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Predicament

Problem II

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Really, was there ever a person who's as cold as a rock, have a vocabulary of a rock, ends almost every damn sentence with 'dobe' or just 'hn' when talking to me, feel like you're talking to a fuckin' brick wall, and have a black hole for a heart?

Oh, yeah. There is.

...And his name, Uchiha Sasuke.

Doesn't that sound like he's a high-maintenance prick who has a stick shoved all the way up his ass that probably met his brain?

Yeah, that describes him perfectly.

Let's not forget to mention that he has his own fan club-girls and, get this, guys-he looks a like a damn model what with his pale skin, thick dark hair, long eyelashes, defined, arched eyebrows, slender frame, and-gasp-pouty lips with high cheekbones. Who the hell has these traits?!

...Obviously, the bastard.

Yes, I have taken a liking in calling him that.

Suits him well, don't cha think?

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Upon entering the district of his charge, the blond shinobi was baffled.

Hell, the client's family practically owned this whole district if the family's emblem painted on every door, every flag, every building, and even on the clock tower, said anything in the afternoon sun. Otherwise, it looked completely empty. Deserted even. It was almost like the inhabitants simply upped and left the place, leaving their belongings behind—very much like a ghost town.

All of the buildings obviously held the glamour of richness with its expensive-looking traditional homes among some scattered mansions, and on the sloping hill stood an impressive-looking manor. The once snow white manor was now a pearly grey within its black fence confinement, grass growing without care out on the front lawn, but from where Naruto perched on one of the many telephone poles on the manor's side, a pair of ocean blue eyes spotted a well-cared for garden in the backyard.

Well, so much for the theory of a ghost town, but then again, Naruto had already quickly forgotten that his charge lived here.

So the charge had a soft spot for gardening.

Oh, well, who was he to judge anyone? Nearly everyone at KSTFA-beside from a handful of close friends-practically despised his existence because of one little fact.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't a little fact, but a big one.

The fact was that he was the vessel for the Kyuubi, the nine-tailed demon fox.

The one and only Kyuubi that almost wiped out Konoha City twenty-two years ago. Who would have thought there were such things as demons back then, never mind being the vessel of one? Long story short, he proved many people wrong that he wasn't just some vessel that needed to be watched, but they still fear Naruto behind their masks of hatred or indifference towards him. Especially when he announced that one day, he'll become the next Hokage. They feared the blonde enough with him being in KSTFA, never mind that he was considered one of the elites.

Whatever.

It didn't affect him at all.

...okay, maybe a little bit, but that was only natural.

Shaking his head of disarrayed of blond spikes to clear his thoughts, the assigned shinobi allocated his duffle bag to a more comfortable position, leaping off the pole and landed soundlessly on his sandaled feet with practiced ease.

"The report said he resided here..." muttering to himself, "He's definitely a spoiled one—living in the manor and all," the blond said, once he confirmed the residency. With a derisive snort, he made his way towards the lonely-looking manor, vaguely taking notice of the over-flowing mailbox with what seems to be junk mail of sorts. On the porch was littered with notes, mails, withered and fresh flowers of various kinds, heart-shaped candy boxes seemingly from admirers.

Was that a box of condom...?

Sighing in reluctance, pushing the image of the box away from his mind-he did not need to know about the raven's sex life—that soon became annoyance, Naruto jabbed the doorbell to slightly alleviate his growing agitation. He really really did not want to be this guy's bodyguard.

A haunting and forlorn sound resounded the seemingly vacant manor before a few short moments the tall aged door quietly opened to reveal a person of his height if not a bit taller.

"What do you want?" The voice was filled with irritation. Naruto could relate on that level. Bright blue eyes did a quick one over on the other: donning a black tank paired off with loose-fitting grey sweatpants with damp hair, he looked like he just got out of the shower.

Clearly the mug shot in the report did not do the other justice.

Wait, what?

"You're Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Yeah. So?" An elegantly raised brow.

Since first impression was everything to the blonde, Naruto pulled the strings that gave way his famous carefree smile.

"Then I'm Uzumaki Naruto, at your service!"

SLAM!

It only took half a second for the shinobi to realize that the door was slammed in his face.

"HEY! That was uncalled for!" He began to stab the doorbell incessantly, "You hired me and then leave me hanging?! At least pay me my money, cheapskate!"

"Go away!" Strangely the voice sounded loud and clear. Up above? How in the hell did he get there so fast? Walking down the steps and looking up, Naruto's blue eyes clashed with charcoal ones. "I didn't hire a man-whore!"

"WH-WHAT!" Deeply insulted, his agitation renewed with vigor, the blonde easily leaped onto the balcony the raven was occupying. Crouching on the rail as harden blue eyes glare into an equally harden obsidian pair, the blonde dropped his bright orange duffle inside the balcony. "Me, a whore! Who the hell do you think I am?! Do I even look like one!" Judging for the other's rising brow, Naruto hastily added, "Don't even ans-!"

A strong grip found his throat, finger joints applying pressure to his trachea quite harshly.

"Shut up, dobe."

For a moment, he was surprised but then it was overtaken by extreme irritation. Instinctively, Naruto grabbed a hold of the other's wrist and automatically applied a small amount of chakras to his feet to hold his footing before he flipped the person over his shoulder as he turned around. Dangling over the balcony, Sasuke glared up at the blond, scowling at his current position. He had lost his grip on the blonde's throat when he was flipped unexpectedly—now the other had a vice-like grasp on his wrist.

"Now, that wasn't very nice," Naruto cheekily tsked, his annoyance vanished once he had the upper hand, "Teme."

Before he could bask in his victory, the blond found himself on the balcony blinking up at a pair of onyx eyes with a pounding headache somewhere on the back of his head.

"Neither was that," the being above quietly growled his retort, rising to stand from his crouch.

Apparently, since Sasuke's back was against the balcony, he kicked off it with more than enough force that sent him sailing over the cocky blonde. Once his feet touched the cool surface of the flooring, the other's grip still on him, he immediately flipped him over his shoulder.

"Bastard!" was the first word that came out of Naruto's mouth—all the warning the pale raven had prior to personally meet the fist up close once the shinobi leaped to his feet.

It was only a matter of seconds before a brawl erupted right there.

The thoughts of how the hell Sasuke knew some techniques of taijutsu didn't even register in Naruto's head until the two parted to give distance, regaining their lost breath.

Well, so much for first impressions!

"Why'd you go and do that for!" Naruto huffed, slightly offended at the thought of a client in equal par with him when the other appeared to have no proper training of sorts. "And where'd you learn taijutsu?! That's not public knowledge!"

Sasuke seemed to have stiffened considerably, now full-out glowering at the blonde. He grounded out, "Get. Out."

"After what you did to me?! Hell no! I intend to get even, get answers, and get my money! It's not a damn free-service, teme!"

"Naruto-kun!" a familiar voice hissed in disapproval, gripping Naruto's orange jacket's collar, preventing the blonde from causing more bodily harm to his supposed charge.

"Eh?!" Turning around, pair of blue eyes widen in shock, "Iruka-sensei! What're you doing here?!"

"Making sure you're protecting and not pounding your charge," the brunette replied sternly, releasing the blond once he was sure the young shinobi wouldn't pull a stunt.

"He thought I was a 'man-whore'!" Naruto said it in such a way that it seemed it had explained everything. "It was like he didn't-!"

"I know," Iruka cut in with a nod. Moving his gaze so it fell upon charcoal eyes, Iruka gave a slight apologetic nod, "Please forgive for whatever Naruto-kun had done and said to you. He apparently did not know that you didn't know either."

"WHAT?!" Naruto wasn't sorry for that, especially to him.

"I don't need a...bodyguard," his pale face pronounced the last word with obvious distaste.

"I don't want to be his bodyguard!" objected Naruto, appearing to be extremely annoyed. With an accusing finger at Sasuke, he exclaimed, "He's a bastard!"

"Dobe," muttered the one being pointed at.

Intervening when the signs of a beginning verbal fight that would probably lead to a physical one, Iruka cleared his throat, "Now, now you two. I'm sorry but you are in need of a bodyguard, Sasuke-san." He then shot the glaring Shinobi a look, "And you are fulfilling that role, whether you like it or not." Before either of the two could protest, the brunette pressed on, "Hokage-sama had the final say in it. If you two have a problem with it, bring it to him. Though, I have a very strong feeling neither of you will persuade him."

"Why do I need a bodyguard?" A defined brow rose in query. "That would imply I'm endangered."

"Yes, you are and so Naruto agreed to be yours."

"I did not agree!"

"You did if you recall saying, 'Alright-y, I'll do it!' rather gleefully, might I add." The chuunin shot the blue-eyed teenager another look, daring him to contradict that. Receiving no response of the sorts, he nodded his head as if to say, 'I thought so.'

"If that's the case, why wasn't I informed before the idiot dropped by?" Sasuke deliberately disregarded the offended expression of the blonde.

"It was last minute. Hokage-sama just received the reports and issued it right away."

"You're all from that Special Task Force Agency?"

"Yes." Iruka studied the pale-skinned teen observantly. 'He must've told him...and taught him taijutsu as well.' Usually when in a scuffle, Naruto would manage to land several good punches and kicks, ending it in a matter of minutes but this wasn't the case. It seemed that the two of them were on equal bar. 'I should report this new information...'

"Whatever." Turning around with his hands shoved in the provided pockets of his sweatpants, Sasuke said over his shoulder, "I don't think the dobe is up for this assignment. Get someone better." With that said, he left the room in the cover of the shadows.

"COCKY BASTARD!" Naruto hollered after him. "I can beat you any day!"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Iruka looked at Naruto, finally taking notice of his disheveled state, "I'll send you your things tomorrow."

"WH-WHAT!" The blonde shinobi sputtered, eyes going wide. So many surprised today, so little time to digest it all. "I'm going to living with that bastard?!" Normally, he wouldn't mind, but this guy was a glaring exception.

"You are his bodyguard at all hours, Naruto-kun," the chuunin reminded. Did the two honestly got off on the wrong foot? And here he was, hoping he would make another friend. "And that includes going to classes with Sasuke-san, living with him, and anything else so that he's not out of your sight. That excludes bathroom and personal privacy unless his safety is at risk. You should know that Naruto-kun." A slight frown.

"But with that teme!" He whined, wringing his hands.

Faintly smirking, Iruka said as he crossed his arms, "If I do recall correctly, Sasuke insinuated that you are too weak to be a bodyguard before he left."

"'Tch! We'll see about that! I'm not considered one of the elite for nothing!"

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That cocky teme! I'll show him! I'LL SHOW HIM! I would've pound him to a bloody pulp if Iruka-sensei hadn't arrived!

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End of Predicament

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Wah, here's the next chapter! I hope the interaction between the three was what they would say...? Eh, but sankyuu for reading!

Review, ne? I mean, you gotten this far, why not go all the way?