Chapter 32: Makeover Day Pt. 1
Though I did end up claiming Karin's bed, and I was indeed welcomed with open arms by my new roommates, I ended up spending the night in Gaara's company, again, because my insomnia wouldn't let me sleep once, again, just as the redhead had predicted.
When I walked into the living room later that night, he was already sitting on the couch, curled up in one of the corners with a thick book in his hands, his eyes scanning the pages with interest.
"See! I knew you'd be back."
"Okay, I concede. . . You were right." I say as I plopped myself down on the opposite end of the couch, my eyes never leaving the book he held. "Is that from one of the bookshelves in the back room?"
"Um, no. This is just a book my father gifted me just before we left for this competition," he explains, now giving me his full attention. "He and my uncle both gave me one of each of their favorite books. You know, to pass the time in between challenges, and the days."
"Ah, that's so nice of them," I couldn't help but say, my voice obviously going into sappy mode. "What's the book about?"
"Well, I just started it, and I'm barely into chapter one," he explains as he looks at the back. "But, according to the summary, it's a political mystery revolving around an aide to the prime minister as he navigates the political environment. It's a novel that's supposed to be a compelling mix of politics, gossip, scandal, stuff like that."
"So, your mayor father gave you a politically themed mystery novel to bide your time with?" I ask, the look on his face just showing that he knew how ironic my words sounded. "How . . . in character of him, I guess."
"I guess you can say that," he admits, looking down at the pages in front of him. "He knows that I have a bit of an interest in politics. Like, I'm not looking to go out and run for office! I treasure what little sleep I can get to not risk myself in that arena. . . However, I do like reading political stories from time-to-time, and I guess you can say my father took advantage of that to give me something that he'd assume I'd like."
"Do you like the story so far?"
"It's definitely seems promising," the redhead admits, scratching the back of his neck. "You'll have to ask me again in a few days if you want a more in-depth opinion. I've only read the first few pages after all."
"That's fair," I mumble as I look down at my drawing pad. "So, now that I think about it, does your father want you, or any of your siblings for that matter, to go into politics?"
"Politics isn't the easiest thing to follow your parents into. It can be a fulfilling career choice, but you would basically be sacrificing a lot of your privacy to pursue it, and that's not something I want to give up."
"Well, modelling holds that risk too, especially if you can make it big time."
"Well, true! You make a good point. Modelling puts one's privacy at risk as well, but it's not like people frequently dig into every possible moment in your life and scrutinize it like they tend to do in politics."
"Ah, you countered my counter with one of your own. Well played," I mumble, his snort almost making me chuckle. "But yeah, I could see how going into politics can be a risky endeavor. Still though, has your father tried getting one of you into politics?"
"The closest any of us has gotten to politics was when Temari was voted in as her class' representative in her senior year of high school, but other than that, none of us has an inkling for running for public office," Gaara explains. "If it wasn't for all the trouble I caused when I was younger, I think my father would have me poised as his political second coming. He says I have a mind for it."
"Hmm, I see," I say as I start sketching out a form on paper. "Sounds like your troublemaking saved you from such a fate."
"Indeed, it has. Some people have said that I was such a little hardass because I wanted to avoid a life of politics."
"Well?" I ask. "Are those people right?"
"No comment."
"Spoken like a true politician."
We went silent after that, with him continuing to read his book, and me sketching out my latest masterpiece. By the time that sunlight was starting to pour in through the windows, Gaara had managed to get through the first nine chapters of his book, while I was putting the finishing touches on his hair.
His picture's hair that is.
"It won't be long before the others make their way down. Want some coffee?" I hear him ask, as I feel the sofa shift under his weight.
"I'm right behind ya! I just have to finish this last part." I mumble as I hear his footsteps come closer.
"What last part?" The next thing I know, he's looking over my shoulder at the latest creation I drew. "You drew me as a politician?"
"What can I say? After our earlier conversation, well, you inspired me," I admit as I erased a wayward line. I decided to draw Gaara as he was addressing reporters at a press conference, keeping his face calm and collected as he addressed the media. "Do you like it?"
"I must admit. You have quite the skill for artwork. You got my face just right, at least," he admits, pointing directly to his figure in the drawing. "But did you have to make my hair like that?"
"I only slicked it back!" I almost whined. "You don't like it?!"
"It's definitely a look that any sensible politician would approve of," he admits as he starts to back away. "But it's definitely not my style. I prefer my hair all messy and spiky. That's just who I am."
"Good to know. I'll keep that in mind for the next time I decide to draw you."
"There's going to be a next time?"
"You would like that wouldn't you?!" I ask, just as a beeping sound echoed from somewhere out front. "Oh, you know what that means!"
"I'll get the others. . ." Gaara declares before jogging out of the room. As his footsteps disappear upstairs, I make my way to the foyer to see that there were actually two pieces of mail on waiting on screen. One was the Tsunade Mail, and the other was a message for Naruto specifically.
It only took five minutes to pass before everyone was gathered to see what the messages had in store for us.
"So, which should be opened first?" TenTen asked as she looked around the group.
"Let's get Naruto's message out of the way first," I suggest. "Besides, if it ends up being a good prize that some of us may be envious of, we could always open the Tsunade Mail to help move past it."
"That does sound like a fair plan," Temari mumbles, turning to my brother. "Naruto, if you will?"
"It would be my pleasure!"
It only took a tap to open the message, which showed Might Guy standing in the thumbnail, already smiling as the video loaded.
He was still smiling when it started playing.
"Congratulations on winning the challenge Naruto! I know running up all those steps was not the easiest thing in the world, but you made it seem like a breeze and won the day! Now then, 'You Wanna Be on Top?' has a history of going big on some of its prizes, and this one is no different. . ."
"Ah, here we go. . ." I hear someone mumble, but I was too fixed on the screen to see who it was that said it.
"So, as the winner of this challenge, you and a guest will have the opportunity to join me for the world premiere of the latest movie in the Tales of the Wayward Shinobi saga, Under the Blood Moon, later this year in HONG KONG!"
"No fucking way!" Ino screeched as my brother started doing a jig in place. Neither of us have ever went outside of the country before, and now here he was, being rewarded with the opportunity to visit one of the biggest cities in the world . . . Damn he was lucky.
"Along with the movie premiere, you and your guest will get to spend five days and nights exploring the city and all it has to offer! Again, congratulations, and I'll see you there!"
"Holy crap!" I hear my brother gush as the camera panned out to reveal the Hong Kong skyline in the background before cutting to black. "I've never been to Hong Kong! I've never even left Japan. . . This is gonna be great!"
"Lucky bastard . . ." I hear Kankuro mumble, and when I turned my head, he was not alone in thinking this. Sasuke looked especially furious. All he got was first choice in the beds when he won the last challenge, and here's my brother, getting the trip of a lifetime. "Can we just get to the Tsunade Mail already?!"
"Well, someone's salty . . ." I mumble as I step toward the monitor. "Alright, let's see what Tsunade sent us this time."
Morning models,
Brace yourselves!
Cause change is coming!
Be ready at 11 AM sharp!
Love, Tsunade!
It wasn't long before the foyer became a virtual ghost town, and why wouldn't it be?
Makeover Day did tend to have that kind of effect on people.
Y ~ W ~ B ~ O ~ T
It didn't take long for all of us to get out the door and onto our bus, though we almost didn't leave on time due to Kiba taking a while to empty his bladder after having too much coffee at breakfast. Some of the others ended up teasing the dog lover for most of the bus ride, much to his chagrin.
We ended up traveling through the familiar Shinsaibashi area before driving into an area that was heavy with tourists and Western influence. The bus eventually pulls to a stop in front of a large multi-story building with a black awning with the words Smoke and Roses in red and grey cursive lettering in the front, the windows too tinted for us to properly see what was inside.
Kakashi and Yamato were waiting right under the awning, and though Kakashi's face was pretty much unreadable thanks to his mask, Yamato was practically beaming, even gesturing for us to get off and join them on the sidewalk.
"Good morning models!" Yamato calls out once we all had disembarked. "I hope you all had a good night's sleep because today will be quite the busy day for you all."
"Before we get into that though, I would like to welcome you all to Amerikamura!" Kakashi adds, gesturing to the area around us. "Now, the locals call this place Ame-mura, and as you can see, this neighborhood is strongly influenced by Western culture, and is actually one of the bigger tourist spots in Osaka."
"It also happens to be a good place to cater to your street fashion needs," Yamato cuts back in with a flourish. "And it does serve as a home to up and coming designers and businesses such as Smoke and Roses, which we have rented out for the day. Now then, follow us. We'll explain more once we're inside."
We follow them into the building, stepping into a waiting area that was the very definition of hard and soft. The walls were painted rose red, with silver lines reminiscent of vines crossing the surface in artistic patterns. Wrought iron benches with plush silver pillows were spread out across the waiting area, with a matching receptionist desk stationed toward the back, in between two open doorways, both of them covered by a silver curtain with a red rose printed on the middle.
Sitting at the receptionist desk wasn't the receptionist, but Tsunade herself, dressed in a blue blazer, a white t-shirt, jean capris, and wedge heels that added to her height.
"I know Tsunade always attends makeover day, but seeing her outside of judging is still startling." I hear Temari mumble, and I couldn't agree more as we watched the blonde stand from her seat and walk around the table.
"Hello everyone, and welcome to Smoke and Roses, one of the most respected and high-end salons in all of Japan," says Tsunade, gesturing to the room around us. "And since we're in a salon of all places, you all know what that means."
"MAKEOVERS!" We all chorused, knowing it was the answer that she was looking for.
"That's right! Today is mainly about the hair, and a couple other things, but for a few of you, you will be getting additional treatments outside of here that should help you as you continue to pursue your modelling careers," she explains, setting her sights on one of our own. "For example, Suigetsu, I'll start with you."
"My teeth?" he immediately asks, knowing that it was the only thing that could possibly warrant the woman's attention aside from his hair.
"I know you did it for the sake of your job, but if you want a long-lasting, versatile career, the sharp points have got to go," she advises as Kakashi and Yamato stood on either side of her. "So, tomorrow, we have arranged an appointment for you with one of the top dentists in Osaka to oversee your teeth. . . You may not get all your teeth filed down, but it should be enough that the points won't be too much of a distraction for future clients."
"I can handle that . . ." he concedes, shaking his head like it wasn't any trouble on his part. "Looking forward to it!"
"Good! Also, Gaara and Izuka," she calls out, scanning our group till she found us standing more to her left. "Have either of you been to a sleep specialist recently?"
"Um, not really," I admit, shaking my head. "I went to a doctor that specializes in sleep problems once. He prescribed me sleeping pills, but they didn't work for long."
"I see, and what about you Gaara?" She asks, turning her sights on the redhead. "Sleeping pills don't work for you either?"
"That, and I was such a disrespectful little kid in the past that I ended up getting banned from the first and only doctor's office I've been to to get my insomnia treated."
"How bad could you have been?" Tsunade decides to ask as Kankuro immediately howled in laughter, going as far as to walk off to the side to recover.
"So bad that my dad didn't even bother to look into other doctors that could help my case."
"You must have had an interesting childhood . . ." Kakashi couldn't help but comment, his sarcastically serious delivery immediately making most of the group chuckle.
"Well, you can say that again . . ." was all Gaara was willing to say, looking a little nonplussed as his troublemaking past got mentioned again. It was honestly making me curious as to how crazy his past really was, but it was Gaara's - and, to a lesser degree, Temari and Kankuro's - story to tell. If it was going to be told, he would say it, in time.
"Well, what happened that day is in the past. You're a different person from back then, so I'm sure what happened in that visit won't happen when I send you and Izuka to one of the best sleep centers that this city has to offer," she announces with an almost childish grin. "You'll be going later today, after all the makeovers are over, and you will be treated with the best of care. However, you'll most likely have to spend the night there . . . and when I say most likely, I mean definitely, so pack a comfortable pair of pjs before you go."
"I'm going to spend the night having my sleep issues figured out while in the company of specialists and a handsome redhead with a voice that's too sexy for words," I couldn't help but think as I nodded my head. "This day is just getting better and better . . ."
"Along with your makeovers, you will each be meeting with an esthetician that we have called in to talk to you all about your skin and what you could do in order to preserve or improve on it. And, of course, before you leave here, you all will be waxed, so if you have an attachment to your body hair, I suggest you start saying your goodbyes right now," Yamato adds, his grin almost mischievous as he witnessed some of the boys pale at what was to come. ". . . Ooh, some of our models look absolutely spooked."
"They shouldn't. We've been doing it for so many years now, they should have known that the waxing is inevitable. . ." says Kakashi, his tone almost admonishing as he turned to the brunette.
"Still, waxing is not a fun process, but don't worry guys! You won't have to worry about that till much later in the day," Tsunade reassures us, calming some of the worry that was building. "Now then, before I tell you what your makeovers are, allow me to introduce to you all the two people that will play a huge part in your new looks."
On cue, two people - a man and woman - walked out through one of the curtained doorways. The man was tall, with olive skin, brown eyes, and short spiky black hair with a matching beard. The woman, on the other hand, was shorter, with fair skin, wild black hair that fell past her shoulders, and the most vibrant red eyes I've ever seen.
"Everyone, this is Kurenai and Asuma Sarutobi, the owners of this wonderful establishment," Tsunade announces as the couple came to stand on either side of her. "This is actually only one of their salons. Their flagship is back in Tokyo, and they have salons as well in Kyoto and Sendai. You even have a couple of new ones opening soon right?"
"Indeed, we do. We have a new salon opening in Sapporo in two months' time, and we plan to open another in Fukuoka next year." Kurenai explains, looking a little prideful as she and Asuma shared a knowing look.
"Kurenai and I usually work out of our home base in Tokyo, but when Tsunade called us about using this salon for the makeover round this year, we knew we had to personally be a part of it." Asuma added, his words getting the blonde to beam in delight.
"You see guys, Kurenai and Asuma have a bit of a personal connection to 'You Wanna Be On Top?'" Kakashi points out as he not-so-subtly pointed their way. "Kurenai here was a former contestant."
"WAIT REALLY?!" Kiba called out, likely not realizing how loud he got when he yelled.
"Indeed, I was," said Kurenai, looking almost bashful in her admission. "I competed 12-13 years ago, and I managed to make it into the Top 5 before I was eliminated. . . I actually happened to meet Asuma during my edition's makeover week."
"I was working as an intern at the salon that hosted their makeovers at the time. We got to talking and we eventually reconnected on the internet once her time in the competition was over," Asuma adds, moving to stand next to the wild haired woman. "A few dates, a marriage, a kid, and one successful business partnership later, and, well, here we are!"
"Now that is the definition of couple goals." I couldn't help but think as some of the girls vocally swooned as Kurenai pecked her husband's cheek. ". . . Hopefully I'll have a life like that in the years to come."
"Now then, on to the makeovers themselves!" Tsunade decreed, finally getting to the main objective at hand. "Remember, we're not giving you these makeovers for the sake of shock value. We really considered your current looks to see what could be added or taken away to heighten your respective beauty even more."
"Be warned though, sometimes the looks we come up for you don't always work in practice, and they do end up changing, even when they're only halfway done," warns Yamato, his eyes a little wide at the thought. There have been instances where the makeover had to be changed mid-process over the years, and some of the reactions to them, well, they just weren't the best. "It likely won't happen to you, but if it does, just remember, we did warn you that this could happen."
"Plus, beauty is pain. If you can't handle it, then you shouldn't be here." Kakashi bluntly adds, pulling no punches with his words.
"I see your demeanor is as bright and heartwarming as ever Kakashi. . ." Asuma was quick to say, bringing all eyes on him.
"What can I say? I'm a realist. I'm a very blunt realist, but I'm a realist," says the silver haired man before he turned his attention back on us. "So, shall we get these makeovers started then?"
"Let's not waste any more time then," says Tsunade, her grin bordering on mischievous. "Now, this would be the moment where I would be going down the list to tell you guys what you're going to get . . . Well, not this time."
Oh boy . . .
A/N: Did you really think I would explain the makeovers that easily? *Insert evil chuckling* You'll just have to wait till the next chapter to find out what happens. But hey! We got Kurenai and Asuma in this chapter, RIGHT?
Anyway, please review!