruto, who had been pacing back and forth in the office, stopped, whirling round and looking at Sakura as if she was mad. Which he was convinced she was.

"You're mad," he stated, his mouth gaping open as Sakura tapped her nails on the desk. It wasn't even her desk.

"I'm not crazy Naruto! Just listen." She swooped down on Naruto, taking one of his hands in both of hers. "I need you to do this for me. I've breeched protocol and I have to give a presentation in thirty minutes. The shop takes ten minutes to get to, there and back should be twenty minutes. That gives me ten as a spare."

Naruto shook his head, trying to step out of Sakura's grip. Her nails were starting to dig into his skin now.

"I-I-"

"No Naruto. No 'I's and no excuses. Don't you understand what I've done?"

Naruto looked around for the exit, looking back to the door. The handle would be in reach within three steps, but Naruto was going nowhere with Sakura clamped to his arm.

"You wore the same socks two days in a row. So what? I do it all the time."

Sakura let go of his arm at least. Instead she threw her arms in the air.

"Men!" was the first word shrieked and Naruto knew that the people outside of the office would have caught onto the drama going on in Tsunade's office. Sakura's voice lowered to a hiss as she once again pulled Naruto closer, latching onto his arm.

"You don't understand do you? I forgot to put them in the wash and my alarm didn't go off. I didn't have the time to find new socks as Ino was at the bloody door. Tsunade had a deadline this morning and I had to be there, and the presentation - which is in twenty eight minutes now - needed to be proof-read. It may be acceptable for a guy to do it, but it breaks every etiquette rule of a woman."

Naruto didn't understand women. At first he assumed it was just his mother he didn't understand, but Sakura... well, he couldn't understand her on a good day.

"Please. Just go buy me some more socks."

Sakura's voice had dropped to a plea now and Naruto knew better than to counter this version of Sakura. He nodded once and slipped out of the door, running through the office building and down the stairs.

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Why hadn't she been more specific? How was Naruto supposed to know what socks to pick? There were ones with patterns, colours, prints, animals, pompoms, googly eyes... how the hell should Naruto know what one to pick?

So what if Sakura had breached some forbidden line? How did that make it Naruto's job to fix it?

Not that he'd admit this to Sakura. She had learnt from their boss the ultimate scary tactics. Naruto was still waiting on Tenzou to provide him with counter-scare-tactics.

Naruto looked at his watch; he only had a few more minutes before Sakura would call him, demanding to know whether he'd reached their office again. He scanned the shelves once, taking a deep breath, and he saw the socks he had to buy.

With a grin, Naruto span around, the socks in his hands, and headed towards the till. The man behind the till glanced from the socks to Naruto's suit and then to his face.

Naruto shrugged and the man smirked in response.

As Naruto left, he knew two things. One, his phone was ringing and it would be Sakura (and he'd be able to deliver the good news) and two, the man behind the counter was most definitely checking his arse out.

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Sakura took one look at the socks and smacked Naruto on the arm. She had seven minutes before the presentation and had no time to argue with the smirking blond. Instead she took off her shoes, throwing the rejected socks at Naruto's face and hastily putting the new ones on.

"I hate you Naruto," she whispered as she sped out of the room, folder in hand and smile already in place.

Naruto chuckled. Sometimes it was good to get subtle revenge.

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"Twelve out of twenty people make a joke about it. Why the fuck didn't you tell me you could see the damned socks when I sat down?"

Naruto shrugged, "Didn't seem that important, to be honest."

Sakura rubbed her head. "Eight out of twenty people were women. All the men made a joke."

Naruto shrugged again. "Not my problem is it?"

Sakura kicked her shoes off and pulled her trousers up, revealing the neon pink socks.

"Okay, next time you have an important presentation, I'll make you wear these atrocities!"

A pink sock was flung at Naruto's face and he wrinkled his nose on sheer principle. After annoying Sakura, he took the fabric in his hands and looked at the offending design. A grinning donkey was stitched in the socks' ankle, above which text sat. Naruto looked from a furious Sakura, down to the sock and back again, a grin forming.

He read the text aloud, "Nice Ass, Sakura."

She didn't cushion the blow to his arm this time.

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Naruto whistled as he exited the office, briefcase in hand and socks in the other. Sakura had refused to have anything more to do with them and Naruto had enjoyed showing them around the office. Apparently it was only Sakura who didn't like them.

A jingle of keys caught his attention and Naruto saw the man who he had seen in the shop earlier.

"Thanks for the socks," Naruto said by a way of introduction. The man turned round, surprise on his face. The keys jingled again.

"You're welcome." The man pocketed the keys. "I'm Itachi, helping out a friend by covering their shift today. Apparently you can't pick when you go into labour and the husband decides he wants to be there."

Naruto chuckled as Itachi grinned.

"I'm Naruto." Itachi nodded and his eyes flickered to the socks.

"I thought they might be appropriate," Naruto offered, eyes flickering over Itachi's body quickly.

"They sound like a good place to start, but perhaps coffee first?"

Itachi set off first and Naruto took a moment to consider a simple fact.

"Nice Ass."

Itachi laughed.

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Notes:

Yes it's silly. Yes it's short.

These socks really do exist!

This one is dedicated to Akito10022! I hope you enjoyed it :)

Thank you for all of the reviews and support so far too.