A/N: I've never been a master of making characters on the dot, so there will be some disappointed readers.
The time frame? I couldn't decide on one specific period, so I settled on the decision of placing it about three years a head of the Naruto time. So the rookie 9 will be 15. There is also the fact that I'm a little behind instead of up-to-date with the Naruto manga, but I didn't want that to be a concern for this fic.
(This fanficiton was written in the year of early 2005!)
Disclaimer: Full rights and ownership of Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Warning: Bad grammar here and there!
-Chapter One: Wager-
Smoke swirled upward creating twirled patterns before mixing in with the transparent fog already hovering just below the ceiling. When the distasteful odour was taken in with a single breath it itched at the throats of those not use to the substance. A very unpleasant sensation for those who did not favour cigarettes.
"Put that thing out before I choke here!"
Asuma scratched at his beard not hearing the complaint due to his deep concentration on his hand of playing cards. "Kurenai's fine."
Genma set his hand of cards face down, his chewing increasing on the needle showing mild annoyance. "Asuma," that got the instructor's attention. "I don't want my house smelling like I'm a chain smoker. So get rid of that thing!"
"Fine." As ordered, Asuma discarded the cigarette in the astray along with his many others he had already dwindled away with his smoking while Genma moved to open a window.
Using their hands, the three other players of the game fanned the second-hand smoke away from their faces. They too were glad the smoke would be gone.
Kotetsu and Izumo had become regulars within Genma's card nights and still had not gotten use to the smothering cigarette smoke that came with Asuma whenever he found time to take part in the card nights. Few made it when they could to the game when off duty. The two found it quite relaxing after long days of playing Tsunade's personal assistants.
Genma made a glance around the table to each of his competitors. He took the time to arrange these nights for hard working shinobi to help them live their lives a little. It was also a bonus to gain a sum of money and to get others to bring around the alcohol. That night they had made Ebisu, a new comer to their card night, fetched their drink.
Downing another cup of sake, Genma's cheeks flushed a drunken pink. With his hand feeling like a winner and with Ebisu throwing down such large bets along with all forms of luck against him, everyone was hitting it big. Kotetsu had even made a shushed comment to Izumo about Ebisu being worse then Tsunade at gambling.
"Throw down your bets men!" grumbled a now grumpy Asuma throwing down a crumpled 1000-yen.
"I'm out." voiced one of the players.
"Come on!" Izumo wined in an almost child-like tone. "I'm about to win here!"
Ebisu stood pushing his chair in. "No. I'm broke and there's no way I'm letting this turn into a game of strip poker! The very thought is indecent."
Genma grinned, his cheeks still their bright flushed colour. "Then place something else up for a bet!"
"You must be drunk. You prefer money whenever gambling." voiced Kotetsu downing his own cup of sake.
"Doesn't sound so bad. I mean Ebisu-san can bleach his hair!" Izumi laughed adding in his own opinion earning a 'humph' from Ebisu.
Kotetsu finding Ebisu's irritation amusing grinned. "Or he can shave his head bald!"
"And wear pink everywhere until all his hair grows back!" joined Izumo with a evil snicker.
Ebisu's jaw dropped at their outrageous suggestions.
"Now that just proves you're the youngest of this group." Truth be told they were in their twenties, but still the youngest. "Making things up like that. Just like brats." Ebisu looked to Asuma, his saviour, to find the man's cheeks flushed just the same as a drunken Genma's. "That's why those are making mighty good things for our Ebisu-san to do. But you got to add on something else. Make him annoy people on the streets while he's like that!"
Ebisu could feel himself nearly loss balance. "Are you crazy? I'm a gentleman!"
"Why not make the gentleman live up to his name?" Genma finally suggested, more in a way like he was thinking out loud and with a slur of words. "Make him spend a long period of time with someone... I don't know, annoying!"
"I am a gentleman! Even if I do accept that bet and lose this game I can prove it." Ebisu declared loudly in his own defence.
"Calm down... we were jus-ACK!" Genma struggled to keep his chair's balance and keep from falling off at the same time. Turning a glare on who suddenly yanked violently on his collar, Genma gazed demanded an explanation from Kotetsu who was holding onto the neck of his shirt. Beside him Izumo sneered. "What the hell is your problem?"
"Make him take the bet!" Kotetsu's sentence was quick and quite, unable for Ebisu to hear. "Izumo just thought of something! Hokage-sama's been making that squirt come to her office practically every day. She even says he's the most annoying thing this village has to offer. So..."
Ebisu could do nothing but watch as they conspired a way to throw his name through the dirt. He felt the nervousness building slowly up inside of himself.
When Genma faced Ebisu again, he was sneering the same way the other two were. "So Ebisu-san," Ebisu could feel the sweat pouring down his brow, "What do you think of Uzumaki Naruto?"
If so, many angry veins all popped up at once around Ebisu's face. Even if it was a weak attempt, Ebisu tried to push all pestering feelings aside and place on a smile. He had given the boy his begrudging respect and no longer hated Naruto, but there was still the mild exasperation.
"I take it that's our answer." Asuma answered the obvious busy fingering the pack of cigarettes hidden away in his pocket.
"That kid has been nothing but a pain to me since the day I met him!" Ebisu hissed through his teeth. "He may be 15 now, but he's still a immature brat. He wasn't even greatful I took the time out of my own schedule to train him during that exam!"
"Then there's your wager!" Genma proposed with mischief lacing his voice. "You lose, you not only have to be nice to the kid for an entire week, but you also have to treat him to a nice meal." Ebisu was prepared to protest before Genma stopped by speaking in a sly tone. "But if you win, then you get all our winnings."
"I never agreed to that!" Asuma argued slamming his sake cup down.
Izumo leaned in close to Asuma hushing his voice to a whisper. "Wouldn't it be worth it to put your money on the line just to see Ebisu-san feebly try being nice to the kid?"
Asuma considered the offer before joining in with a sly grin. Leaning in on his elbow, Asuma seemed far more willing to play. "Always wanted to see if you were are a real gentleman or if that brat was right about you being a closet-perv. Or something at that level."
The chair screeched as Ebisu sat himself down in his seat again and took up his cards. Behind the dark shaded glasses a fire of determination burned. Within minutes Ebisu stared triumphantly down at his cards. He had beaten Asuma, Izumo and Kotetsu's hands leaving only him and Genma.
Genma's head hung. "I'm sorry Ebisu-san."
"For making such a ridiculous bet?" Ebisu waited with joy for an apology from the Jounin.
"No. For this." Reaching an arm out, Genma laid his cards out one by one for all at the table to see. "A royal flush! So where you taking the kid to eat?"
Ebisu made no reply.
-TBC-
A/N: E-M-P is now apologizing if this chapter wasn't what was expected. I pretty much wrote it as I went along with the faintest idea of what I wanted. Not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing? The all-time challenge when I first decided to do a facfic centring Naruto and Ebisu was for me to decide on a way to get them to spend time together! Now I'm asking myself, "should Ebisu avoid Naruto-kun?"
This might be a yaoi or might not be a yaoi! Depends as I go along!
Another note! I write everything by hand before typing it all up. So by the time I have my reviews I'll probably be two or three chapters ahead! The part of actually typing it up and posting are questionable.