A/N: Well, glad everyone liked the dares in the last chapter. For those who asked- I've done the going into the lobby naked one and I was indirectly (admit no guilt) involved in the spatula+glue+face one.
Anyway, enough about the past. The past is boring, dull and- in retrospect- meaningless.
Enjoy, guys!
Twitter: /BrackenLight
I can see behind your mask,
You've got a fragile heart of glass.
Black tears are running down your face.
- Behind Your Mask by BlutEngel (Hate the song, but lyrics fit)
Behind Your Mask
"Who's having what?" Zetsu called over his shoulder sleepily, scratching at his hair as he pattered his way into the large kitchen he'd come to claim ownership of since deciding that he too would just move in with Obito for as long as he wanted. Having three, very different, men sharing an apartment that originally only hosted one of them wasn't the easiest shift in the world but they'd somehow slipped into a system that worked.
In other words, Zetsu was in charge of anything related to food. Obito just couldn't cook, no matter how hard he tried and, as adorable as it was to watch him do his best, they really did need to eat. And if it was up to Naruto, they'd have nothing but ramen 24/7. So kitchen = Zetsu's territory.
"I wanna hot chocolate!" Naruto groaned from the bedroom, still trying to bury his face in the pillows defiantly. "And pancakes!"
"Bran flakes, blueberries for me." Obito added from the doorway, stripping off the t-shirt he'd worn to the gym that morning. As usual, he'd finished his workout and gotten back before the kid had even begun stirring. "Naruto, you're not having breakfast in bed, no matter how much you beg. So, if you really want to eat, you need to move."
"Please?"
"We go through this every morning." Obito sighed, throwing his sweaty shirt at the lump under the covers. "Even Zetsu's up and he doesn't have a job to go to."
"Thanks for the reminder!" Was the hurt call from the kitchen. "Just 'cause I don't have anywhere to go doesn't make me any less busy!"
"You're basically a housewife." Obito retorted, just picking up Naruto's muffled giggle. "So, if he can get up, so can you."
"Only reason he's up is 'cause you kicked him onto the couch." Naruto mumbled, glancing up from the pillow to scowl at the older man childishly. "Bed's comfy. More comfy when you're in it but still comfy." Obito rolled his eyes, making a mental note that he'd become a lot more patient over the months.
"It won't be as comfortable when I drag you out of it." He warned, knowing full well that Naruto could remember the last time that had happened and the hell that had followed. The kid pouted, huffing in defeat, and turned his attention to Obito. Seeing him in that small gap between the end of a workout and his morning shower was rare. Obito usually used the showers downstairs. It was only since Zetsu started making their breakfast that he ventured back to the apartment to make sure he got his order in.
Naruto always wished he was awake enough to get a picture. Obito's usually-perfect hair mussed and damp. No suit or fancy clothes. And he was out of breath. Obito Uchiha was never out of breath! He looked human.
Naruto huffed again.
"Shotgun the shower." He muttered. "If you're gonna be a dick, then I get to go first."
"That's certainly one option." Obito shrugged, turning to head out of the bedroom with a confident smirk. "Or, you could get out of bed and join me."
"Seriously?!" Naruto called after him, lifting his head off the pillow to try and get a glimpse of Obito's face. "You're not kidding?"
"Clock's ticking, rookie."
"I'm up!" He stumbled, practically falling out of bed on his way to the bathroom, gathering up clothes in his haste. "Zetsu, hold the pancakes!"
"Huh?" Zetsu poked his head round the door of the kitchen, staring at Obito in confusion. "What's going on? Why am I holding the pancakes?"
"The pup's going to be late to breakfast," Obito said with a small smile, shaking his head, "just have the damn pancakes ready for him."
"I feel like I'm missing something."
"You are," the Uchiha teased, "but let's not get into your many flaws now."
…
"Zetsu," Naruto mumbled around a mouth full of food, a grin stretched across his face, "your pancakes are amazing!"
"Hm, much unlike your table manners." The unorthodox chef tutted, throwing a napkin Naruto's way. "Now I understand why Tobi doesn't take you anywhere."
"Zetsu," Obito called from behind the morning paper- delivered from the front desk to his door every morning, "play nice."
"As you like to keep pointing out, I'm not your employee anymore so you might wanna consider keeping those orders to yourself." He poked out his tongue childishly, knowing that Obito didn't need to see it to know it was there. "Especially if you plan on eating tonight."
"I've managed to last all these years without your culinary prowess."
"Your cupboards were completely empty before I moved in here." Zetsu pointed out bluntly, rolling his eyes when all he got in response was a disinterested hum. "Anyway, I assume going to court works up an appetite."
"Not even going to ask for the logic behind that statement." Obito sighed, dumping the paper on the counter. Now that he was out of the job, keeping up to date on everything that was going on just seemed completely redundant. His job had governed his entire life and adjusting to life without it was not only difficult- it was near impossible. "Surprisingly, it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth."
"Well, Naruto and I are going out tonight." Zetsu announced lazily, shrugging. "So maybe you should take that new lawyer of yours out for a meal or something."
"So your earlier threat…?"
"Just for the sake of it, yeah."
"Naturally." Obito resisted the urge to roll his eyes- starting to wonder if doing it too much would cause any health problems. If it did, he'd be sure to send Naruto and Zetsu the bill to split between them. They caused enough stress as it was. "Naruto, you need to leave for work soon."
"Not yet." He whined, glancing down at the plate of pancakes he was only a quarter of the way through.
Zetsu was like that grandmother who made enough food for a family three times the size of the one she was cooking for. The grandmother you don't know whether to love or hate for making you fat around Christmas.
"No arguments." Obito warned, reaching across the table to swipe up his own tie. "Being late is so ugly." Zetsu shot him a look for that one, an obvious reminder of the way things had been before.
Naruto huffed sulkily, staring at his food with a longing gaze, before looking up to curiously watch Obito's skilled fingers slip his tie around his neck and do it up so perfectly. It always baffled Naruto how easy he made it seem. Even after months of putting a tie on almost every day of the week, his own still looked sloppy.
"How d'you get it like that?" He muttered moodily, gesturing at the tie with the most basic and lazy hand movement he could manage.
"Years of practice."
"I thought you said you weren't much older than me."
"I'm not."
"How old are you?" Naruto demanded, lifting his head slightly at the realization that he wasn't entirely sure. To his horror, he didn't even know when Obito's birthday was! What if they'd already gone past it and he hadn't even known? After what Obito had done on his birthday, it left him feeling guilty. "We have a serious communication problem." He announced decisively, watching Zetsu attempt to hold back a laugh.
"Maybe." The older man shrugged. "But, if you finish getting ready in the next five minutes, I'll show you how to do the tie."
"For real?!" Naruto barked, pushing himself up and out of his seat with a sudden burst of energy. Just because Obito wasn't his boss anymore- for now- didn't mean their mentor-mentee relationship was destroyed. And, as much as he hated suits in general, Naruto would love to finally get his damn tie looking as perfect as Obito did.
"Clock's ticking, rookie." The Uchiha stated for the second time that morning. And, just like before, Naruto hurried off in such a rush he almost tripped over his own feet. It was amazing what a little incentive could do.
"You spoil him," Zetsu cooed, swiping a pancake off of Naruto's abandoned plate for himself, "As much as you try to deny it."
"Hm." Obito climbed to his feet, straightening his collar without a word. Zetsu pouted.
"No answer? No cocky retort? No sarcastic response?" He whined, a hand over his heart in a display of fake hurt. "Tobi, you're losing your touch."
"I don't need to bother arguing with you." Obito shrugged, a slight smirk there for his assistant (because Zetsu would always be his assistant) to see. "If you get on my nerves, I can just kick you out."
Well, as chaotic as the morning was, at least he'd managed to get one over on Zetsu.
…
Naruto had pulled on his clothes surprisingly quickly and Obito only needed to point out a few little problems with scruffiness here and there. The worst being his shoes. The kid really needed to get them polished and shined. They were scuffed beyond belief from rushing around the office building in a hurry. Not to mention running to work. That reminded him that he had promised to help Naruto with driving lessons after their road trip. He needed to pick up on that.
They ended up side-by-side in front of the bathroom mirror, Naruto slipping his own tie around his neck while Obito un-knotted his and demonstrated each step slowly. It was strangely captivating- watching the way his fingers moved so effortlessly. Years of practice. Flawless.
And, when Naruto tried to copy the steps, watching keenly in the mirror, he wasn't too surprised when his own ended up as one big mess.
"Where am I going wrong?" He groaned, glancing between Obito's tie and his own in the mirror.
"I'll slow down. Just watch and learn."
Concentrating on small details was never Naruto's area. So it was tough and took several tries before he was able to pick up the subtle way Obito slipped the knot into place or how he made sure it was straightened before tightening it. It was the details that a hyperactive, overthinking mind like his never noticed easily. And, he had a feeling that if anyone but Obito tried teaching him, he wouldn't have noticed at all. Because he'd known it from the first time they worked together- looking over bonus drafts in Obito's office.
Obito was the only one who could focus him.
"There." Naruto announced triumphantly, turning to face his teacher with arms outstretched- ready for inspection. In his opinion, he'd done a pretty good job and his tie looked a hell of a lot better than it ever had before. Obito looked him up and down, studying him for a moment before giving a small nod.
"Better." He said simply. "But you need new suits."
Naruto rolled his eyes with a sigh. God forbid he actually get a straight out compliment for once.
"This one is new."
"Really?" Obito cocked an eyebrow, taking the time to look him up and down again. "Your taste in clothing hasn't improved in the slightest."
"You'll have to teach me then." Naruto challenged, trying to hide his smile as best as he could behind a frown. The truth was, he liked this. He felt closer to what they were before than ever. Obito was acting like his boss again and, if he shoved all thoughts of Kagami and the new Floor 37 out of his mind, things felt normal and perfect.
He'd missed it.
But, even as distracted as he was, he still saw the way Obito's eyes darkened.
"You have no idea the things I could teach you, kid." He murmured lowly, an almost frightening promise just beneath the surface. Naruto actually shuddered at the mere suggestion of it.
Yeah, he'd definitely missed it.
The day was a long and tense one- to say the very least.
Every time Naruto and Tayuya passed each other, they tried their best to just act normal and get on with their work but it was clear that they were still dying to talk openly about the plan they'd drafted up. There were so many little details that they weren't clear on. So many ways it could all go wrong.
They'd gotten Zetsu on board, thankfully, but he wouldn't be able to get into the building. A dismissed employee would never get past security. Sakura was only ever able to get in because of the visitors pass Sasuke had given her during their fling. So, instead, Zetsu said he'd disable the CCTV from outside- and no one dared ask him how he planned to do it.
Itachi and Sasuke refused to have anything to do with the actual crime itself and it was kind of understandable. It was harder for them to blend in- being as famous as they were- and they had a whole lot more to lose. So, their role came afterwards. Someone needed to study the books and work out what the hell was going on.
So that left Naruto, Sakura and Tayuya on the ground.
And they were all nervous.
They were about to commit a crime. A crime that could land them in jail right next to Obito. Their plan was nowhere near perfect. None of them knew what the hell they were doing.
Naruto tried to lighten the mood by joking about how it felt like they were in a spy movie but it only seemed to make things worse, so he quickly learned to keep his mouth shut.
They could do it.
He knew they could.
…
"The Treasury Department gets locked down around eight." Tayuya said, leaning over Naruto's cubicle to whisper it. "It's not like the rest of the building. If the guys wanna work longer, they have to take their work home."
"We should probably wait until later than that." Naruto murmured thoughtfully. "I mean, most sales agents don't really start heading home 'til after nine on a good day."
"Duh." She hissed. "And you're forgetting that you've got Hidan's keycard so you need to actually wait until after his shift starts before using it."
"Oh, yeah." He huffed, feeling like a let-down for forgetting that one.
"He starts just before ten, I think. So how about we kick this thing off at eleven, just to be safe?"
"Sounds good to me." Naruto offered a small smile. In truth, it didn't sound good at all. That was a long wait and it was the waiting which threw him off the most. Waiting made him anxious. Waiting drove him insane. "I'll let Zetsu and Sakura know."
"Sweet. Do we know exactly what we're looking for?" Tayuya asked. Like Naruto, she had no experience when it came to financials, so it was risky sending them in to search through so many documents.
"Itachi told me. I've got the instructions written down."
"Good." She sighed in relief. "This plan of yours better pay off, blondie."
"That's if we don't get caught." Naruto admitted, knowing full well that unwavering optimism wouldn't raise their spirits much. Obito always did try and get him to be more realistic.
"Well, I've got a failsafe in case that happens. Just leave it to me."
"I'm not gonna bother asking." He sighed in defeat.
"Bother asking what?" A new voice asked cheerfully.
They both froze.
Naturally, Aoba and Kagami just had to show up at that moment.
Naruto's heart decided to go for a full-on sprint of panic, the fear of just how much the two of them might have overheard making his blood run cold. Tayuya stayed cool though, even going as far as to shoot him a subtle look, warning him to calm the hell down before he dragged too much attention to himself. Then again, Naruto's initial panic led Aoba to the only conclusion he saw as logical…
"Oh, you two are dating after all, huh?" He said slyly, sending a wink Naruto's way. The blonde tried to protest, only to get another look from Tayuya. She was right. If they were focusing on a false assumption, it was probably best not to correct them. "I knew that 'I'm outta the game' act was fake as hell, Naruto."
"Huh," Kagami murmured, glancing between them for a moment, something close to poorly-hidden suspicion on his face, "would've never seen it. Please tell me that's not why you guys took so long to sign Ohnoki."
"What?!" Naruto spluttered, glaring at the Uchiha.
"Oh, God. I totally sat on that table too. Did you two hav-?"
"Finish that question and I'll break your nose, Kugashi!" Tayuya hissed dangerously. That shut him up. And, even if he tried to shrug it off, he was clearly a hell of a lot more intimated than someone of his position should've been.
"I don't remember getting notice though. You need to fill in the company relationship forms, regardless of whether it's serious or…casual." He said, hesitating as Tayuya's glare intensified. "It's against policy to keep it under wraps. Can cause you problems further down the line, that's all."
Naruto made a note to remind Obito that he wasn't as professional as he claimed to be. The subject of relationship forms had been purposely avoided. It wasn't even up for debate- Obito had made that clear.
"So, what are you two up to?" Naruto asked, steering the conversation away from the tense subject. After all, if Tayuya got worked up and punched Kagami in the face, their plan would probably go down the toilet.
"Oh, erm," Kagami smiled awkwardly, patting Aoba on the shoulder, "Aoba here was just running me through why he's the perfect candidate for the Junior position. For the third time this week." He sounded slightly fed up of it. No wonder. Aoba could be pushy.
"You still haven't made up your mind?" Tayuya snapped, somewhat accusingly. Turns out, Floor 37 was host to a number of difficult people.
"It's harder than it looks, okay?" He muttered defensively. "I can't just pick people. I have to be able to explain in detail, with evidence, why I chose 'em."
"So I'm just giving him the evidence." Aoba smiled. Kagami sighed.
"Anyway, I've gotta go." Kagami said quietly, his professional façade breaking for just a moment, "Make sure you get those forms, guys."
Close one.
"Will you be questioning the witness?" The judge asked- sounding far more bored than he probably should have done for such a high-profile case. But Pein, being as good as he was, had just kept objecting to everything he could. It was actually tiring. Kakashi had hardly gotten a single sentence out. Even Obito, who had taken the stand, was getting irritated, and even signalled for his lawyer to ease off a bit.
Kakashi had finished up his rather generic questioning and taken his seat. The jury were all shooting Obito rather nasty looks. It seemed like they'd already made up their minds on his guilt. Kakashi had focused on destroying his integrity and it had obviously worked.
"I will, your honor." Pein said, climbing up onto his feet. And Obito was left confused. In their last meeting, they'd agreed that it was best for Obito to avoid any unnecessary questioning at all. Anything he could say without perjuring himself would only act to confirm his guilt. So then why…? "However, I'd like to request the right to treat Mr Uchiha as a hostile witness."
Obito's eyes darted to Pein's calm face, narrowing coldly in a fierce glare.
Hostile witness.
If granted, Pein would be able to ask him leading questions- the nature of which he wouldn't have been able to get away with before. It was a strange and rare tactic, taken when the witness' testimony contradicted the case their lawyer was trying to put forward. It meant Pein didn't trust him enough to answer strategically. It meant Pein wasn't intending to stick to any of their plans.
"For what reason?" The judge asked, straightening up in his seat at the sudden development.
"I personally feel that Mr Uchiha's desire to hide both his feelings and the way in which his circumstances have changed over the course of his alleged crimes are proving antagonistic."
"Then I'll allow it." The judge waved a hand, giving Pein the go-ahead.
Obito would slaughter him.
"Obito," Pein began, looking him straight in the eye, like he hadn't just stabbed him in the back, "we've all heard the basic details of the incident that resulted in your time in hospital. And I'm sure the jury has made the connection between that incident and your supposed shift in personality. Now I want you to tell them."
"Tell them what?" Obito hissed bitterly, eyes glancing over at the jury briefly. They all seemed interested now. More curious than accusing.
"Well, let's just get to it. You loved Rin, didn't you?"
"What has this got to do with anything?"
"You need to answer the question, or you'll be held in contempt." Pein casually stated, no sign of an apology in his tone or on his face.
"Obviously."
"In fact, she was the first person you ever felt love for, wasn't she?"
"That's speculative."
"Well, it's a good thing you're here to clear it up for us." Pein said with an encouraging nod- even managing to earn a small wave of chuckles. "Your parents died when you were very young, didn't they?"
"Yes."
"And you moved from foster home to foster home, never really bonding with anyone. The Uchiha family never accepted you, did they? And you never got the chance to make friends, not with how often you moved around."
"I suppose." Obito sighed.
"Until Rin." Pein said, dropping his tone until it was soft and gentle. "She accepted you. She acknowledged you and, for the first time, you felt love for someone else."
"It doesn't matter." The scarred man retorted, voice far quieter than he'd hoped.
"But it does, doesn't it? She was everything to you until she died." Obito looked down at his lap, lids becoming heavy. He had his mask. He couldn't let anyone see past it. He couldn't. "You have no family, no support network, no one to help you through the tragedy of Rin's death. You were left all alone. Before you returned to Uchiha Enterprises, you spent months in your apartment and no one even visited you."
Obito glanced up, watching Kakashi's face fall in guilt.
"I prefer to be alone." Obito said firmly. "When something leaves a hole in your heart, you can't rely on other people to fill it. You have to find a way all by yourself. Relying on your friends to fix it is like sticking a paper bag over the hole- trying to pretend it isn't there."
"That sounds very lonely." Pein pointed out in an easy tone, earning a fierce scowl. "And, perhaps I'm just morally weak, but it isn't that hard for me to see how that thinking might lead someone to commit the crimes you're accused of. You lost the only person who meant anything to you. No one was there to help you heal. You were never given therapy or counselling. Only to then be thrust back into a highly-stressful environment. I'm surprised that you're not in here for something far worse."
"Just drop it." Obito murmured, head lowered, eyelids heavy.
"But things are different now, wouldn't you say?"
"How so?" Obito asked, looking up in confusion. Despite all his cunning, he just couldn't work out Pein's point.
"You've been attending sessions with Uchiha Enterprises' therapist, haven't you?"
"Yes."
"And all of these crimes predate the breakthroughs she included in her overall report, didn't they?"
"Objection." Kakashi spoke up, though it looked like it pained him to do it, "This isn't relevant. The point isn't whether or not Mr Uchiha's changed since committing the alleged crimes. At this point, it's about whether he's broken the law to an extent that deserves a prison sentence."
"However, as opposing counsel has made clear during his questioning of the defendant, the character of said defendant is integral to this case and has a direct bearing on the outcome of this trial." Pein countered without batting an eyelid. No hesitation. Everyone looked impressed by that.
"Overruled." The judge barked, gesturing for Pein to continue.
"Tell me about Zetsu." Pein said, slipping back into his soft tone.
"He was my assistant. Dependable. Trustworthy. And I have absolutely no idea how he does half of the things he does. He never ceases to amaze me with how impressive he is." Obito said honestly, mask cracking just a bit.
"So, you'd describe him as a close friend?"
"…" Obito paused. "Yes."
"What about Itachi Uchiha. Is he a close friend?"
"Yes."
"In fact, I've been speaking to a number of your co-workers who have nothing but respect and admiration for you. From your former assistant, right down to a sales agent on your floor." Obito scoffed. When had Pein spoken to Zetsu and Naruto? "They've provided a great deal of insight into just how much you've changed over the last few months. You've done a lot of great things."
"If you say so." Obito muttered.
"Is there a question?" Kakashi spoke up again, his guilt seeming to fade enough for him to actually do his job.
"You rose to the defence of one of your employees after he was verbally harassed and intimidated by a co-worker, didn't you?" Naruto and Kankuro.
"Yes, but it's not because I ca-"
"You frequently rewarded your employees for their hard work, making them feel more valued than the sales agents on any other floor, right?"
"It isn't-"
"And didn't you make sure that the CEO, Fugaku Uchiha, recognized and acknowledged the hard work of one of your newest employees?" Naruto again.
"…"
"And when you were fired from Uchiha Enterprises, you withdrew from all of your loved ones because you didn't want to threaten or damage their careers in the company, isn't that true?" Pein demanded, almost challenging in the way he stared Obito down.
"I don't have loved ones." Obito bit back.
"The picture you try and paint for us is completely different from the truth, isn't it?"
"No."
"And isn't it also true that this hard, uncaring criminal façade is all an act that you put on because you would rather be sent to jail than admit how you really feel?"
"That's enough." Obito snarled.
"Because you do care, Obito Uchiha. And it doesn't matter to me what you say to contradict that. You loved Rin- you obviously still do- you love your assistant, you love your employees, you love your co-workers, your friends, your bosses and the company you dedicated your life to."
"…"
"But covering up that simple truth, that shred of humanity, is more important to you than helping this jury understand why they should protect you."
"I don't need protecting." Obito was beginning to breathe heavily through his nose. His mask had slipped long ago. Everyone was staring at him in a way they hadn't before. And he felt vulnerable. So vulnerable. So weak.
"What are you so scared of?" Pein raised his voice, drowning out Kakashi's objections, and the judge made no move to stop him. They could all tell that they were finally getting close to cracking the unshakable Obito Uchiha.
"I-"
"What are you scared of?" Pein repeated.
"Everything!"
…
The court room fell silent.
Even Kakashi, who had moved to object once again, had the words knocked out of him.
They'd done it.
They'd pressed and pressed, building up and building up, and they'd finally broken him.
Obito Uchiha didn't have a mask anymore.
The pain and the fear and the sadness was all there on his face- for every single one of them to see.
The jury didn't look at him like he was dirt anymore.
The judge didn't view him as a pest anymore.
Vulnerable.
He was vulnerable and, just like Itachi had wanted before, that's exactly what Pein had been planning.
"You'd rather be locked up than lose everything again." Pein said softly, sympathetically, like he understood. "You're scared that if you get close to people and make them feel loved that they'll be taken away. And you'll lose everything you care about. You're scared, Mr Uchiha." The lawyer turned to face the jury, making sure that Obito was right there in sight. "I just want this jury to understand the person whose life they're in control of. That's all, your honor."
…
Obito was angry.
Furious.
As soon as they'd been granted a recess, he took a moment to try and compose himself before storming into the bathroom to confront a man he had paid to completely destroy him in front of everyone. He should've known better than to trust Pein.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He demanded coldly, managing to keep most of his rage under the surface. Pein had already shattered his mask once, he wasn't going to let it happen again, regardless of what he felt.
"Considering that I just did my job, I'm inclined to say that there isn't much wrong with me." He countered- like they were still in the court room. "Look, you paid me to win this case. You chose me for a reason. Because I win. Justice is important to me and I truly believe that sending you to prison, considering your circumstances, would be a great injustice. I've seen people, who have gone through things nowhere near what you've been through, on trial for murder or rape. It's absurd that you could go down for business-related crimes after what happened."
"You had no right." Obito muttered.
"I don't care." Pein stated firmly, turning to stare his client straight in the face. "The reputation you've been hiding behind doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is that we win. And that was the first time those jurors have looked at you with anything but contempt. For the first time since this case began, we have the upper hand."
"…" Obito looked away, knowing that the lawyer was right but unwilling to admit. They had looked at him differently. But it had made him too sick and ashamed to think through just what that meant.
"But it isn't enough." Pein pressed on. "I showed them your human side but that alone won't stand. Hatake has the evidence and the personal knowledge of you at his disposal. He knows where to press and he has the facts backing him up as he does it. We're still going to lose at this rate."
"But if I go down in special circumstances, you still get to claim a win." Obito said, finally catching on.
"As long as they understand and acknowledge your situation, justice will be served."
"And your record stays clean." The Uchiha sighed, shaking his head.
"I will do what I can for you," Pein claimed, unwavering, "but if you won't take any of Hatake's deals, then this is the only way we can go. Either way, you'll still end up behind bars."
"…"
"Isn't that what you want, anyway? You're trying to punish yourself, aren't you?"
"We're not in the courtroom now." Obito retorted. "Don't try and analyze me."
And he left.
Bitter and angry and no longer able to hide it.
By the time it started to approach eleven, Sakura was starting to doubt herself. She'd sent several texts asking again and again if Naruto was completely sure. It got to the point where Tayuya just snatched his phone off of him, called her and told her to 'calm her tits' and either shut up and get on with it or shut up and bail. Thankfully, it seemed that Tayuya's insulting tone worked wonders that Naruto's words of reassurance just couldn't.
So, Naruto and Tayuya stayed behind on Floor 37, pretending to be working on some difficult case. And no one even called them out on it- though Aoba did shout at them to keep it PG-13 in case the cleaners walked in on them. Kagami left pretty quickly after the other sales agents for some dinner with some client so he was out of the way. They were free to sit down and discuss their plan from beginning to end.
Having the chance to go through it properly and openly was reassuring. It did wonders for Naruto's confidence that they were on the same page and knew exactly what they were going to do. Zetsu was waiting for the text confirming that they were ready. He said he would turn off all CCTV in the building so it wasn't made obvious that someone was clearly trying to hide something. Naruto hadn't even thought of that and found himself so, so happy that Zetsu had come back.
Some hastily made, last-minute adjustments to their plans, and everything was set.
…
Naruto, Tayuya and Sakura didn't say a word to each other after their initial greeting on Floor 37. They all technically knew that the three of them walking around in silence would draw more attention to them than if they tried to make small talk but it was a case of bone-chilling nerves stomping down calm logic. It wasn't like anyone they passed was paying particularly close attention to them anyway.
When they finally did get on to the floor of the Treasury Department, however, communication was needed. Naruto and Tayuya used the keycard to let themselves in while Sakura stayed outside to keep watch. It was fairly simple. But they were putting their faith in Tayuya's 'failsafe' if they got caught. It wasn't like there was anywhere they could really hide- at least, not all three of them.
When they finally got to the file room, they shook off their jackets, sat down and got to work. Nothing could have prepared them for how long and arduous a task it really was, sorting through years of financial information, looking for the opening they needed. Itachi telling them whereabouts to look didn't help when that left with them with a huge stack of papers. It wasn't like they could copy them all!
It was clear they'd have to look through and at least narrow it down, if not find the exact pages they needed. But, with neither one of them being that experienced in financial research, it wasn't easy. It took them close to two hours to even work out where the evidence of embezzlement even was.
…
"I think this is it, blondie." Tayuya hissed under her breath, sliding across the floor to shove a stack of papers under his nose. "This shows how much money each Senior Manager drew out for the bonus checks in the last few months, as well as any extra funding. It also shows where Uchiha Enterprises have been diverting their funding and makes reference to the accounts they use."
"So?" Naruto asked, already feeling his head spin. Numbers really didn't do anything for him.
"Well, it doesn't just show that this company is a fucking gold mine," she said, nudging him to keep his attention, "it also proves an inconsistency in the accounts."
"So, you mean…?"
"Someone has been stealing money from the company." Tayuya said decisively.
"But how do they know it's Obito?" Naruto asked, feeling his pulse already quickening at the revelation. "Was it his funding that was taken?"
"Not according to this. Besides, a smart guy like Obito wouldn't take from his own pot. Too obvious."
"He didn't do it!" Naruto snapped. Tayuya smacked him over the head.
"Ice your balls, idiot." She retorted. "What I'm saying is, if a Senior Manager just took money from their own funding, they'd have to be a fucking moron. No one would believe it. This is complex stuff. I dunno much but it looks like they even set some poor guy on the 16th floor as a fall guy."
"Fall guy?"
"At first glance, the evidence points to some innocent loser. A fall guy to cover the real guy's ass."
"But if whoever's stealing money from the company wanted to frame Obito, why even set up the fall guy?"
"Haven't you been listening?" Tayuya said, raising her hand in a threat to hit him again if he tested her. Bitch. "Whoever it is, they really want Obito to go down and they have a heck of a knowledge about financial shit too. They probably counted on the treasurer to overlook the fall guy and focus on Obito. I can't tell anymore. We need to get this to Itachi."
"And we need to prove he didn't do it!" Naruto agreed, nodding in determination.
"Someone's coming!" Sakura called out, running in and shutting the door behind her in blind panic.
They all froze, staying perfectly still as the definite sound of footsteps on the other side of the door echoed out. Sakura looked mortified, one hand still on the door itself as she looked hurriedly from Naruto to Tayuya for help.
"Tay, I think it's time for your failsafe." Naruto whispered out of the corner of his mouth, clutching at their piece of evidence desperately. They couldn't lose it. Not after all they'd done. Not after the opportunity to provided them with.
"Pinky, go hide." Tayuya barked, pointing over at a filing cabinet. "Blondie, stay with me."
"We need to hide too!" Naruto protested.
"If we do then he'll see all the files we've left all over the place."
"But if we stay he'll see all of the files anyway!"
"Not necessarily." Tayuya scoffed, pushing herself onto her feet calmly. Too damn calmly.
"We're gonna get caught!" Naruto hissed, watching Sakura run behind the cabinet for cover as the footsteps got too close.
"Just shut up and let me handle it." Was the blunt, unhelpful response he got. In fact, Tayuya didn't do anything to help the situation at all. All she did was lift her hands and start…
"Why are you taking your clothes off?!" He gasped, trying to keep his voice down as best as he could. They were one step away from getting caught and Tayuya was unbuttoning her blouse.
"Just c'mere." She muttered, reaching over to pull him to his feet and go about doing whatever the hell it was she was doing.
Before he knew it, Naruto's hair was ruffled and tugged at until it was messier than Obito would have ever put up with, his shirt was completely undone, hanging off his shoulders and his fly was down. And Tayuya ended up on her knees right in front of him, just crouching in an extremely provocative position which hid his crotch from the view of the door, hands on his hips and a dangerous look on her face which told him to keep his mouth shut.
From across the room, it sounded like Sakura was trying to hold back a muffled protest.
When the door opened, Naruto's eyes darted up in pure horror.
Tayuya turned around, making a fake choked noise in her throat.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Hidan shouted in disgust, jaw dropping open as he saw them.
Naruto gulped. Oh, God. "I thought Kakuzu was in here! I didn't think-!"
"Hey, Hidan." Tayuya said sweetly, smiling at him in the most flirtatious way Naruto could possibly imagined. She even licked her lips. "Naruto and I were, erm, just borrowing this room. So, if you're not gonna join us, maybe you could do us a favor and close the door on your way out, hm?"
"Give me a break." Hidan groaned, running a hand over his face as he turned and slammed the door behind him. Footsteps faded away, along with the mutterings of how 'hard' he had to work while lucky punks got blowjobs from hot redheads for nothing.
When they were absolutely sure he was gone, Naruto didn't know what to say.
So Sakura beat him to it.
"Tayuya, that was amazing." She said in awe- the first time she'd really said anything nice about the other woman. "How did you come up with that?"
"Oh, please," Tayuya scoffed, climbing to her feet and shoving Naruto away coldly, "I've been using that trick since Highschool. Works every time. He didn't even notice pinky was her or the damn files everywhere."
"What would you have done if he actually joined in?" Sakura offered up as a joke, earning a scowl from both Naruto and Tayuya for her efforts.
Comic relief was not what they needed.
What they needed was to make the copies they needed and get the hell out of there before Hidan came back to check up on them. After all, the average blowjob only lasts so long!
So, fixing his clothes with a sigh of relief, Naruto swiped up the stack they needed copies of and led them in search of a photocopier.
And, if he managed to find time in the chaos to make a note not to tell Obito about what Tayuya had done- the same way he'd kept Sasuke kissing him a secret- it was only because his nerves were slowly surrendering to excitement.
They could do it.
Next Week-
There will be no chapter next week or the week after.
Long and boring story- related to work- so I won't go into it but I can't get a chapter up for next Saturday. In the meantime, you can check out the Scarred Oneshot Collection on my profile and leave any requests for oneshots you want. Otherwise, see you in three weeks!
Twitter: /BrackenLight