Chapter Two
-X-
She was a moron, but she couldn't help it.
Mihoko held the bag of doggie treats covertly, tiptoeing up the stairs. The said steps had gotten less squeaky, and she managed to remember the noisiest offenders and avoid it.
She didn't step on the landing, but reached out, setting the baggie down and pushing it against the door with her fingertips.
Once finished she raced as quietly as she could down, whipping open her door before closing it again. Since their conversation, she had found a bag of various types of candy on her step, some still with slobber dripping off of it.
She recognized the apology, even if they hadn't done anything, and in turn, returned the favor. She didn't know what Sukea liked, and so that would have to wait.
But still, for what it was, she felt ridiculously pleased.
"I don't understand how a baker who enjoys alliteration wants to get sultry in some expensive club with bad alcohol." Mihoko said, her arms held firmly at her side to smooth down her dress.
"Conjunction junction, what's your function," Kyou smirked, "I have a wide net of things I enjoy- You should try it sometime, Mih-mih-chan."
Mihoko tear-dropped as Kyou and Etsuko dragged her to one of the most scandalous clubs in the city since her friends weren't capable of enjoying something more subtle in anything they did.
"Why don't we just head to my place and catch a movie?" She turned, pulling down the horribly short skirt that she had been stuffed into.
"You are the least exciting character here," Kyou said sharply, grabbing her top and dragging her in. "Grow some balls." The lights of the club sparked in the dim as they approached the place, hugely popular with people milling about, MIhoko the least confident of the group.
"Even if I did, they would show in this thing." She said sharply but was mostly ignored, being dragged in any way. With a wink, Kyou stepped past the door guard, who let her in without a charge. Etsuko giggled at the bold move, and Mihoko tried to pretend she was anywhere else.
"Quit acting like some heroine in a romance novel. Real people enjoy going out and flirting with other people." Kyou jerked her thumb towards the dance floor.
Mihoko's pushy friends dragged her into the dark entrance a server led their little group to a booth in the back, a sign that Kyou had done her usual amount of planning and bribing to get one of the best seats in the house. Mihoko felt small, homely and like a little girl compared to several of the other woman milling around and dancing, several with bodies out of Konoha's latest magazines.
Her dress uncomfortable for her, but the average skirt was much higher.
Bypassing the alcohol this early was a must, Kyou explained as they settled in. "Our purpose here tonight, my ladies, is for each of us to go home with a handsome man!" Her cackle caused people to look over, causing Mihoko sharp twangs of embarrassment.
Mihoko sighed, looking into the twisted mass of bodies. A year ago, things like this were unheard of as the village slowly started rebuilding itself, but now things were changing big time. The Hokage was more liberal with his allowances, and business of the legal kind was booming. People wanted to play, to forget they had all almost died.
When she was younger she would have enjoyed something like this, the thrill of trying to pinpoint the wealthiest man in the room and drag him around, getting him to spend outrageous amounts of money. But that all dried up after that incident, and she was mostly left with a desire to run far away and escape into her books.
Kyou was the first to pounce, immediately seeing some good-looking guy and was halfway across the dance floor before he could run away.
"Sheesh. That was fast." Etsuko muttered, taking a sip of water. She was a bit on the calm side tonight, lacking her usual bluster.
"You okay?" Mihoko said, turning to face her. "You haven't said much all night. Even getting ready at Kyou's you were quiet.
She nodded slowly. "Yes. It just my brother being a jerk again. He got irritated at me for a stupid reason and made my folks upset." Etsuko sighed as if she wished she could just disappear into the tabletop.
"I'm sorry. We can ditch and do something else." She shook her head, her soft hair fluttering around it.
"And ruin Kyou's plans? No way." Finally, a small smile spread over her lips, before being replaced with a panicked look. "Oh god, he's here!"
Mihoko turned but no one, in particular, stood out. Etsuko grabbed her, turning her so her back somewhat covered the both of them.
"Everywhere I go that dick somehow show's up..." Mihoko started to smile as Etsuko muttered something about needle-spitting pricks.
"Oh, the infamous Genma is here?" She turned around and finally saw the man across the floor casually standing, not even looking their way. To her surprise, there was a whole bunch of ninja's sitting in some booths away from the dancing. "Wow, they're all bunched up like a security detail."
Etsuko raised her eyes before diving back behind her.
"I think the Hokage is here. No wonder half of the village ninja's are here. Kenji said that apparently, the Hokage is difficult to get ahold of. He doesn't enjoy milling about like he used too."
Mihoko leaned just enough to not be obvious. Not that the ninjas wouldn't know she was checking them out, but at least she could feign innocence if asked. Etsuko was right. At the far end of the room, there was a party of some sort, a lot of those new flak jackets sitting around chatting. There were a few in brighter outfits, namely a man scantily clad in a bright green suit who she could hear over the rumble. He rolled back and forth on his wheelchair, zooming around the area with a dexterity only known to shinobi, joyfully chatting with various parties who looked awestruck.
She didn't think that was him. Mihoko hadn't gone to the swearing-in, but the posters around town showcased a masked shinobi with some gravity-defying hair. But a lot of ninjas were masked, how should she know who was who?
The dancers shifted, and like the sea parting, Mihoko and Etsuko got a first-hand look into the middle of the ninja ranks. There was a teen in a bright orange suit with a masked man with silver hair. Who could possibly be him but seemed a bit young, were casually chatting it up.
"Oh man. It's Naruto Uzumaki!" Etsuko said excitedly. "I need his autograph!" She leaned forward but the crowd pushed them back. It was Mihoko's turn to shift away from the two like they were on fire. They noticed.
"Hm."
"Aren't you excited? He practically saved the world!" She shrugged, hoping her hair and outfit would prove too great a challenge for her normal acquaintances to notice her.
"Leave the kid alone. He's a teenager and enough forty-year-old woman have harassed him. He has a girlfriend." Etsuko turned to her.
"Do you know him?"
"No," She lied smoothly, "I hear about him from my editor."
"Ichiei-san is so well connected."
"Yes, don't bother him."
Etsuko grumbled as her plans were shot, but her face paled and Mihoko turned.
"Hey Ladies." The confident tone matched the Shinobi who had ambushed the table, just in time to interrupt their attempt to spy on the other nin's. As Etsuko had gone quiet, Mihoko nodded politely at the man who grinned with an oversized needle in his mouth.
"Hi." Etsuko gritted her teeth.
"Hello, Genma-san. How unusual to see you here." He casually shrugged, as if a dancing club was a perfectly normal place for him to be. Mihoko got the impression he didn't let much faze him. "You shouldn't leave your party alone."
He chuckled. "Oh, they were all far more interested in you both over here. Since I already knew one of you beautiful ladies, I thought I should warn you that Gai spotted you." Mihoko raised an eyebrow as he pointed back. "The one in green. Seems like your friend told him you were both open season tonight." From across the room, they saw Kyou talking to the man, causing stars in his eyes.
When had she slipped away?!
In a ruthless manner, Mihoko pressed her hands on the table.
"I'll kill her. And I owe you one." She said in fervent seriousness to Genma, a man who may have saved her rear end. He gave a saucy wink that she ignored as she got up with a pouting Etsuko.
"Good payment would be a dance, Etsuko-chan." He started, but Mihoko slipped into the crowd before she became part of one of their infamous arguments.
She was halfway across the room before they started. She must have been too focused on her escape because she accidentally hit a very solid person.
Mihoko spiraled to the floor, which would have not only revealed the underwear Kyou had chosen but put her at the center of attention.
Social suicide!
But a hand caught her shoulder, steadying her and she breathed a sigh of relief.
She saw the tall silver-haired ninja talking with Naruto earlier. When had he moved? And for that matter, how had he not avoided her mad dash to safety? Perhaps he wasn't a very good one, but his careful manner of saving her indicated otherwise. Sukea must have had some ninja training at some point because he had the same ability- they both appeared in the nick of time.
"Sorry," She said politely. "I didn't see you there, Shinobi-san." Which he probably knew, and heard often, since he was a shinobi. He looked over, releasing her and putting his hands in his pockets.
"It's not a problem." His tone was flat as if he was bored out of his mind. "This is the most exciting thing that's happened to me all night."
His voice was dull, but there was the unmistakable amusement underneath, it was undoubtedly a tease. She went red. He was not bad looking at all.
As a matter of fact, from what she could see, we very good looking, if the way other women were watching were any indication. A mature Shinobi with smooth skin, a rugged scar, and a deceptively casual stance. He had easily caught her, so he had to be fairly proficient.
"Oh.. um, of course not. It was a dumb mistake." It wasn't a lie, as Mihoko Okimasa was a nobody because if she was somebody her grandmother would kill her. But his eyes turned into amused crescents, and though his mask hid the rest, it was wrinkled at the ends. He was likely smiling under. "I'm just leaving."
"I noticed the way your friends have paired up and thought you could use some company instead of heading out." She edged away, not being able to stop herself from staring, flattered. But she was tempted- Shinobi were some of the most interesting types, their stories fascinating when they weren't busy being normal like the rest of humanity.
"Well...Idon'twanttobotheryou..."
"That way you can wait for your friends." His voice was so friendly it hurt. Her desire to get to know him faded, replaced with irritation.
Oh god, he thought she was pathetic as well, and needed a babysitter. She saw Kyou across the room and forced herself to lower her hand and not flip her off.
"Thanks, but I'm not interested in a pity date." She said, turning a bit. He raised a brow, lifting a hand as if he hadn't realized what he had done.
"I think I gave the wrong impression. I'-" He was interrupted. It was then a bright green arm reached out and grabbed his. He immediately looked tense, and she looked to the thick man in the wheelchair with the unbelievably bushy eyebrows.
"Hokage! I have need of your help, to help me find this girl-" The intruding ninja looked down but Mihoko had used his interruption to get the hell out of dodge. Because her panic buttons had just been hit the big time because she had just hit into the Hokage. How had the black op's not killed her yet?
Crap crap crap crap crap crap.
Kyou had a way of making her subvert her expectations of how she wanted her evening to go, and it wasn't a good thing. She wouldn't put it past her damn friend to know the man and have put him up to it. She wouldn't have told anyone her writing name outright, but her implications could be just as bad.
Not only that. She stopped at the door as comprehension of what just happened dawned on her. Oh, gods, the Hokage thought she was pathetic. Holy hell she was a hot mess tonight and tomorrow she'd be known as the pity date of the Hokage if she stuck around.
As she rushed through the kitchen, startling the staff, but reaching the back exit with as red as a face she ever had.
The alleyway behind the club was dirty, filled with trash from the kitchen as well as other sticky crap she didn't dare classify. She stepped over it carefully, only managing to have a little splash on her nice shoes.
Last time she let Kyou pick their location of drinking. All she wanted was to go home, sip tea and sigh.
Oh, gods, she was the least exciting one when it came down to it. Etsuko had her swarthy shinobi Genma, and Kyou never lacked for a good guy. Even though she said she wasn't interested, it was disheartening to know that didn't warrant more than a pitiful request from the Hokage, who Kyou was likely pressuring.
She realized that leaving with no friends through a back alley was not a great idea as three sketchy men began to follow her. Even worse, after she passed the laundromat she stumbled and her heel broke under the strain.
She sped up and they did as well.
Still several blocks away from the relative safety of the city center she wouldn't make it.
Oh no no no no no no no!
Panic overtook her and she braced herself to run-
An arm looped around her shoulder, and she screamed. The said scream turned into a squeal that was muffled as she was pressed into a large chest.
"Hi," Sukea said brightly. "Imagine seeing you here!"
Her... tenant?
Her heart instantly calmed, a great feeling of safety filling her. She watched the three men pass them, clearly measuring if Sukea was worth the effort. Sukea's unleashed an icy gaze at them, and they dashed off. She looked at him, surprised at the deadly gaze he was giving them, and glad she was on his good side.
When they were the only ones on the street he pulled back, keeping a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Sukea-san. Thanks." She said shakily.
"Imagine still having such scum inside the village." He said darkly. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, though it's not much of a village anymore." He gave a soft smile, his eyes creasing at her statement as if he found it odd. It was eerily familiar, though she couldn't place it.
"I guess you're right. Seems as if the place changed overnight."
He was right, both knowing that it had changed abruptly in a short amount of time. But it didn't like an appropriate time to bring up a terrorist attack, and since she wasn't a total social moron, she didn't.
He must have felt the shift in mood and turned, politely offering an arm. "How about I walk you home?" He said grinning. Her insides filled with warmth, it rushing to her cheeks.
"I don't want to ruin your evening, the night is young." She said gratefully, giving him an out. He shook his head, brown hair waving.
"I'm not much of a night owl anymore." He smiled with some humor she didn't get. "Besides, I have something for you."
Okay, she was game, since there was no real way to avoid it. Besides, it would technically count and Kyou wouldn't be able to penalize her, and she would never say who specifically it was. Girl code only went so far.
He looked surprised when she nodded and turned to walk in step with him, but not taking his arm.
For a while, they walked silently, but she didn't feel uncomfortable or awkward. She just felt nice.
"Seriously, thank you." She turned her face up to him, and he looked somewhat bemused, but she noticed the light dusting of pink on his cheeks.
"Maa, It was nothing, really." He responded as if embarrassed by her insistence that he had done something, casually considering it like offering her directions.
"No, I should have just waited for someone to walk with me. It was dumb to leave the club." He looked to her, tilting his head curiously.
"Why did you?"
"I don't enjoy 'the social thing'." She said tiredly, tapping her fingers on her thigh. "But my friends think I'm boring and take me anyway. And I end up looking like a moron in front of the Hokage." She muttered, frustrated.
He chuckled, looking into the night sky.
"I wouldn't say that, but I don't blame you for leaving. That nightclub is notoriously sketchy, but you're too cute to walk alone and not attract attention."
Mihoko flushed but realized that it had been strange to run into him like that, at the perfect moment. She twisted her hair, hand tugging at her dress.
"Were you there?"
He paused, as he had been caught. With a small shrug, he recovered.
"Guilty. The Hokage hired me to take pictures of the place to advertise in an upcoming publication."
"So you saw me leave?" He nodded, avoiding looking her way.
"I don't mean to freak you out. I was just worried I'd have to find a new place if anything happened to you." The joke was perfectly timed, so deadpan, that she couldn't find it in her to be weirded out. Turned out her neighbor had some good instincts.
He seemed relieved by her laughter, and they both chuckled walking the last block to their combined home. Sukea graciously opened the door, letting her in first. She laughed at his silly bow, but entered and went to her door, unlocking it.
"Wait here, just a minute!" She was surprised to see him dash up the stairs to his apartment, opening it at a considerable speed, before coming down. The entire bolt took less than two minutes, and he stood before her again, a round plate in his hand.
"Sorry, I meant to give this to you, but I haven't been home the last few days, and wanted to do so in person." She blushed, thinking it was adorable that he considered the apartment his home, and she took the plate. She had expected a new one, but her mouth dropped open.
"How... how did you get this?" She muttered, tears filling her eyes. He put a hand behind his head, looking a bit struck. He must not have expected the tears.
"On the contract your last name is Okimasa, and it wasn't a difficult jump to connect the famous artist Toro Okimasa. When I realized that Bull had broken what was essentially a priceless piece from presumably, your father, I knew I had to find something special."
He had. The plate was a one of a kind collectible, worth a lot of money.
"I can't accept this!" She said, putting her hands out, "It was my fault for giving you that old plate, and it wasn't even his good work. It was just a spare I filched from his studio before he trashed it!"
He shook his head, hands firmly in his pockets.
"Sentimental value for a piece like that can't be overstated, so please, accept it. It will make me feel better too." She needed to find a rag to wipe the ugly tears that started running down her face, but she sniffed instead.
"Thank you... Please tell me, how did you find this?" He put a finger to his lips, winking. She blushed.
"Ah, that's a secret you'll have to earn." He said teasingly, and she laughed. The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them.
"Will you come in then? I can make you tea before you go." Her own cheeks turned redder at the forward request, but he didn't look put off.
"Sure."
And so she opened her door and let him in.
