Chapter 5: Akatsuki Ink
If you want to check out a drawing I made for this story links on my profile. It turned out really good.
Blacked out windows greeted the two teens as they walked up to the tattoo parlor. Akatsuki Ink was written in a fancy white font above the door. The place didn't need a big flashy sign or tattoo designs littering the windows, it held the three of the best artists in the country. Some customers had traveled from out of country just to get some work done from the world famous owners.
Walking inside the shop, Kiba and Naruto were greeted by a spiky purple haired female named Anko (according to the name tag). The woman had an unusual trashy outfit that consisted of a fishnet shirt—that did nothing to hide all the tattoos covering her body—and a beige trench coat with an orange mini skirt. She looked like she just got finished working the street…or a pedophile. Naruto couldn't really decide which.
At least the small lobby was much classier than the receptionist. Lined with dark hard wood floors that held comfortable looking black leather sofas and a glass coffee table with books resting on the surface for waiting clients. A water cooler and snack vending machine was located near a door that was labeled as a restroom. Nickelback played quietly in the background while the buzz of the tattoo machines could easily be heard. The walls had a unique airbrushed texture containing vibrant orange, yellow and red hues, making the room appear modern and eye popping. Framed paintings and previous clients showcased the artist raw artistic talent and style. But in Naruto's opinion, the most impressive part of the room was the massive aquarium that made up an entire wall, which blocked the view of main tattooing area with colorful fish and coral.
All in all, Naruto thought the place was stunning and looked as expensive as fuck as it probably was.
"May I help you?" The annoyed receptionist standing behind the onyx desk asked with disinterest.
"Yeah, I have an appointment with Pain for a tattoo and my friend here is interested in getting a piercing done." Kiba answered excitedly, feet bouncing left and right with eagerness.
Arching up a thin purple eyebrow, Anko glanced away from her phone for the first time and looked up at the two potential clients. "Name?"
"Kiba Inuzuka…and my friend here is Naruto Uzumaki." A wide grin nearly split the brunettes face in half as he slung an arm around Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto glared back at the rude receptionist. You would think a place as fancy as this could afford a better secretary. The only reason he didn't speak up was because it was Kiba's big day and there was no way he was going to fuck that up.
Tapping the keyboard on the state of the art desktop, Anko brought up the list of appointments. "Go ahead and take a seat, Pain will be with you shortly. And you, Blondie, I will check who is available at the moment. What are you looking to get pierced?"
"Umm, chest." Naruto answered quietly.
Her eyes glanced down to stare appreciatively at his chest while she licked her bottom lip. Definitely pedophile Naruto decided.
"Good choice, pick out a stud that you want while I find someone." She pulled out a case behind the counter and placed it on top and opened the wooden box up to display all the piercings. "And I will know if any are missing so don't even think of stealing."
He growled under his breath and fisted his hands from being treated like a petty criminal. God, he really wanting to punch the bitch.
Meanwhile, Kiba missed the whole exchange as he left to sit on the sofa and scroll through one of the books on the table. Naruto muttered bitch quietly as Anko walked away and into the main room.
"I heard that." The hooker yelled over her shoulder.
A light blush spread over Naruto's cheeks for getting caught. He didn't regret it for one second though, she deserved it. Actually, she deserved far worse. He grit his teeth but walked up to the case anyway to browse the selection. Naruto already had a piece in mind so it didn't take him very long skimming through all the different types of piercings to find the type he was looking for—a 10 gage titanium barbell.
Picking up the shiny piece of jewelry, Naruto inspected it closely before placing it on the counter for purchase. Peaking over the desk, he saw that the hooker lady was busy talking with another client who getting a tattoo done. He decided to go take a seat with Kiba instead of wait for the poor excuse of an employee to come back.
What a bitch. Naruto was definitely going to let Pain, the owner, know what kind of service they were receiving. Or in this case, lack of.
He personally knew Pain, Konan and Yahiko from the orphanage even though the three of them were several years older than him. They had occasionally visited the orphanage from time to time to tell stories and volunteer, more so during the holidays. All three grew up in that orphanage after losing their parents in the military so they still felt like it was home to them, abet a pretty shitty home.
Now, the inseparable trio are legends when it comes to the tattooing community. They have also developed a very complex polyamorous relationship while being open to sexual relations with outsiders.
Naruto's head hurt just thinking about it. How could anyone handle that much emotional strain in a relationship? It would be hard enough to be in a three-way relationship, but to allow casual sex with others on top of that? Fuck that.
"So, since we finally made it here, are you going to spill and tell me what you're getting?" Naruto plopped down on the sofa next to Kiba and eyed him curiously.
"Hell no. You're gonna have to wait and see just like everybody else." Placing the book down, Kiba stretched out his arms and legs and reclined back. "Damn, these chairs are comfortable."
Naruto nodded in agreement. "I don't see what all the secrecy is about. You know I won't judge."
"You'll see it soon enough. Now, if you want to talk about secrets…you could start by answer my question on why you looked like shit this morning. And how you're all mopey…truthfully this time. No bullshitting, Naruto." Kiba give him a stern look, hoping his friend would finally open up now that they were alone together. He was greatly disappointed as Pain walked in at that moment.
"Sorry to keep you waiting…Kiba, is it?" A tall slender man with dark red hair walked in and addressed the boy on the chair. "First time seeing you around here. Hey, long time no see, Naruto. Still causing trouble?"
To an outsider, Pain might appear intimidating and freakish with his unique fashion sense and tattoos. He wore creepy purple contacts with black rings in them so he looked like some sort of creature from another planet. Unlike Gaara's messy red locks, Pain had strait, long bangs that covered part of his pale face in a more gothic fashion. The man's clothing style often consisted of blacks and occasional reds.
Today, he had worn black skinny jeans with a studded belt, a chain hooped that came across the side, combat boots along with an ever-present tight, leather black vest embroidered with red clouds. The sleeveless vest showed off his full sleeved tattooed arms and one large one on his chest.
Like seriously, how many of those custom vets did the man own the ware them every damn day? Naruto just hoped his friend would never commit a crime because his unique appearance would make the easiest lineup in history, if caught.
Naruto was relieved for the sudden distraction. He couldn't lie for shit so he really didn't want to finish that conversation with his friend. Talk about perfect timing. But in all honesty, he was more happy to see an old friend.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Pain. You damn well know I'm a happy-go-lucky ray of fucking sunshine. It's not my fault shit burns up when left unsupervised." Naruto said in a sickly sweet voice and putt on his best puppy dog look.
The burning part was an inside joke from when he accidently set the Christmas tree on fire during one of Pain's visits at the orphanage. Not his fault the keepers left a hyperactive 10 year old version of him alone in a room with a burning fireplace and a tree…
A deep chuckle rumbled out of Pain's throat in a pleasant way. "I see that mouth of yours has only gotten worse."
Now that Pain owned a shop, he was usually too busy to visit the orphanage or keep in contact with old friends. It was refreshing for him to see the bright-eyed, sunny boy.
"Pshh…nothing you can't handle. Anyway, who is that bitch who is working the front desk? She seriously sucks ass at her job, man."
Pain sighed and leaned against the wall. "Oh? That's Anko, she's just a temp. Our real receptionist is out of country right now apprenticing at another shop for a few months. She will be back soon…hopefully. But, in the meantime…" He left it off there with a shrug. "So, Kiba." Pain turned his attention back to the brunette listening in on the conversation attentively. "I got the sketch all ready to go from the information you sent me via email. Let's go in the back to see if you like it. And Naruto, Yahiko will be the one giving you you're piercing today after he finishes with a client. Nice seeing you again…you look good."
Kiba jumped out of the chair and eyed the blushing blond curiously. He had no idea how his best friend knew someone like Pain on a seemingly very personal level? He was a little star-struck and pissed that Naruto failed to bring up info that import.
Later, he mouthed out and pointed to Naruto, his eyes set in a glare.
"Yeah, whatever. Try not to scream so loudly that you will scare off all the clients." Azure eyes danced with mirth and a wicked grin brightened Naruto's cheery face. "And Pain, live up to your name for me will ya?"
Naruto laughed when Kiba paled and slapped him on the ass for good measure. The squeak that came out of the dog lover's mouth made his day.
"Play nice, Naruto. That's not how I got my name, and today's not the day you will finally get to find out. I don't want to have the virgin running off before the fun has even begun."
"Hey! I'm not a virgin…" Kiba quickly piped in, his face crimson with embracement.
"In my world you are. Now, come on and let's get started. I don't have all day." Pain interrupted right back, turned around and walked towards the back without glancing behind to see if the flustered boy was following or not.
Kiba composed himself before speed-walking after the man. He ended up in a small open-faced room that contained a dentist style chair in the center of it. A small table sat next to it with all kinds of ink, cleaning solutions, the tattoo machine and a few other items Kiba was unfamiliar. His stomach twisted in knots knowing he was about to permanently change his appearance.
Not to mention the pain involved…
He didn't know exactly what to expect, but from what he had heard from others—it would hurt. Bad. And now his little shit for a friend just had to bring up the scary name at a time like this! Now he was dying of curiosity on how Pain got such a name but was terrified to know at the same time.
He was so going to pay back his 'best friend' when this was all over.
"Take a seat, get comfortable. And you can stop looking like I'm going to skin you alive, it really won't hurt that bad. Naruto was just pulling your chain. He was most likely trying to get a confession out of me on how I got my name. It's not the first time he has tried that, but if he simply asked I might have indulged him." Pain said in a reassuringly with a hint of fondness and humor.
Reaching over and grabbing the stencil on the work table, Pain walked over to the nervous boy. "Now, first I'm gonna shave the area before I place the stencil on to see if you like the size and placement."
After shaving was done, two stencils' were placed on each side of Kiba's cheeks, outlining the skin. Pain and Kiba were both happy with the alignment enough to start the tattoos. After a few minute of preparing the matching, ointment was applied to Kiba's skin for sterilization and for smoother application of the ink.
"This will help with the process." Pain informed before turning on the machine. A loud buzz filled the room, nearly muting out the music that had been playing in the background. "I will do a small line at first to get you adjusted. Let me know if it hurts too much anytime and I will stop to give you a break. Don't talk or move your face while I'm working. Tap anywhere on me if you need a break or it hurts too much. Do you understand?"
Nodding his head, Kiba leaned back into the chain and tried his best to calm his nerves. One of his biggest fear was to pass out from the pain—that would seriously loose him some man point with the ladies. He had heard a few stories from friends about passing out during a session. Fainting would also provide Naruto enough ammo to last months. And if he was going to win over Hinata this year he needed all his masculinity intact, dammit!
Squeezing his eyes shut when the needle approached his face, Kiba braced himself securely by the armrest and held on tightly. Once the first poke touched his skin he relaxed slightly. It's not too bad.
Meanwhile, Naruto continued to wait patiently—or not so patiently—in the waiting room. It had been one hell of a day and he really didn't want to be felt alone with his wondering thoughts for any length of time. He was mentally and physically exhausted. He believed that this would make the perfect opportunity to stay distracted, but here he was, scrolling through tattoo designs bored out of his fucking mind…
So, when an obnoxiously loud mountain of a man barreled through the door, and shamelessly flirted (or sexually harassed depending on the point-of-view) with Anko, Naruto immediately took interest.
He would have felt bad for the woman if she was…well, not such a bitch. But as it was, she was still very much of one.
Towering over the poor woman, the white haired pervert kept his eye's locked onto Anko's DD breasts while asking her if she would like to do a photo shoot for 'research' purposes.
Seriously, had a pickup line like that ever worked?
Naruto guessed the only 'pick up' a guy like would receive would be from the nearest police officer to the station.
Much to Naruto's surprise, Anko handled the situation better than he could have imagined. She was either really a whore, used to pervy old men ogling her breasts, or she had known the man very well already. He imagined it was a bit of all three. A smirk crossed his face when he overheard the conversation while he pretended to look busy.
"What do you say about doing a nude photo shoot in one of the back rooms?" The mountain man shamelessly asked the lady.
Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
Anko crossed her arms over her large breasts, causing them to appear even larger. The movement did not go unnoticed by the creep. "Why don't you just tell me what it is you're here for so you can fucking leave?"
Naruto had to give the girl some credit for not punching the pervert in the face…or balls.
"Now, now…let's not get ahead of ourselves. A guy could use a drink and a fine woman such as yourself would make perfect company, don't you think? Business could wait a few hours." He continued to flirt even with the obvious hostile arura radiating off the woman.
"What I think, is thatI'm working." She glared.
"Come on now. A beautiful lady needs a break, those double D breast of yours must be taxing. You don't want to get back pain from carrying around those melons for too long. Just a drink or two at the bar across the street will work wonders."
Holly shit, was this guy for real? Naruto was about to stand up and kick the Mountain man out, even if he was only half his size. But what Anko said next paused him from standing up and getting all heroic.
"My back is just fine," she leaned over the counter top and locked eyes with Mountain man. "Unlike yours, old man. Even if you somehow managed to get anywhere with me—and believe me, you can't—you couldn't handle me."
Mountain man grinned wide enough to rival Naruto's on a good day…and that was saying something. He looked like a cat that had just caught the canary. "That sounds awfully close to an offer, little miss…"
"Little miss?" Anko sneered. "I don't think you would be calling me 'little' when you're hoisted up in my leather swing while I fuck you with my 12 inch black strap on dick. Your fat ass probably couldn't fit in the swing anyway," At the snicker she heard coming from the waiting area, she added with a predatory glint in her eyes, "unlike Sunshine's over there who would fit perfectly."
Naruto and Mountain man both paled. This woman was terrifying.
"Oh…Errr…Yeah, I agree that Sunshine might be a better fit." The man stuttered while Naruto sunk deeper into the couch to hide himself from the scary lady. "I'll just go take a seat over there. Tell Pain, when you get the chance, that I brought over some new designs. No rush, take your time." He added nervously before marching over to where Naruto was seated.
"Sure thing, Jiraiya." Anko tilted her head in acknowledgment. She gave one last lingering look towards the blonde's direction before a bored expression crossed her features now that the 'fun' was over.
Jiraiya? That must be the name of the Mountain man, Naruto thought.
"Well, boy, aren't you a bit young to be in a place like this?" The man named Jiraiya asked.
Up close the guy appeared even more massive. He had a large frame and facial features similar to that of a Native American. Red stripes streaked down his face like teardrops. Naruto wasn't sure if it was some type of tribal makeup or a tattoo. The man had long white hair that was tied in the back, nearly reaching his ass while sporting some truly unique garbs. Top half of his body was covered in a green robe type shirt. In addition, he wore sweatpants with a long red sleeveless overcoat and wooden sandals.
Who the fuck wore wooden sandals?
Naruto cleared his throat and brought his eyes back up to meet the man's curious gaze. He clenched his jaw and glared before answering, not wanting to have a creepy pervert as company. "That's none of your business, pervert."
Jiraiya coughed loudly, startled by the name calling and boldness of the pipsqueak. "What did you call me?"
"PERVERT!" Naruto punctuated each syllable loudly. "Couldn't you hear, or are you going deft too, old man?"
"Watch what you say to me, little brat. Don't you know who I am?"
The man struck a pose which only added to the oddness of the man. He didn't know anyone other than Guy or Rock Lee to strike a pose.
Jiraiya's eye twitched when he got no response from the angry looking boy. "I am thee, Jiraiya Sage. You know…owner of Sage productions, bestselling book series Icha Icha Paradise, and…one of the best tattoo designers in the world! This shop you are sitting in, I own it." He said smugly, expecting the boy to be star-stuck instantly.
He was disappointed.
"So, Pervy Sage…that sounds like quite the resume— but, that doesn't give you the right to treat women that way." Naruto squinted his eyes and pointed in the direction of the lobby. "No matter how rude some are."
In the background Anko chuckled at Naruto's brashness.
"Ha! You got balls kid, but don't be calling me that. That was…ummm…just to gather research for my book."
"Sure…" Naruto peered up at Jiraiya skeptically.
"Anyways, scoot over my boy…"
"Not your boy."
"You're going to help me with a little project."
"Not interested."
Naruto ended up moving out of the way involuntarily when the hulk of a man plopped down on the chair beside him. What the fuck is wrong with this guy?
"So, I've been working on these masterpieces for a while now and could use a youthful opinion. It's so very rare that I come upon someone as young as yourself in shop like this. I need to keep things fresh for the new generation of teens thinking about getting tattooed. And you look like you would be popular with the ladies, kid. So come, don't be shy. Take a peek at my work."
If only being popular with the ladies was true, things would not be so damn messed up right now. Naruto reluctantly took a look at the man's work. Mize well since there is nothin better to do…
Flipping through a sketch book, Naruto was surprised on how good most of the drawings were. There was a variety of styles ranging from tribal, to realistic and even cartoon. Each drawing had immaculate detail. He found himself captivated by one in particular. It was one of the more simple designs of a swirl shaped pattern with tribal designs reaching around the outside of the whirlpool like center. He had no idea what drew him to this particular sketch, but he loved it.
"Oh, I see you like the 'Eight Trigrams Seal'. That an interesting choice, kid. It is said to protect you from your personal demons. Or so that's what a voodoo priest told me in New Orleans's during Mardi Gras." He paused with a wistful look in his eyes. "Damn, those were some of the best nights of my life…"
"Umm, okay…well I like this one allot." Naruto pointed to the Eight Trigrams Seal. "The frog one is great too."
Jiraiya snapped out of his train of thought, "I'll tell you what, boy. If you could advertise your tattoo—preferably to all the pretty ladies—I can arrange it so you can get it, seeing as you are probably too young to get one." He said after scanning Naruto's body up and down. Naruto shifted uncomfortably from the assessing gaze.
"Hmm…I think the perfect spot for the tattoo would be right here." Jiraiya lifted up the boy's shirt so quickly Naruto couldn't stop the assault.
Naruto froze in shock for a moment as large hands pressed against his stomach before snapping out of the temporary stupor. "What the fuck, Pervy Sage?! Get your hands off me!"
"Chill out, kid." His hands retreated when Naruto jumped back.
"It's Naruto!" He grit out with clenched teeth and blazing eyes. He was sick of being called kid. Fuck it, he was getting sick of this creepy old man who seemingly had no boundaries.
"What? Fishcake?"
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. Not kid."
"Oh. Well, Naruto, I was only trying showing you wear a tattoo like that would look perfect on you."
"Did you have to touch me? You know, you could have just pointed in the general area like a normal person would have."
"I'm a physical kind of guy…anyways, enough arguing. How 'bout it, Naruto, a tattoo for advertising to the ladies?"
"I don't have enough to cover the price of something that nice in a place like this." Naruto bowed his head in shame. A place like this was not cheap. It would take him a full summer working part time to cover the cost.
"Well…I think we can work around that. I will cover the cost if you think you could get—let's say, a particularly large breasted woman into the shop for a conciliation?"
Principle Tsunade flashed through his mind. "I think I can manage that." Naruto said hesitantly. He rather keep all his bones in tact this semester but the offer was too damn good to pass up.
Jiraiya's eyes lit up with excitement and something else. "Great!" He bellowed loudly and slapped Naruto on the back. "It's settled then. I'll inform Pain of the plans. Just sit here and wait until someone calls you back."
"Seriously?" Naruto's eyes shown like sapphires glittering in the light.
Naruto could hardly believe his luck. An hour agohe had no plans and now he was getting a tattoo done by one of the best artists in the country—if not the world—for free. This shitty day was looking considerable brighter.
Naruto listened in over what sounded like an argument between Jiraiya and another man which he guessed was Pain by the voice. A few minutes past before Jiraiya emerged from the back and told him that everything was taken care of and that he better not back out of his deal on bringing in some 'hot chicks' for business. Naruto promised his word was good and then the strange man left. Hopefully that was the last time he would ever see him.
Yahiko entered the waiting area about ten minutes later to take Naruto into a small cove next to the room Kiba was in. Perfect. Peeking around the wall, Naruto tried to make out what Kiba was getting tattooed but all he could see was the back of Pain blocking the view. Bummer. He still couldn't figure out why his best friend was being all secretive about it. Not like he wasn't going to see it in a few hours anyways for fucks sake!
"Take off your shirt, Naruto." Yahiko said in a deep masculine voice.
Naruto shivered when he heard the command spoken with a sensual voice. Dammit. What the fuck is wrong with him? Now his body reacts to every hot male in proximity? Fucking teen hormones. Hopefully Yahiko didn't take notice of his reaction or this was going to get embracing real quickly if he couldn't keep it together. Composing himself as best he could, Naruto quickly pulled off his shirt and set aside before taking a seat.
"So, you're up for double the pain today, I see? Quite the little masochist, aren't you? I'm impressed. A tattoo and nipple piercing is quite daunting for someone so young and new to the field. One ear piercing isn't exactly the same thing." He winked at the wide-eyed boy before slowly sauntering over. "But I get it, little Naru… I'm a bit of a masochist myself—if you couldn't already tell by my many piercings. Don't worry, you're in good hands."
Yahiko's voice deepened further into husky pure and his hazel eyes darkened a few shades.
"I'm not little boy anymore, dammit! Do boys carry around a six-pack?" He shouted angrily. If one more person referred to his as a little kid again he was going to fucking lose it.
"I suppose so…" Yahiko leisurely looked the blond up and down. "But, you got a lot of…things to learn before I no longer view you as little Naru."
Naruto fidgeted nervously at the implication and heated gaze Yahiko was giving him. His heart beat rapidly and cheeks heated when the sexy orange haired man leaned in closer, hovering only inches away.
It has been about five years since he had seen Yahiko last. Before he was ever sexually attracted to males or females. Now it seemed the hormonal floodgates had been blown fucking wide open in the past six months.
He could now fully appreciate Yahiko's features in new light. The man had gotten several facial and ear piercings since then, which had only enhanced his natural beauty. Naruto had also noticed he had filled out more and added a full sleeve on his right arm. While he had always been an attractive guy, he now screamed fucking sexy bad-boy with confidence and the attitude to back it up. A tight, black tank-top and skinny black jeans completed the look.
Crist, he really some needed uglier friends…
"Are you sensitive?" Yahiko continued.
"Ummm, what?" Fuck. He was practically drooling with Yahiko hovering so close over him. A light brush on his nipple made him gasp.
"Guess that answers my question." He smirked when Naruto's nipple turned hard instantly. "This might hurt a little more with how sensitive you are. Any preference to which side you want pierced?"
Naruto's stomach twisted into knots and was closer than he would like from growing wood. Why the fuck was his hand still on my nipple?
"R-right?" Naruto stuttered out. It sounded like a fucking question.
Get-it-together, get-it-together, get-it-together… Naruto chanted over and over in his head, keeping his eyes focused on the wall. Think of Jiraiya naked!
Squeezing his eyes shut, he pictured the creepy old man naked in the high school boy's locker room. It worked. All the blood threatening to pool in his groin receded immediately. He breathed out a sigh of relief.
Yahiko slowly slid his teasing hand resting on Naruto's left nipple to his right side. This time, Naruto failed to stop a moan from bursting out. So much for that plan working...
"Uh…Yahiko, w-what are you doing?" He panted.
A throaty chuckle escaped the man's sensual lips. "Can't a man have a little fun? Just relax, Naruto. I find it easier to pierce when the nipple is erect."
That's not going to be the only thing going to be erect if he doesn't hurry the fuck up!
Before Naruto was forced to adjust himself, Yahiko marked the each side of the nipple with a dot and applied betadine over the sensitive skin. With practiced ease, he placed on clamps to stretch the skin tight. It looked a little kinky.
"Okay, you ready for this?" Naruto nodded his response before Yahiko proceeded to the next step. "Take a deep breath."
Grabbing the sterilized needle on the work bench, he quickly inserted the needle through one of the marked spots on the nipple. Naruto's only reaction to the pain was a sharp gasp. The titanium hoop was quickly inserted right after while plyers sealed the hoop ring shut.
"Nice job, Naruto. Now we can have some real fun and get started your first tattoo. Jiraiya already gave me the outline, so give me a few to sketch it to size." Yahiko said soothingly then walked out of the room.
Naruto gave a shaky smile, the piercing stung like a bitch so he was pretty nervous about the tattoo right after. Both from the spontaneousness of it and how much it was likely going to hurt. It was such a sudden decision he hoped he wasn't making a huge mistake. But really, how often does some lucky bastard get a free tattoo designed by a top artist in field by the best shop in the country without paying a dime? The answer was never.
Fidgeting in the seat out of boredom, Naruto decided to get up and check on his friend while he waited for Yahiko to come back. Walking over to the other room, he could see Kiba struggling to keep his cool by the way his hands were clenched tightly on the armrest and continuous stream of whimpers.
Much to his delight, Naruto could now tell where the tattoo was located—his face. What the fuck is he thinking?
"Uh, Kiba? You know I love you and all, man…but seriously, a face tat?! Are you tryin to lose every job opportunity before you have even started a career yet?"
Pain immediately stopped the machine at Naruto's intrusion. Kiba let out a pained moan now that he could speak freely.
"Fuck that hurts!" Kiba shouted. "Fuck off, Naruto. You know I'm going to be working at my families vet clinic once I graduate from vet school. They won't give a shit if I've got a tat. Well…my mom might be a little upset, at first."
"A little?! I think your underestimating both your mother and sisters reaction. They are crazy on a good day, but this!" Naruto waved his hands up and down in erratic movements around his face.
"Naruto," Pain sighed with irritation. "Please leave give my client some privacy. You're already testing my nerves with the little deal you somehow managed to strike with Jiraiya. Tattooing a minor is something we take very seriously in this shop. I have no issues with kicking your ass out if you start disrupting paying, adult clients."
"Tattooing a minor?" Kiba asked. His face scrunched up in confusion before hissing out in pain from the sudden movement. He looked between both men standing in the room, seeking answers.
Naruto immediately glanced down to hide anything his expressive eyes would surely give away while taking a few steps backwards out of the room. "Err…I should go now."
"You're shittin me," Kiba's eyes widened in sudden realization. "Please tell me you are not that minor? Dammit, Naruto! You have—not one—but two police officer dads plus one fucking psycho of a big brother. Once they find out—and they fucking will—that you came here with me, I will be framed for murder! I'm too young to go to prison. I just turned 18…I don't want to spend the rest of my life getting ass-raped behind bars! You may like cock up your ass, but I sure…"
"ENOUGH!" A loud roar silenced the panicked boys on the spot. "Kiba—Shut. The. Fuck. Up. And Naruto, leave. Now. Goddammit…this is why I don't tat kids."
Kiba winced and Naruto ran back to his seat. The room was silent and the atmosphere intense.
Rubbing his face in exasperation, Pain continued. "Now, keep quiet so I can finish this damn piece. You and Naruto will be fine. God only knows this is not the craziest thing you have done if you're friends with that kid."
The machine buzzed back to life before Kiba could say anything.
"Causing trouble already, Naru?" Yahiko walked into the room holding up a sheet of paper with a stencil on it.
"Wasn't my fault!" He pouted childishly, arms crossed.
"Whatever, I don't really give a fuck. Let's just get this fitted on you so we can start already. I'd rather get this over with quickly before Pain loses his shit any more than he has already. He's a nightmare to deal with when he gets in one of his moods."
Yahiko placed the stencil flat on Naruto's lower stomach. After a small adjustment both were happy with how it looked to start tattooing. Naruto forced himself to relax after the few initial pokes of the needle. It felt like an annoying pin pricking you over and over again.
"Jiraiya must've taken quite the liking to you." Yahiko started the conversation casually while tracing the lines of the stencil. "That man doesn't take much interest in anyone without a massive rack anymore. Pain, Konan and I were his only apprentices actually."
"Donno," he shrugged. "Maybe he's got this pity orphan thing going on." Naruto grinned and relaxed fully now that his mind was tuned in on the conversation. It was nice to be able to casually talk with an old acquaintance again. The conversation flowed naturally.
"Hm." Yahiko huffed. "Unlikely that he knows about you're street rat history, even with the few town hunts to find your scrawny ass when you ran away from a foster home. That man has been traveling for a while now. He only showed up a few months ago and is now more of a pervert than tattoo legend."
"That much was obvious…"
"Yeah, sorry about that. We try to keep him out of the shop so he won't pester any female clients. He's scared a few women away before by asking to take photos of their tattoo…nude shots only.
Anyway, enough about him. How have you been doing? It's been so long since I've seen you last. Pain mention you finally got adopted a few years back, congratulations."
Naruto hisses when the needle went over a sensitive spot on the hip bone.
"I'm doing pretty good, things have been a little…complicated recently. But nothing I can't handle. Try to keep it down with the history though, my best friend's in the next room. I would rather not have the entire fucking school know that I've been homeless. No buddy I'm around with has known me as long as you have, some things I would rather keep secret." Naruto peered solemnly at Yahiko.
Naruto's youthful face suddenly looked much older than how any 17 year old should look. Eyes that shown loss, betrayal and horror. Eyes that appeared all too familiar as they were the same as his every time Yahiko looked in a mirror.
"Fair enough, kid." His hands flew up in surrender. "But do you seriously think no one in your life knows about it? You were in the paper a few times under missing person, if I recall."
"Not that I know of. There is a chance my adoptive father, Iruka, knows. That is, if the orphanage bothered to put it on my file. But he has never brought it up, so I don't know. I had a large file after all…"
"Ha. I'll bet. You were always getting into trouble. But that's not what is bothering you, is it? I can tell somethings wrong. Your smiles are strained enough to rival the Mona Lisa and you are way too fucking quite. So spill." Yahiko demanded.
"Dammit. Why can everyone read me like a fucking book?" Naruto groaned and gave a long pause before deciding to unload. He needed someone to talk to, and Yahiko would make the perfect candidate. "About six months ago I started dating a guy."
Yahiko raised an eyebrow urging Naruto to continue.
Naruto sighed, he spoke quietly while Yahiko branded him with a needle. "Then last night…another man came on to me. Like, hard. Someone who I care deeply about. Someone who I can't lose. I don't know why he did it or what going to happen between us now or how the hell am I going to confront my boyfriend when I see him next."
Pausing the machine, Yahiko looked directly into Naruto's panicked azure eyes. "Wow. That's more than I expected you to reveal. It must be serious for you then... Are you sexually interested in this special person?"
Naruto nodded shyly.
"Hmmm, and you probably are thinking 'does he like me,' am I right?" Yahiko continued after a flush betrayed the boy's face. "Look, I know you are not used to being in a family—having people who love you, but you got to get used to it now. You are a good person Naruto, you gotta leave your past behind and allow others to love you and think more highly of yourself. They aren't going to leave you, or hurt you. Don't be pushing everyone who gets close away. Just go with what feels right."
"Hmph, did you get that from a book or something?" Naruto looked to the side while fidgeting his fingers.
"Probably," he smirked. "But that doesn't make it any less true, no matter how cliché it sounds."
A familiar buzz filled the room as Yahiko continued on with his work. Naruto pondered over everything he said. Did that mean Sasuke really liked me, more than a brother? If so, why hadn't he mentioned it sooner or gave any hints of his attraction? And would it even make a difference if we both liked each other like that? After all, Sasuke still had a company to run after graduation while he was still in high school and had no future plans. And what about Gaara?
Naruto groaned loudly and Yahiko stopped the needle. "Are you okay? We can take a break if you need it."
"No…no, keep going. It's just my brain, so much to process and too many questions left unanswered." Lifting up a hand, he rubbed his tired eyes.
"You should talk to this 'mystery' guy. If you're as close as you suggested earlier, the guy must have been wanting you for a while now. I bet my career that he still wants to be with you. You have a special way of making everyone want to a better person whenever you're around. Don't of think yourself as being unworthy of someone else's love. But if you don't believe me, ask him what he feels for you for yourself. You will get your answer and can make a decision on who you really want to be with."
"You make it sound so easy."
"It really is once you man up and get past your self-sacrificing ways. You deserve a family and to be happy."
"Sounds like you know a bit about this from personal experience." Naruto observed him curiously.
"You could say that. Being in a committed relationship with two partners makes me a fucking seasoned vet when it comes to relationship issues. Now…how bought we leave the therapy session for another day and get this tat done, than I can close this damn shop and have hot angry sex with my man." Yahiko winked and gave a wicked grin. His gaze shown a hint of lust and malice.
"Dammit Yahiko! Why did you have to go there?!" Naruto screeched while Yahiko laughed wholeheartedly.
An hour and a half later both Kiba and Naruto were walking out the door with huge smiles on their faces. Well…as much of a smile as Kiba could muster with a new tattoo on each cheek.
"I can't believe you were able to get a tattoo, and for free! You are one lucky son-of-a-bitch. But there is no way in hell your crazy family can find out until you've turned 18. So keep your fucking shirt on until then, got it!" Kiba wacked Naruto on the shoulder playfully.
"Yeah, yeah. I think I can manage. But, seriously, a face tat? What the fuck were you thinking?!"
Both boys jumped into the car. "Hey, I love it, don't be hating. Where to next, my friend? The night is still young…unless you got somewhere else to be on a Friday night."
Naruto thought for a minute before responding. "How bout some ice cream?"
"Sounds great!"
"And while we are at it, you are telling me exactly how the fuck you know Pain. I want to know everything, no skimping on the deets!" Kiba demanded firmly as they made their way towards Cold Stone Creamery.
Next up will be Itachi and Sasuke!
So leave a comment!