Chapter 18

"Along Came a Spider Or Two"

It took a good ten minutes after Tobirama and Obito had made their exit for Hashirama and Madara to cease their uncontrollable laughing. But once they did, a seriousness took over the atmosphere, all mirth disappearing in a puff. Madara rested his elbows on his desk, his hands folded in front of his mouth. He stared at Hashirama, who had taken a seat in the chair in front of him. A dead silence fell in the room, as the the manager and DM seemed to communicate via telepathy and expression. Madara was the first to break the silence.

"So, say Kaguya is not bluffing and wants my store shut down…how am I to prevent that? I push my employees hard, any harder and they might crack." He said with a deadpan tone.

Hashirama gazed at an invisible dot on the ceiling and sighed, "I'm not sure what to do at this point, Madara. It was fun, our little "misdemeanor" prank…but I think Zetsu, deep in the recesses of his creepy mind, knows we had something to do with it. He'll be out to get us, and you and I both know…he is not stupid. Maybe a "momma's boy" as you say, but definitely not lacking any of his mother's cunning."

Madara rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm aware of his cunning. I've seen some incredible feats of it, even when I was an assistant manager. But he had this one coming. I regret nothing of it. However, this board meeting coming up…"

His DM flicked his eyes back over to him."If Kaguya and her son are looking forward to everybody being there to see it…she's already got what she needs. I suggest we put our best foot forward and get these numbers up in the district as fast as possible. There is a team meeting with this store tomorrow-"

"Ugh," Grumbled Madara. Hashirama continued without skipping a beat.

"-and we will discuss doing some over nights for several of the employees, you included."

He leaned in a brought his voice down low. "There is that other matter of your relationship with a certain Ms. Haruno…"

Madara's eyes darted back over to meet his. Now he had his full attention. "What about it?" He asked flatly.

"You need to be careful. Zetsu will use anything to get you fired. I don't want get in-between you and your lover, but-"

Madara grimaced and waved his hand in disgust at him, "Okay, okay, I get it, don't go there…and can you never again say the word "lover" to me?"

Hashirama looked a little wounded, "Hey, I'm trying to help. Listen, if she's interested in any management position; I mean "key carrier" level, then any relationship you have is perfectly within policy. You just need to be careful until then, or she'll need to quit. Or you, but I know you won't do that."

Madara hated it when Hashirama was right. He responded with a clamped "hm" to his words. Just as Hashirama stood up from his chair, Tobirama and Obito returned from the break room.

"Are you two idiots done being 12 years old yet?" Muttered Tobirama as he pulled up an empty chair. Obito stood by the bookcase, resting his elbow on one of the shelves.

Madara looked at Tobirama, feigning ignorance, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Tobirama rolled his eyes, and glanced at his brother with a stern look of disapproval. "You know, I liked it better when he had complete disdain for you. But moving on, inventory still needs to be done at both our stores, and we are a little behind. I spoke with Obito, and I have an idea for speeding things up." Madara turned to him and folded his arms.

"Go ahead."

Obito piped up in the back, "We can do two overnights. One at our store, and one at Tobirama's store. It eliminates the distraction of dealing with customers, and we can shift everyone between stores. Half of day shift will work the overnight. We complete the inventory, and we'll be well within the deadline."

Hashirama's face beamed, grinning from ear to ear. "That…is a GREAT idea! Ha! I was just thinking about something like that! Madara, why didn't you think of that?" He laughed. Madara, however, was distracted by an extra-long white hair that was stuck to his office chair. Holding it aloft his face blanched.

"Can you believe it? That banshee sheds…and as to your idea, its hard enough getting my day shift to actually work the day shift." He remarked, shaking his hand and ridding himself of the remnants of Kaguya in the process.

Hashirama walked over to stand next to him and clapped him on the back, making Madara stiffen and glare. "What did we discuss about personal space?!" He snapped. He seemed back to his old self. Hashirama, however, didn't seem to hear him, as usual. With his hand shaking Madara's shoulder, he laughed.

"Well, It's not all up to you. I AM your boss, after all. I say it's a great idea! Obito, set up the schedule for the day after tomorrow. Your stores' nightshifts will have a larger crew for a couple of days!" He signature laughter rang in Madara's ears, making him wince. The white-haired store manager sighed and stood up.

"Alright then, sounds like a plan. Oh, don't make that face, Madara, if you were more open to the ideas of others, my brother wouldn't have to pull rank on you so much."

Madara glared at him, "And if YOU didn't look like a swamp creature-"

Obito cut in with a nervous laugh, "- Heeeey! I didn't get to say what my big news is yet!"

Madara barely remembered that text from earlier from him. "I thought Kaguya was the big news?" He pondered out loud. Obito shook his head. He was grinning form ear to ear and practically taking with excitement.

"No, that was more of a "tornado warning". Okay, here it is, we were going to wait to tell everyone but…RIN'S PREGNANT!"

Tobirama laughed and went "Hey-oh! Way to go, dude!". Hashirama clapped his hands together in shock and happiness, "Really? What wonderful news, Obito! Madara, you must be so happy!"

Madara looked at his boss with a raised eyebrow, "Why single me out? I didn't have anything to do with it."

Before Madara could even protest Obito had flashed across the room and pinned his arms to his sides in a vice grip hug. Hashirama joined in and congratulated Obito, while also choking Madara in his shared joy.

Noticing the Uchiha's obviously raging discomfort, Tobirama smirked and piled on yelling "GROUP HUG!". Madara pushed against them in protest and Tobirama just laughed at him.

"Is estrogen getting pumped through the vent? GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" He managed to free himself and make a break for the door. Pointing a finger at the three of them he backed out of the room, "I DON'T DO HUGGING!."

Hashirama frowned at him, "Madara, you aren't happy for your assistant manager?"

Madara huffed as he continued to back up slowly, "No, no. There's some of that…but no touching. Now, I'm going to leave before you all start singing or some shit."

—

Madara half-walked, half-ran to his truck. Once he was inside he slammed the door and let his forehead rest on the steering wheel. This day has been fucking weird. He pulled his phone out to see 7 text messages, all from Sakura, asking how he was doing. The last one was sent only ten minutes before.

I'm still awake, how is everything at the store?

In that moment, he realized just how tired he was. He opened the messenger and typed his reply.

Tired, angry, and people hugged me.

after about 15 seconds he got a message back.

Well, THAT must have been awful...

Madara chuckled at her response. She was probably unaware of his space issues. Then his phone dinged again.

Are you coming back over?

He thought about it for a minute. It was late, and he needed to sleep, bad. He did however, want to see her. He weighed the pros and cons in his mind for a minute before he typed his reply, buckling his seatbelt and turning on the truck.

If it would be okay if I just crashed, sure. I'm exhausted. Otherwise, I'll head home.

Before he took off out of the parking lot, Sakura sent one more text.

You can crash here…

—

Sakura knew she didn't really need to wait up for Madara, but she couldn't sleep. What happened at the store? He hadn't texted her at all. She glanced at her phone, it was really late…

Of course, he would be exhausted. She was exhausted. Today had been crazy. But what was so weird was Madara's sudden shift in behavior. He seemed so different when they returned to town. Then right after that, the issue with the store came up. She wondered…had she bitten off more than she could chew? Madara's life was so…crazy.

A knock at the door yanked her out of her thoughts, and she shot off the couch to unlock the deadbolt. When she opened the door, she was greeted by a tired-eyed Madara. He smiled weakly at her before leaning forward to rest his head on her shoulder.

"…hi…" He said with a yawn.

She lifted her arms to wrap them around his broad shoulders. "Hey…um…tired?" She asked with a chuckle.

"Hm hmm…" He murmured into her neck.

She released her arms and grabbed him by the hand and led him towards her bedroom. He was doing a sort of shuffle thing with his feet as he followed her through her apartment. "I should go to sleep…" He mumbled.

Sakura turned the light off in her bedroom, and led him to her bed where he sat down with a grunt. She looked him over as she folded his comforter back. "Okay, well, take your boots off and your peacoat, at least."

Obediently he kicked his boots off and began unbuttoning his peacoat. Shrugging it off his shoulders he handed it to Sakura. When she went to hang it on one of the knobs on her dresser her nose picked up the familiar and alluring cologne he always wore. She turned around and Madara had shifted his body to lie back on the bed, his eyes closed.

In a moment of playfulness, she walked over and straddled herself over his hips. Without opening his eyes he grabbed her thighs in a gentle grip with his hands.

"Hmm…need something?" He said with a smile. Sakura bent down and placed a kiss on his cheek, being sure to rub against him as she did so, drawing a pleasured sound from deep in his throat.

"Oh, but I thought you were exhausted…" She said coyly. Madara opened one eye and looked her over.

"…That is true…and yet…this is so compromising for sleeping…" He remarked, rubbing her thighs slowly up and down with his hands. She felt a shift in his body as his hips bucked upwards slightly. "What do you think?"

The pink-haired beauty straddling his hips answered with a deep grind against him, sending a shiver through his body. "I don't think it would be too much to spare a little bit of time me before going to sleep, right?"

"That's a very compelling argument…but I literally don't have a lot of energy so-"

Sakura put a finger to his lips. "-So let me help you." She whispered. Placing her lips against his, and sparing no time, she parted his lips with her tongue and explored his mouth, running along his own tongue and relishing the taste of mint he alway had.

He sighed against her lips, bringing his hands up to venture under her loose-fitting nightshirt, caressing the soft skin of her torso with his fingers.

She could feel it. Even though he was dead-tired, his body responded to her. She could feel his hardness against her clothed sex as she grinned against him. He raised his hips to buck against her, and her she felt herself becoming wet with anticipation. When she pressed further against him, she heard a growl emit from deep within him, and he gripped her hips more roughly.

"You know exactly what you do to me…" he whispered, staring into her bright green eyes.

Sakura smirked and grabbed his hands, pinning them together above his head. He uttered a noise of surprise, and then peered at her in curiosity. "What are you doing?"

Sakura rubbed her hips against his in a seductive hint. "Do you trust me?"

Madara raised his eyebrows in response. "Should I not?" Sakura grinned mischievously. She shifted her weight off of him and got off the bed. Madara followed her with his eyes, perplexed. She walked to the dresser and opened the top drawer. He could hear things knocking about as she searched for something in particular. She paused and smiled when she found what she was looking for. His eyes widened at the sight of it. Two satin ribbons. Large, red, and shiny. Sakura unfolded them and over to him. "Would you let me tie your hands to the bed posts? I won't do anything weird, but I'd like to take care of YOU tonight."

Madara's brow furrowed, this was a very…different didn't feel to sure about it," You want to…what?" He asked in surprise

.

Sakura laughed, and showed him the ribbons. "Its not rough play, but it is fun!"

Madara looked at her warily. She seemed so overly certain about it. But he knew he was tired, and he didn't have a lot of energy left before he would crash. He nodded towards the ribbons. "Okay…if you want to try that, fine. But keep in mind I can rip those off in a second if I need to…" He said it with a smile, but Sakura could tell there was a warning hidden in his tone.

She climbed back on the bed, once again straddling his waist. She held the ribbons aloft, motioning for him to offer her his wrists. He hesitated, but he complied. Sakura took hold of his left wrist and wrapped the ribbon around it, snuggly, but not unbearable. Then she tied his wrist to the bed post. Repeating the action with the right wrist, she sat back and marveled at her handiwork, taking in the image of the powerful man underneath her who just submitted willingly to her. She felt herself becoming aroused just by looking at him. He had not taken his eyes off of her the entire time; following every motion of her hands, every expression she had on her face. He made no noise while she worked. Sakura could tell that he was unsure of this, but she was determined to make sure he enjoyed it. She wasn't into BDSM, or overly kinky fetishes, but she found this particular activity quite…stimulating.

With his wrists secured to the bedposts, Madara stared at Sakura intently. When she grinded herself against his hips he gasped quietly, bucking against her. She could feel his arousal pressing against her sex, and she knew he was starting to enjoy it. Unbuttoning his shirt, she pushed the fabric out of the way to reveal his well-toned chest and abs. His chest heaved up and down as his breathing became slightly faster.

She gently caressed his abdomen with her delicate fingers, bending down to follow every touch with a stroke of her tongue. Nipping playfully at his soft, taut skin, she relished the noises he made in response, groaning and bucking against her hips impatiently. He was twisting his wrists against the bindings, she could see the look in his eyes, like a volcano building pressure beneath the surface. But she wasn't done yet.

lowering her hand down to his belt, she undid it, followed by the zipper. He lifted his hips to help slide his jeans down half way, exposing his hardened erection.

He gasped, feeling her fingers trace the shape and length of him. She brought a kiss to his lips, gently biting his lower one, all the while stroking his member until she could hear him groan again. The ribbons were straining against his strength, and Sakura could tell there wasn't much time until he damn near ripped them off. Slipping her own pants off she kicked them to the floor. Straddling his waist, she teased his tip against her clit, relishing the sensation flooding through her. He bucked, a low growl building from within his chest. "Hnn, Sakura…too much." He gasped, pulling again at the restraints. His eyes radiated a desperate hunger, coaxing her own arousal.

Lining up his throbbing member with her wet entrance, she sheathed him inside her tight opening. She smiled as she felt his body tense up, his stomach tightening almost unbearably. Once she settled in she began to move, slowly up and down, his length pulsed as he slid in and out of her.

Madara couldn't take it anymore, he had to touch her. He yanked hard on the restraints, stretching the ribbons enough to free his wrists. Sakura gasped as his hands found her hips, grasping them tightly. He moved her faster, bucking himself upward to push deeper within her. Sakura felt heat building within her nether region, her walls began to tighten as Madara pumped harder and faster. She opened her eyes to meet his own; his eyes near glazed over in ecstasy.

His hands shot up and cupped her breasts, kneading and caressing, almost pushing her over the edge. She threw her head back as the coil deep within her began to snap. Madara couldn't hold back any longer, thrusting deep within her, hitting her most sensitive spot, Sakura moaned loudly as her body trembled on top of him, sweat glistening on her skin, her orgasm coursing through her veins. Madara felt her walls tighten around his pulsing dick. He groaned as his muscles tightened in release, spilling himself deep within her with one final thrust.

Only the sound of their heavy breathing broke the silence as Sakura lowered her body to rest on top of his. The waves of pleasure receding to settle in complete contentment. She felt his fingers run through her hair gently and she could hear his breathing slow to a soft, even rhythm. She inhaled deeply, loving his scent, a mixture of his cologne and sex.

"So…" she began, tracing the lines of his fingers with her own. "How was your night at the store?"

Madara grunted in response. "Lets not ruin the moment…" He muttered. Sakura looked up at him, his eyes gaze was far off, and she could see he was so tired and emotionally drained that it was probably best not to inquire further.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have just let you go to sleep when you got here…" She remarked slowly. Madara, however, brought his hand to her chin and turned her head to look at him, he smiled tiredly at her.

"Don't be." He said quietly. then he shifted his body to a more comfortable position, letting her shift her own to lay between his arm and chest. She reached over to pull the blanket over them, settling in to his warmth. He sighed deeply, muttering as he began to drift off. "

"How do you get that lavender scent to be so…good…". Then he was asleep. Sakura nuzzled as close as she could, letting the quiet ticking of her wall clock lull her into her own dreams.

—

Konaha slept soundly that night. The employees of the grocery lay in their own beds (minus Madara, he was in Sakura's bed..) dreaming their own little dreams, unaware of the shitstorm heading their way faster than the first thunderstorm of spring creeping from the south. Hashirama's plan of the coming night shift would bring about future tales of battle scars and woe the truth of who was a coward, and who was brave.

Two massive semi trucks carrying maximum load capacity made their way down the freeway, heading to the largest store in Konaha. Stacked crates of produce filled to the brim; bananas, apples, mangos, all waiting to be unloaded by the store's night shift two days from now. The trailer was climate controlled, keeping the produce fresh as the day it was picked. The trucker yawned and blinked tiredly, riding over a bump in the road. He cursed, the government never fixed potholes when they promised they would.

The crates inside the dark, humid trailer shifted with the bump. the trucker, and no one else for that matter, had any idea that there was another movement. A skittering sound, then another. To and fro from crate to crate, settling into the snug spaces between mangos and bananas. They waited.

—

A/N This is NOT a horror. But next chapter will be interesting to say the least. Its not really Hashirama's fault, but you can bet Madara will find a way to blame him for it. What woes the nightshift brings!