Chapter 36: After The Last Cut

"My, my, look what we have here. . ." Tsunade muses, grinning from ear to ear as she stands besides Kakashi and Yamato. Kurenai, Asuma, and their employees were quietly milling around the salon floor cleaning, organizing, and preparing the space for the next day.

"Now that all the makeovers are completed, the photos have all been shot, and everyone is gathered before us, I must admit . . . The competition certainly looks a lot fiercer than it was this morning!" Yamato concludes, smirking as he gestured at us.

"However, just because you guys look fiercer, doesn't mean that you have this competition in the bag," Kakashi points out. "You still have to work your asses off in all facets of this competition if you want to win the entire thing, and that includes your own hair care."

"And that's where we come in!" Kurenai calls out as she comes forward, followed by Asuma, who wheeled forward a cart filled with small red bags. "Before you leave, we have a gift for each and every one of you."

"Each bag holds a series of hair care products and other items that have been specifically tailored to your hair. Due to the variety of hairstyles in this competition, some of you will be getting more products than others," Asuma explains as he parks the cart before us. "Your names have been written right on the front of each bag, so come up and get your gift."

It didn't take us long for everyone to get their respective bag. Some of us were even nice enough to hand bags to their respective owners as they were looking through the bunch. My bag ended up being one of the fuller ones, which made sense.

Silvery blonde isn't the easiest of colors to maintain, so I was going to need as much help as I could get.

"Now then, before we let you go for the night, just a few reminders," Tsunade announces, her eyes moving along the group. "Suigetsu, a car will be picking you up bright and early tomorrow morning for your appointment with the dentist. Make sure you're ready to go by 8:15. Got it!?"

"Loud and clear!" He announces, even giving her a military salute for added measure.

"Gaara and Izuka, you still have that appointment at the sleep center later tonight. Pack lightly and quickly! As soon as you get back home, you'll have to leave all over again."

"Got it. . ." I say. I was too far away from the redhead to really see his reaction but judging from how I was the only one to speak up, I guess he decided to answer her by nodding his head.

"Also, everyone," She continues. "Be ready for your photoshoot tomorrow! From what I've heard, it's supposed to be quite the illuminating experience for you all . . .. Isn't that right Kakashi?"

"Quite. . ." He concedes, not giving up any additional details. Not even his eyes hinted at what we should expect, so aside from Tsunade's obvious hint, we're pretty much in the dark at this point. "So, shall we let them go now? It's been a long day!"

"Sounds like someone is missing their bedtime. . ."

Most of us chuckled at that remark, but it appears no harm was done as Kakashi seemed to look amused by Tsunade's quip. "Okay everyone, you are free to go. I'll see you all at judging!"


Y ~ W ~ B ~ O ~ T

"Well that was fun!" Matsuri cried out as we finally emerged from the building, the sun mostly hidden behind the horizon.

"Fun for you! I can barely feel my legs," Sakura mumbles from my left. "I was sitting in the chair for so long that I think it messed with my blood circulation."

"I'm right there with you on that one Sakura," says TenTen as we start boarding our ride back to the house. "The chair was comfy but staying still for so long does not help with the blood flow."

"Hey! You got a great makeover as a result, so the discomfort was worth it right?" Suigetsu asked as he clasped his hands behind his neck, all eyes now on him. When the two nodded, the shark-toothed model smirked. "See, you're both happy with what you got, so you shouldn't be complaining about the process needed to get there."

"What's this?" Sasuke mumbles. "I didn't expect you to say something like that Suigetsu."

"I happen to be full of surprises my man," He says, grinning from ear to ear as we all take our seats. "I just don't make them obvious."

"Are you eager to get all your teeth filed down back to normal?!" Kiba called out as the bus started moving.

"I'm ready for it," Suigetsu answers with gusto. "Granted, I've gotten used to my shark teeth, but it'll be nice to finally get them filed down and not worry about potentially biting my tongue off by accident, again."

"Um, how many times have you bit your tongue since you had your teeth sharpened?" Naruto couldn't help but ask.

"More times than I can count my man," He quickly admits, seemingly having no shame. "It was worse in the first few weeks, and I've managed to be careful since that time, but there have been times where I end up talking so fast that I never realize I've bitten my tongue until I start tasting my own blood."

"That sounds . . . annoying." Ino pipes up, looking a little disgusted at such imagery.

"It does get tiresome after a while," the white-haired model conceded. "But hey! I think it's time we stopped talking about me and focus on something else."

"Like what?"

"Like you Ino," He says, pointing to the blonde. ". . . And I think you know why."

"I'm not too sure myself," Comes her sarcastic reply. "Care to enlighten me?"

"Your track record right now is a bit of a cause for concern, don't you think?" He asked, smirking slightly. "You were disqualified in the first challenge, and you have been in the low end of the competition when it comes to the photoshoots."

"And your point is. . ?" Ino asks, already looking very done with this conversation.

"What I'm saying is that you're probably on the lower end when it comes to ranking our performances in this competition right now, and I don't think you did yourself any favors by refusing your makeover today," He concludes, shrugging his shoulders. "Look, I'm not trying to be mean here. It was quite the ballsy move to refuse your makeover after all, but still, I'm so glad I'm not in your shoes right now."

"Okay, that actually sounded a little mean spirited, but I think Suigetsu makes a good point," Pipes up Choji, staring directly at a shocked Ino. "After all, isn't it considered taboo for models to refuse their makeovers in this competition?"

"It's one of its biggest no-nos," Matsuri adds, her new curls bouncing with each shake of her head. "The judges see you taking on your makeover as an example of you willing to adjust to the many changes that happen in the industry. By refusing it, you're not seen as adaptable in their eyes, and clients don't like working with non-adaptable people."

"Your decision is definitely a controversial one," Kiba mumbled as he looked at the long-haired blonde. "You truly believe that you can still win this with how your hair is right now?"

"Absolutely!" Ino declares, her eyes suddenly brimming with determination. "Look, I know my choice to refuse my makeover may not seem like the wisest decision in your eyes."

"It's not." Sasuke agrees, his remark earning him a heated glare from the blonde.

"However, I know that I can still do well in this competition. I just have to perform well in the challenges and photoshoots from here on out," She determines. "All I can do now is go up from here."

"Well, you're definitely fighting an uphill battle," Shikamaru lazily mumbled from his seat across the aisle. "But I'm sure you can make it."

"Thank you Shikamaru! That's real sweet coming from you!" The Nara simply shrugs at the compliment, too tired to muster a better response.

"But just remember Ino! You can't just get by in the next photoshoot. You're going to have to do really well - and I mean, really well - if you want the judges to overlook your decision." Sakura added, making a fairly good point in the grand scheme of things.

"Oh, I plan to . . . Anyway, let's talk about the next photoshoot shall we? Any guesses on what it could be?"

We spent the rest of the drive speculating the possibilities, with a light themed photoshoot being the most likely candidate. When we arrived back at the model house, a sleek black car was waiting just off to the side of the driveway. Lying on the outside of the windshield was a Tsunade Mail sized envelope with mine and Gaara's names written out on the front.

"That must be your ride to the sleep center." Naruto mumbles as the rest of the group walks up the driveway, leaving our little group remaining outside. Gaara ended up being the one to pluck the letter from off the windshield, gesturing for me to come over to read what was inside. "What does it say?"

"From the moment you step into the house, you will have 20 minutes to pack what you need and be on your way. The car will take you to your destination. Don't be late! Sweet dreams, Tsunade." I say, repeating the message word for word.

"Well, I guess it's best to not keep the doctors waiting," TenTen teases as she starts to forcefully guide me toward the driveway. "You need to get your things in order."

No reasoning was able to convince her to let me go as she pulled me along the driveway, never releasing her grip on me until we were back in our shared bedroom. Matsuri and Sakura were already there, with the former primping her curls in the mirror, while the latter was stretched out on her bed looking up at the ceiling.

"Damn, Matsuri, are you going to check out your reflection in every shiny surface you find?!" TenTen asks as I move to my suitcase. "Ever since your makeover was finished, you haven't hesitated to check out your new look."

"Because it's amazing!" She states, keeping her gaze on the mirror. "I've never had a look like this before. . ."

"But that doesn't mean that you have to start obsessing over it to the point that people start getting weirded out." Came Temari's voice as she and Hinata stepped into the room. "We all got new looks, but you don't see the rest of us going all touch happy with them!"

"Am I really doing too much?" She asks as she finally looks away from her reflection.

"Just a little. . ." Hinata admits.

"Okay, maybe you're making a good point Temari," She quietly admits as I stuff some clothes in an empty overnight bag I had packed just for moments like this. "Hey! How do you think the judges will react to Ino's makeover rejection at panel?"

"It's not like they can completely ignore it," Hinata muses, twiddling her fingers together. "Ino is going to stick out like a sore thumb for refusing her look."

"The judges have never really been kind to those that have managed to commit to such an act." TenTen adds as she flopped onto her bed. "Jiraiya is by far the most lenient of the main judges, but even he will let you know that he has concerns over such a choice."

"And Orochimaru is on the opposite end of the spectrum. He's always been the harshest when it comes to these decisions," I say as I pack my toothbrush, face wash, and makeup into my bag. "So, he's not going to be very happy with Ino once he sees her."

"And then there's Tsunade, who could go either way," TenTen adds, shaking her head. ". . . All I know for sure is that the next judging is going to be really interesting. I can't wait for the potential drama to unfold!"

"Nice to know that you have your priorities in order TenTen," I say, hiking my bag over my shoulder. "And with that, I bid you all a good night."

Leaving with a wave of 'Byes' and 'Good nights' in my wake, I make my way down the stairs and out of the house, saying goodbye to everyone I managed to run into. When I reached the car, the driver already had the engine running, but Gaara was still nowhere to be found.

"He must still be inside the house," I mumble as I walk up to the backseat. Greeting the driver with a quick hello, I slide into my seat and drop my bag next to my feet, settling into the cushions. "How much longer before we drive off sir?"

"About another four minutes," He tells me, just as Gaara finally emerges onto the sidewalk. When he got into the backseat, the man couldn't help but smirk at the redhead. "You were cutting it close there young man. I would have been forced to leave without you."

"Sorry about that. . . I got distracted." He announces, getting settled in his seat as he dropped his overnight bag next to mine.

"What distracted you?" I ask as we put on our seatbelts.

"Kankuro, of course," He mumbles as he leaned his head against the headrest. "He thought it would be funny to hide my toothbrush in the couch cushions before I left."

"Did you punch him for it?"

"I would have, but I was running low on time," He explains as we're driven down the street. "So, I asked Temari to do it while we're away."

"And she agreed?" I ask, suddenly remembering the person we were talking about. "It's Temari. . . Of course, she agreed to it."

We were silent for the rest of the drive, moving from our house's neighborhood back toward the downtown area of Osaka. Driving into the Honmachi district, we soon pulled to a stop in front of a five-story building that was the only place that looked to be fully active on the block.

"This is the place you two. This whole building is filled with medical offices, but you'll find the sleep center on the top floor," The driver explains as he points to said floor. "Have a good night you two!"

We bid him adieu with a quick thanks before we departed the car, watching him drive off until he was no longer in view. When we made our way into the building, the receptionist on duty directed us to the elevators down the hall.

"Do you really think the doctors here can truly help us with our insomnia?" I found myself asking as the elevator took us upward.

"I hope it's the case. . . It would be nice to finally find a treatment that will help me sleep consistently for since I was a little kid," He mumbles as he watches the numbers on screen go by. "Are you nervous?"

"A little. . . I know we're not going to find a complete remedy that's going to cure us overnight, but still, it'll be nice to have a concrete idea of what exactly is the root of the problem," I say as we come to a stop. ". . . And there are many possible reasons out there."

"Well, let's go see what those reasons are then, shall we?" He asks, gesturing for me to walk out, just as the doors slide open. "Ladies first?"

"Why thank you my kind sir," I say as I step out into the pristine green and white lobby. At the back of the room was the receptionist, who looked up from his computer screen with a curious look on his face. "Um, hi! I believe we have an appointment here."

"Hello. . . you two must be Izuka Uzumaki and Gaara Sabakuno, yes?" He asks as we step forward. We simply nod, figuring that was all the answers he needed.

Judging from the smile that spread across his face, it was.

"Excellent! Welcome to the Subaru & Sunada Sleep Center. We will take good care of you here!"

A/N: Please review!