Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Special Thanks is given to Infatuated-fool, simplistic, forbiddenkawaiichan, fluffysmiileys, kimiko77, darkanonymous324 and wingedmercury for your reviews. Thank you all so much. It is because of all of you that I am pumped to write this fic although i seem to be taking time to update. So sorry about that especially to runjumpfly07.
I have an important announcement. I read my fic all over again and I realise that I love sasuten here too. Lol. It was always my dream to make a nejiten fic where tenten does not die in the end and nejiten actually ends up together. But with this fic, I feel that now I dunno who would be with whom anymore. So, I shall write the fic with all the scenes that I have pictured in my mind but at a certain point I do not know if it will be a sasuten or nejiten. Simplistic and kimiko77 are right. Neji needs to redeem himself to get Tenten or both of them needs some kind of closure.
After this chapter I will forward the story to 2 months after, so we can get to all the juicy and romance stuff. I know the story seems draggy but I don't want to rush their romance or lack of romance. Then, it'll seem that Tenten's, well, unfair to both of them. Moreover, I think it's good to have a grasp on the characters.
Now on to the story...
Heaven's Tale
Chapter 10
Sasuke yawned slightly and turned to face his sleeping beauty. Tenten looked endearing when she is asleep especially with her arms wounded around his pillow."So, she's a starfish," he muttered quietly to himself, fondly. He read in the newspaper a few weeks ago that people, who slept in a starfish position, make good friends, are great listeners and hates to be in the centre of attention. That was Tenten.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 8am. If he did not wake her up now, she would be late for her first day at work. He swept her bangs away from her face, his inner mind in turmoil as to let her sleep for an extra 5 minutes or to wake her up. After a few seconds of deliberation, he gently nudged her shoulder. "Tenten," he urged, watching her stir in the bed. "Wake up."
Tenten's eyes opened, revealing her chocolate coloured eyes. "What time is it?" She asked him, groggily. Her long brown hair was free from their binds and sprawled behind her on the crisp, white pillow.
"A little after 8," Sasuke told her, sitting up in the bed. He waited for her panicked reaction.
"mmmm," Tenten replied, her eyes fluttering shut to sleep just a few more minutes. "WHAT?" Tenten almost screamed, shooting up from the bed in panic. "I'm going to be late for work." She was wide awake now and was hurriedly picking up her jeans and cardigan from the floor. "Works at 9 and ..." She glanced at her lack of clothes. "I didn't even pack my working attire."
Sasuke smirked at her response. How long before she realises what she's wearing? Not that he would argue? "Hana sleeps over at times." He watched her expression calmed. "She has clothes here."
"That's great," Tenten exclaimed relieved. "I'm going to see if she would let me borrow an outfit." Tenten was about to make way to the door when suddenly the door burst open.
"Good morningggggggggggg," Hana sang with a tray in hand. "Sorry to barge in," Hana continued, not bothering to knock. "I made you two breakfast." She grinned and looked back and forth at the both of them. Hana noticed how Sasuke was scrutinising her food. "Don't you worry. It's just bread, butter, jam and orange juice. Even I can't screw it up."
"Hn," Sasuke replied, getting out of bed, revealing to the two females his bare upper torso and shorts. Tenten's eyes widened when realization dawned on her. They slept together in the same bed? Was her father worried that she did not come back home that night? At what part of the night did he remove his shirt? And why was she only in her panties and a tank top?
Hana whistled and nudged Tenten's shoulder with her own. "Looks like someone got lucky last night."
Tenten's face flushed at Hana's remark. "Uh," she glanced at Sasuke, uncertainly. Her blush deepened as he caught her eyes. "I don't think so." Truthfully, she did not remember what happened. She burrowed her brow in concentration. What happened last night exactly? First they had dinner and, then, she and Sasuke retreated to the garden where they talked a little. She didn't even have a drink.
"Right," Hana laughed, rolling her eyes, ignoring her answer. "It's a good thing the walls are thick," she laughed some more. "I know how wild you Uchiha's can get?" She winked at Sasuke, who looked embarrassed yet annoyed at the same time.
"Do you have spare clothes?" Sasuke asked his brother's girlfriend.
"It's for me," Tenten added in before Hana could make a smart remark. Tenten was running late for her first day at work after all and besides Neji dislikes tardiness. "Preferably work wear?" she hoped. The bun haired girl knew she would not have time to go back to her apartment to change clothes since she would risk running late.
"It's your lucky day," Hana grinned, placing the tray onto the bed. "I've got a dress that I bought a few weeks ago that I've yet to wear. It's a size too small. I'll bring it right over to you." She walked over to the door and paused, looking over her shoulder. "Take a bath. Right now you look like sex," she laughed as she closed the door behind her.
Tenten flushed in embarrassment again at Hana's remark. She, then, saw her reflection in Sasuke's mirror. Her hair, which was originally in a bun, was now loose and tumbled down in disarrayed waves a few inches below her breasts. Not only that, the pink lipstick she wore was smeared around her mouth and on her chin.
Sasuke grabbed his t shirt from the floor and proceeded to pull it over his head. "Nothing happened last night," he looked over at his girlfriend who was still pink from Hana's remarks. He smirked, he loved seeing her flustered. "You fell asleep while we were talking."
"Yeah," Tenten said slowly. She remembered that she was so exhausted with all the cooking and the morning cleaning that she just dozed off on Sasuke's shoulder. She must have taken off her jeans in the middle of the night when it got to stuffy. Even though it was autumn the Uchiha household was surprisingly warm. Maybe that's why he slept shirtless.
"I called your dad," Sasuke told her, reassuringly and threw her a towel so she could wrap herself up. Not that he wanted to but just in case his uncle or Itachi came barging in. He loved her state of undress. Not to mention he loved seeing her with her hair down. It was always a treat since she seldom wore her hair that way. He remembered the first time he saw her with her hair in loose waves. For the first time, he was rendered speechless.
She caught the towel with ease and wrapped it around her waist. "Thanks," she told him graciously. "You think of everything."
"Take a shower," Sasuke told her, pointing to his bathroom's door.
"What about you?" Tenten asked him, watching him take a white shirt and gray dockers from inside his closet.
"I'll take a shower in my parent's room," he said. "There's a spare toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet."
"Ok," she nodded, heading into his bathroom. "I'll meet you downstairs."
"I'm ready," Tenten voiced out, adjusting the dress. She wore a navy shift dress that ended at her knee level. Thankfully, she wore black pumps the night before, so, it held the outfit together. She also pulled her hair back in her usual twin buns.
Sasuke waited for her to get in the car before locking the car door and reversing out of his mansion. "Hyuuga Hotel?"
"Yeah," she replied, putting her seat belt on. Sasuke shifted the gear to drive and the car careened down the neighbourhood street. "I didn't see your uncle or Itachi on my way out. I would have said goodbye."
"It's not necessary," Sasuke told her, his eyes on the road.
"It's rude though."
"Don't worry about it."
"Ok." Tenten sighed. She will just have to apologise the next time she meets his family. "When are you moving back to your house?"
"Later today." Sasuke replied."I have a lunch meeting to attend to at the hotel and then I'd check out.
"Ok." She nodded.
Beep... Beep...
Tenten reached for her phone inside her handbag and flipped it open.
Drinks at Mad Dog tonight
Ino
"Did you get Ino's message?" Tenten asked her boyfriend as he too flipped open his phone to check his incoming message.
"Hn," Sasuke replied, glancing at the text briefly.
"Come ok," Tenten smiled. "I'm sure Naruto will be there."
"The dobe never calls," Sasuke said, his voice deep and displeased.
She smiled at her boyfriend amused since Sasuke never attempted to call Naruto as well. Even if Sasuke wanted to, his ego got in his way. 'Men,' Tenten thought to herself, her head shaking. She turned her attention towards her boyfriend, his perfect side profile in her view. "Since Ino is the one asking for us meet up, Naruto better turn up or Ino's going to be pissed.
"Sasuke smirked. He hoped Naruto would turn up late, so, he can have the satisfaction of watching Ino give him hell.
Naruto bought a steaming mug of coffee to his lips but soon spat out the hot liquid onto the floor. "Ah ah ah," he spoke out, wincing at the burning sensation on his lips and tongue. He placed the mug on the table and attempted to clean up the coffee puddle on the floor with a piece of damp cloth. However, being a natural klutz, he accidently backed into the small dining table and the mug fell crashing to the ground, the liquid burning his left hand. "Crap…" he voiced out, in pain.
Jiraiya walked out of his bedroom, yawning and stretching his arms out. "What's all the noise?" he looked at Naruto and the spilt coffee. "You burnt yourself again." He squat down to help Naruto pick up the broken pieces of the mug."You should have that Sakura check up on it. Your hand is red and your lips are swollen."
"There's no need to ji-ji," Naruto refused, suddenly aware that his lips were tender.
"It's a first degree burn," Jiraiya added, his voice hoarse. "I'd tell you to go to Tsunade but I don't think she would be gentle."
"It'll heal," Naruto told him, scratching the back of his head. He glanced at the wall clock. "I'm late. I got a job interview."
Jiraiya threw the shards into the bin. "You're not going to work for your old man."
"Make icha icha paradise novels for a living?" Naruto questioned, a foxy smile blooming on his face. "Naah, I can do that at the side. I want to stand on my own two feet first."
"And where would you work?"
"Anyplace that accepts a criminal jusitice degree."
Jiraiya nodded and ruffled his son's hair. "If you change your mind, come by my office."
Naruto's eyes widened. He has never been to Jiraiya's office before nor did he even know that Jiraiya had one. Heck, he always thought Jiraiya made the Icha Icha paradise in his bedroom or in bars.
"Here," Jiraiya told him, jotting down the address on a piece of paper situated near the phone.
Naruto took the piece of paper and rammed it into his pockets. "Will do, ji-ji." He made his way to the front door and pulled on his socks and tied up his shoe laces. Suddenly, a text message from Ino arrived. Something about a having a drink at Mad Dogs.
"Naruto," Jiraiya called out, a hint of fatherly concern on his face.
"Yeah." Naruto turned around to face the aging man.
"See Sakura about that hand. You can't keep on avoiding her."
"That's because I'm not," Naruto insisted, before turning to the door and exiting.
"What am I gonna do with that kid," Jiraiya voiced out to himself. "He can't keep running away."
"Good morning, Neji," Tenten said, breezing into Neji's office with two cups of hot green tea. Neji looked up at her and gave her his usual glare. "What?" she asked him, placing a cup on his desk. "I'm 10 minutes early."
"Where were you?" He demanded. Arms crossed.
"That's so sweet. So you went over to my house to see whether we could carpool."
"You didn't answer my question," he replied, taking a sip of the green tea.
"Wow. So, you really did come over to see if I needed a ride," she stated. Not that she was surprised. Neji may be a cold, emotionless guy but he is reasonable, and he takes care of his friends and family in his own way. "I was at Sasuke's," she replied, giving into his question.
"You slept over."
"Yeah." Tenten shrugged her shoulders. Neji did not look pleased. "What's the big deal? I'm sure Sakura sleeps over at your house," she defended. Neji was taken aback with that comment but hid it well. "See, I knew it," she voiced out again, her heart clenching slightly. She could read Neji like a book at times. "I just ate dinner with his family and fell asleep because I was too tired. Nothing happened."
Neji looked at her, scrutinizing her face. "hn."
"Geez Neji, you're worse than my dad." Neji gave her another one of his glares. Tenten smiled. "Loosen up will you." Neji ignored her statement and switched on his laptop. "So, what do you want me to do?"
He turned to face her and smirked. "I need you to mail these letters." He pointed towards a thick pile of letters on his desk. Tenten nodded, taking out a small notepad. It wouldn't hurt to be organised. "The envelopes aren't sealed. The addresses are inside."
"Ok so I'll have to address the letters, seal it, put stamps and go to post office." 'Great,' Tenten thought. There was about 40 letters to seal and deliver.
"We have despatch for that. They're on the 34th floor," Neji said, his voice monotone. Tenten nodded her head and jotted down the information. "There are 2 boxes of reports in your room. File them accordingly. If someone calls, extend the call to me. If I'm not in my room, ask them for their contact details."
"Ok."
"Call up these companies and fix a meeting with their CEO. My schedule and contacts are in my diary." He handed her a thick black leather book. "Duplicate it for your reference."
"Ok," tenten replied, scribbling the information down hurriedly.
"I've got a meeting at 1pm. You'll have to follow and write down the meeting's minutes," Neji continued. "After that, Chiaki-san will guide you on how to prepare agendas for the next meeting and how to make the necessary paperwork for me to approve the proposals and letters."
"You know this is the most I have ever heard you say in 2 minutes," the bun haired girl retorted, furiously writing on the notepad. Neji glared. "Is that all?" she asked.
"Hn…" Neji replied, watching her pick up the letters and black leather bound diary. Tenten struggled to carry them but Neji made no attempt to help her. "… for today." He smirked. "I decided to take it easy on you since it's your first day."
This time it was Tenten's turn to glare at him. "Great," she told him, sarcasm seeping through her teeth. She carefully made her way to her desk which was situated in front of Nejis' office and plunked the letters and diary on her desk. On the right side of her desk were two large boxes the size of a 35 inch TV. At the sight, she groaned. It was going to be a long day.
"Mademoiselle Ino," the French photographer acknowledged, breezing into the caravan where Ino did her hair and makeup. "You look beautiful as always," he smiled, his wrinkles crinkling around his eyes. Ino stood up from her seat and pecked each of his cheeks. "I talk to ze hair stylist and makeup artist. You are getting ze big hair and bold, red lips."
Ino smiled, nodding. From her experience, the hair and makeup plays a big role in how she should model. And from how her hair and face is to be done, the photo shoot requires ounces of confidence and sex appeal. "Come to ze set, when you are done, yes," the photographer continued.
"Of course." Ino nodded, strapping on a pair of red stilettos onto her long legs.
Two hours later, an exhausted model, pulled a black jumper over her thin frame. She had to endure the windy autumn breeze outdoors in a thin blouse and a tight black leather miniskirt. She was cold and hungry.
"Zat is all. The photoshoot is a wrap," the photographer announced and kissed Ino on both her cheeks. "It was wonderful working with such a professional."
"Thank you," Ino replied, smiling as she saw him walk away to talk to the other crew members. Her stomach rumbled and she took a peek at her wrist watch.
12.05pm
Since it is lunch time, maybe Gaara would be able to have lunch with her. However, she decided against it since the weekend's event where her parents caught them in a compromising position caused her to feel embarrassed. Ino bit her lip. 'Awkward or not, I'll face him and talk to him like nothing has happened," she thought. Besides, eating alone is always a sad thought. Anyway, Gaara was not the kind to feel embarrassed about something like that.
Red stilettos clicked against the white marble floor as Ino strolled through the airport towards the main office of the administrative staff. Heads turned as she passed by male admirers. She adjusted her tight miniskirt as it began to ride up her thighs as she walked. She likes attention but not when it was on her ass and not on her modelling work.
"Going for lunch," Ino asked the very pregnant secretary, pleasantly as she reached her destination. The main office consisted of several sections divided by large rooms. There were rooms for filing, for meetings, for the accountants, the human resource team and so much more. However, Gaara's room was at the far end of a long corridor where it is adjoined with a smaller room which belongs to his own personal secretary.
The secretary, who was tidying her handbag, looked startled at the sudden sight of the model. "Yes, with my husband," she briefly explained. "Can I help you with something, Yamanaka-san?"
"Please, call me Ino and I'll call you Miko," Ino smiled as she glanced at the woman's name plate.
"Alright," Miko replied, giving Ino a shy smile in return.
"Is Gaara in?"
"Yes," the secretary replied. "I'll tell him you're here." She attempted to pick up the phone but Ino stopped her from doing so.
"That won't be necessary. I'll just barge in and cause a scene," Ino stated.
"Barge in…" the two words left a bitter taste on the tip of the secretary's tongue. She could very well lose her job, or worse, have to face a very moody boss for the entire day.
Ino had to laugh at her horror stricken reaction. "I'm joking. I'll knock first." Ino walked to the pregnant woman and gently helped Miko from up off her chair. "Go for lunch. You're husband's waiting. " Miko looked at her uncertainly before giving her a slight wave and making her way out of the office.
Ino brushed the wrinkles from her skirt and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
At the soft, muffled words, Ino twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open slowly, revealing a slightly dishevelled Gaara buried in paperwork. "Do you want to have lunch?" ino asked, hopefully.
"Tomorrow," Gaara replied, not lifting his head in acknowledgement. He signed the document, tossed to the 'out' box and opened a new document.
"You'll only eat tomorrow?" ino stated her voice deadpan. Well, at least they were not awkward with one another.
Gaara did not answer but scribbled furiously on the document, circling a few mistakes here and there to be amended.
Ino glanced at him annoyed, and walked over to his desk. She bent over and pressed a palm on the papers in front of him which made him look up at her with a look of irritation and exhaustion. "You need a break."
"No, I don't," Gaara told her, glaring. Ino lifted her hand away and watched him scribble away again and, then, toss the document into the 'amend' box. "Do models even eat?"
Ino fixed him a defiant stare. "If you come, you'll find out."
Silence…
"It's just for an hour," she pestered.
"I don't have time."
"Then, we'll make time."
"How?" Gaara asked, finally, with his lips set in a grim line.
"You should delegate your work," Ino replied, thinking of a solution immediately. She picked up a file and waved it in front of the red head. "This can be taken care of by the accounting department." She picked up another file from his desk. "And why is there a list of potential employees on your desk especially for the cleaning crew." She raised an eyebrow. "HR should take care of this and narrow down the list. You don't even need to interview them. You should only interview the final 3 candidates of your administrative staff and make the selection yourself."
"I prefer to look through all the resumes myself."
"That's the thing. You don't have to. You hire people to do these jobs for you. Let them. If you worry too much about overworking them, give them extra bonuses at the end of the year or something," Ino breathed out, arms folded in front of her. "It's really very simple."
Gaara sighed. "Hn." He looked at her and tossed another file into the 'out' box.
"It's just one hour." She told him.
He sighed again, defeated as he stood up from his chair. "Hn."
Ino smiled as if she won the gold medal for the Olympics. She looped her arm around Gaara's who stiffed at the sudden contact. "You know, I sense a trust issue with you." Gaara sensed a migraine coming along, but somehow he felt somewhat happy. "I can give you the phone number of my therapist."
"You go to a therapist?" Gaara asked, slightly surprised that someone as confident as Ino would have troubles.
"It's good to talk to someone other than people you know sometimes. It gives you perspective." She replied, not really answering his question. "Where should we eat?"
"Anywhere."
Ino laughed. "Typical." Gaara glared at her. "Let's eat at the food court then. I feel like eating Sukiyaki." She, then, dragged Gaara to the direction of the food court.
Gaara, on the other hand, glanced sideways at Ino. She was not like any other female he has met. Tenten, Hinata and Sakura were pretty easy to figure out. But Ino, who seemed to look like a female who dines in expensive restaurants, suddenly wants to eat in a cafeteria. It seems like he needs to get to know Ino more.
Naruto's stomach rumbled. "I'm so hungry…" he complained, walking aimlessly on the streets. His interview went well but he could not stop thinking about Jiraiya's offer. In the end, after the interview ended he decided to look for his father's office but got lost instead. "It should be in this area," he complained, dragging his tired feet. He took the crushed piece of paper from inside his pocket and gave another glance. He was at the correct area. Suddenly, he stumbled upon a dark alleyway where a half-lit sign was seen dangling from its hinges 7 feet from the ground. It read Konoha Private Eye.
Peeking inside the alleyway, the blonde noticed an old man in a suit walk out of an iron door. Quickly, Naruto concealed himself behind a tree. As the old man was out of sight, Naruto took a closer look at the hidden door in the alleyway as curiosity got the best of him. He tried to open the door but there was no doorknob. Instead, there was a fingerprint door access that requires a combination of fingerprint verification, password and mechanical key before granted entry.
"You there?" A voice called out. Naruto spun around in shock but saw no one. "Yes, you," the voice continued.
Naruto, then, noticed the security camera disguised in an unused lighting fixture fixed directly above the iron door and a small black box located to the left of the door. 'the voice is coming from the box.' Naruto looked on amazed by the technology. Whatever this place was, it was important to be so well hidden from the public's eye.
"What do you want?" the voice repeated, impatient.
"I got the wrong place," Naruto announced, walking away. Something about this place screamed the yakuza. Whatever this place was, it would not be where Jiraiya's office was situated.
"Stop," the voice asked. "Where do you think you're going?"
"IA, Ohiraki of Konoha," Naruto replied, suddenly nervous. He should make a break for it. "Do you know where that is?" His mouth and legs were failing him. He should have just walked away.
Silence ensued and several voices could be heard at once. Arguing maybe or talking. Unexpectedly, the door knob twisted and the large iron door swung open slowly. "Kid…" a familiar voice broke the air. "What took you so long?"
Naruto looked on and his face broke out in a relieved smile. "Ji-ji," he replied relieved, entering the opened door. "I got lost."
Ten minutes later and Naruto was digging into his gyudon which consisted of beef and onion which was served over a bowl of rice. "Ji-ji," he spoke, mouth stuffed with food. "This is good."
"Eat slowly," JIraiya replied, eating his own gyudon.
Naruto quickly chewed his food and downed it with water. "What is this place?"
"This," Jiraiya started, chugging down a can of beer. "is my company."
"Your father never told you what he does?" a female asked.
Naruto shook his head. "Naah, I thought he writes perverted novels for a living," he stated, helping himself to another helping of gyudon.
"That's just for fun. I run a private investigative firm," Jiraiya explained. "Because of the amount of confidentiality required in my line of work, not many people know what I do." Jiraiya watched his son dig into his food. "I have three employees," he continued. "This is Konan. Nagato and Yahiko are out on a job."
"Hey," Konan replied. She was a stunning female in her late twenties with bright blue hair, grey eyes, labret piercing and wore a light blue paper flower in her hair. Although she had a neutral expression, her eyes were sombre something that Naruto was drawn into.
"Naruto," he introduced himself, grinning from ear to ear.
"I know," she replied, she pointed towards Jiraiya's office where a picture of a pre-pubescent Naruto and a graduation picture was seen hanging on a wall.
Naruto looked on surprised. "When did you come for my graduation?" Naruto demanded upon seeing his graduation picture. "You said you couldn't make it."
"I couldn't stay for long. I saw you walk up the stage, grab your scroll. I snapped a pic and then I had to go."
Naruto looked at him with a face of admiration. "You're going soft on me, old man."
"Shut up," the man told him, slightly embarrassed, thwacking Naruto behind the head with a rolled up newspaper.
"You should get that bandaged up," Konan articulated, nodding in the direction of Naruto's burn mark on his hand. She grabbed a health aid kit and took out a roll of bandage. She, then, proceeded to wrap his hand. "You should go to the hospital or a clinic to have it checked."
"I'll be ok," Naruto replied, gently.
All of a sudden, two men walked into the company pantry. "I need food," an orange-haired male voiced out, opening the fridge to grab 2 beers. He, then, thrust a can into his companion's chest. He had the same blue eyes as Naruto, a well built body and spiky hair.
Konan's eyes lit up at the sight of her friends. She prepared the gyudon into two bowls and set it on the table. Yahiko sat beside her and began stuffing the food in his mouth.
"The information has been acquired," a maroon-haired male said, opening the can of beer with a spoon. He was tall, lanky and skinny with a pair of the most strangest, beautiful eyes Naruto had ever seen. Naruto shifted his gaze as the said man looked at his direction.
"Good work," Jiraiya said, pleased. "Naruto, this is Nagato and the other is Yahiko."
"Yo," Naruto greeted them. Both Yahiko and Nagato nodded in acknowledgement. Nagato, then, proceeded to take a seat beside Naruto and ate his food quietly.
"What do you say, Naruto?" Jiraiya began. "You should work here."
Naruto looked at Jiraiya, a thoughtful expression on his face. "How's the pay?"
"It depends on the job," Yahiko butted in, taking a swig of his beer. "We work odd hours, the jobs tough but the pay is decent."
"we get between 200000 yen to 800000 yen per month," Konan replied.
"We could use you," Nagato pressed in his soft voice. "I heard you got a criminal justice degree."
A smile blossomed on Naruto's face. "Then… I'm in."
"Welcome to the team," Jiraiya explained. "I got a meeting to attend." he stood up from his seat. "Yahiko." The said man tilted his head up towards Jiraiya. "Show Naruto around."
"Sure thing, boss."
After a few chit-chats to get to know one another and more food, Naruto followed Yahiko around the company. Turns out the 2 storey building used to be a small abandoned yakuza hideout that was raided 40 years ago by the police.
"As you can see, security is very important here. We store a lot of information that is costly if leaked." Yahiko bought Naruto to the filing room situated at the far end of the building. The filing room had the same iron door and same security as the front door with an addition of a retinal scan. "Later, Nagato will give you the password and do what's necessary so you can pass through the security system. Technology is just not my thing." He shrugged, taking his retinal and fingerprint scan, then, punching in the password and using a special key hung around his neck to enter the filing room. "This is it," Yahiko stated. Naruto looked around the room. It was the size of his small apartment. Rows and rows of cabinets were seen against the walls some empty and some filled. At the right of the room are 3 medium sized desks, a computer, a printer and photocopy machine. "We're not allowed to take the original files outside. We only duplicate the originals as proof for the clients." Naruto nodded, taking in the sheer vastness of the room.
"Come on," Yahiko stated, taking him to an open room. "This is where we work when we're not on the field. That's your desk." He pointed at a corner table. Naruto had an L shaped desk with his own computer and printer. "We were expecting you," Yahiko replied, knowing that Naruto would ask how they would get all his office materials ready. "That's Konan's desk." He pointed at a desk across of Naruto's. "She does all the administrative work and accounts. Sometimes she goes on the field too when we need people." "That's mine and that empty one is Nagato's."
"Where's all his stuff?" naruto asked.
"He works in another room. I'll show you that next." The ginger-haired walked towards a spiral staircase and proceeded to climb it. "You know where your father's office is right?"
"Yeah across the pantry." The blonde replied. However, the pantry should be called a kitchen as it was equipped with a stove, oven, microwave and refrigerator. "Wow what is this room called?"
"This is Nagato's pride and joy," Yahiko explained cheerfully, walking towards his best friend and placing a hand on Nagato's shoulder. "We use this to track down our target or listen in on conversations and stuff." Naruto looked around in awe. There were 12, 29" computer monitors on the wall that was placed in a semi-circle. There was also many other high tech devices that Naruto could not even name. "Come on. Let's leave Nagato be."
Naruto followed his new found friend to another room. "You guys sleep here."
Yahiko nodded. "This is our second home." In the room were 2 bunk beds with 4 closets and a vanity mirror. "We spend more time here than our apartments. The bathroom is just across the hall." Naruto walked across the hallway to take a peek inside the bathroom. Everything was white and pristine. "I got to finish my report. Go to the room at the end, it's my fave. Konan will brief you about it."
"Sure," he replied, seeing Yahiko's retreating back. He, then, walked over to the room and upon seeing the opened door, entered without knocking. "Hey."
"Hey," Konan replied, seriously. "Where's Yahiko?"
"He said something about a report."
Konan smiled slightly. "Ah… take a look around."
Naruto did as he was told. This, he guessed, was where they kept their equipment. There was a wide array of infrared equipment, night vision gear, audio bugs, car tracking devices, spy cameras, investigative detective kits and fiber scopes. "Wow," he breathed out. "You guys are the real deal."
"Nagato will teach you how to use them later," she told him. "There is one more room to check out." And that room was the small dojo which contained a large mat, a punching back, weights, a gym climbing rope and a treadmill. "We're not allowed to carry weapons. So we are required to learn martial arts. You need to practice a minimum of an hour a day to keep your body fit."
"No problem."
"This job has its downsides. It gets dangerous," Konan told him, gravely. "You need to be prepared." From the unsmiling eyes of Konan, Naruto knew she was not joking.
"I think you scared him," Nagato spoke out, leaning against wall.
Naruto laughed nervously, massaging his neck. "Is she always this serious?"
Nagato's eyes flickered to Konan's figure. "Not always."
"Well I guess I'll leave him to you," Konan verbalized to Nagato.
"Hn," the strange-eyed man replied. "Come, Naruto. I'll teach you how to use these equipments."
"Yosh," Naruto exclaimed in a Lee-like manner. Nagato's eyes twinkled in amusement at his child-like enthusiasm.
A blonde model was seen entering Mad Dog.
"Shino," Ino called out, excited. "Did you bring Sue's new home?" She plopped her clutch on the bar table and sat on the stool beside Shino. "Hey Kiba."
Kiba gave her a canine-like grin. "What would it be?" he asked. The only customers he had so far were Shino and now Ino.
Akamaru sensing a friendly, new female in their midst came on trudging towards Ino for a pet. "I'll get a thirsty dog," she told him, stroking the dog's belly.
"Now, that's my kind of girl," Kiba nudged Shino, who smirked at him in return.
"Akamaru likes you," Shino declared. He carried a ten gallon fish tank with a locking mesh screen top and placed it on the bar top.
"Animals seem to love me." Ino smiled. "As do most men." She gave a wink to Kiba who winked back. Shino looked at both of his friends antics, amused. "So, what do you have for me?"
"This is a fish tank with a locking mesh screen top. Always secure it. Spiders have a tendency of escaping," Shino explained, patting the object. "I got you a heating pad which is to be placed at the bottom of the tank. You don't need lighting, normal room light is sufficient."
"The natural habitat should be between 21 to 29 degrees Celsius, right?"
"Hn," Shino agreed, impressed by her knowledge. Not many people knew that. "I got you a sack of eco earth. The bottom of the tank should have 1 to 3cm of substrate. And a shallow dish for water."
"Thanks," Ino said, in gratitude. "So all I need to get is a hiding place and some natural decorations."
Shino nodded, in agreement. "I'll place these items in the back. Before you leave, I'll help you load it in your car."
"I didn't drive," she replied. "My house is a block away, so I walked."
"In that case, I'll drive you home and help unload the items."
Ino smiled. "Thanks."
Kiba placed her thirsty dog on the counter. "Shino hardly ever talks that much to anyone he just met."
"Like I said most men just love me," Ino smiled, dangerously, placing her head on Shino's strong shoulder.
Kiba roared with laughter. "I hear ya."
Cough… Cough…
The 3 companions turned towards the sound. It was Gaara, Sasuke and Hinata. Ino perked up at the sight of them. "Hey guys. Did you carpool?" she replied, looking at them one at a time. Shino noticed the glare Gaara was giving him and Kiba. Instead of being phased, Kiba shot Gaara an innocent look while Shino maintained a neutral expression. Shino, then, proceeded to pick up the fish tank and placed it in the storage room.
"So what will it be?" Kiba asked them, as his three friends sat at the counter.
"Two dogs. Apple brew," Hinata said, in a small voice. She was surprised that Sasuke chose to sit next to her instead of Ino. However, Hinata then realised it was due to the fact that Gaara took a seat on Ino's left side while Shino occupied the right seat.
"Beer," Gaara voiced out.
"Beer," Sasuke said, his voice monotone.
Kiba took out three glasses poured their drinks and placed it on the counter. "Drink up."
The bell tinkled and Sakura walked into the bar with Lee. "Kiba make it a Black Jack and cola. It's been a long day."
"Beer for me." Lee flashed Kiba a double thumbs up.
"Nice try, Lee. I'll get you a coke," Kiba retorted. After he trashed his bar four years ago, he did not dare to give Lee even a drop of alcohol.
Lee gave him a crestfallen look. "It was worth a go."
"Never give him even a drop of alcohol. It took 3 men to prevent Lee from wrecking havoc to my bar," he warned Sasuke and Ino.
"Really," Ino inched forward, a sign of her interest. "You mean it took 3 weak men to stop Lee."
Kiba faked a hurt expression. "I don't think Shino, Gaara and I are weak." He laughed. "Lee is inhumanely strong. The black band that Lee wears around his wrist and ankles are actually 80kg's each. Once those are off and he's drunk, it's impossible to even stop him. We have to wait till he gets exhausted and pass out."
"Such exaggeration," Lee replied, although it was the truth.
Sasuke looked at Lee in surprise, not even concealing the emotion from his face. No wonder Gai hesitated when Sasuke won the arm wrestling match. If Gai had asked Lee to take of his arm weights, Sasuke would have a hard time beating Lee and getting their approval of him being with Tenten. His girlfriend was right, his father and Lee must have taken a liking towards him.
Sakura took her drink and Lee's drink from the counter and sat down at a table near the bar since there was no available stool.
"We're not late," a bun haired girl exclaimed, bursting through the door with an annoyed looking Hyuuga.
"How do you know if you're late?" Kiba asked his two newly arrived friends. He took a clean cloth and cleaned the insides of his glasses.
"Ino's not pissed," Tenten told him, matter-of-factly, pointing towards the blonde female.
Ino rolled her eyes at the comment. "Haha. Very funny."
"Two beers," Neji articulated to Kiba, earning a nod from Tenten.
Kiba smiled to signify that he heard his order. "You waiting for someone," Kiba asked Ino, as he was preparing another two more beers for Tenten and Neji. "You didn't touch your drink yet."
"Yeah. I'm waiting for Naruto and another friend of mine," Ino replied, taking a glance at the door every now and then. If there's something she hates, it's being stood up.
"I'm going to join Sakura at the table," Ino announced, moving away from her seat and towards the other table.
Sasuke watched Hinata take a sip of her drink. She looked nervous tonight. Maybe that was due to him choosing to sit beside her and not making an attempt at small talk. He took a box set from inside his backpack, placed it on the counter and slid it towards her direction. "It's overdue," he stated, watching her look at him in surprise.
"How did you know I'd be here?" she asked him, in a soft voice.
"An educated guess," he answered.
She lit up at the sight of her idol, Kurenai's signature. "Thank you," she told him, sincerely, her eyes bright. She looked at him and took out a small jar from inside her pouch. "Here," she placed it on a counter. "As a token of my gratitude."
Sasuke took the jar from the table and twisted the lid over. It seemed a sort of ointment of some kind. "What is it?" he asked her.
"It's a salve," Hinata replied, her eyes showing excitement. "It can be used on cuts, bruises, insect bites and sun burns."
"You made this," Sasuke asked impressed.
Hinata nodded as Sasuke twisted the lid on the jar to a close. "I use natural ingredients like honey, aloe vera and lavender."
Gaara intercepted their conversation. "Hinata and Shino co-own a botanical garden and a green house."
"We create natural remedies for sale at the side," Shino replied, joining into their conversation.
"What do you mainly do?" Sasuke asked, taking a sip of beer.
"I deal with insects. Most orchards and farms uses pesticide to protect their produce from insects," Shino explained, adjusting his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. "Hinata and I are researching on how insects are vital to the quality of their produce."
HInata smiled. "The salve helps fuel the research."
"Hinata helps Shino, here, because of his lack of knowledge on flora," Kiba cut in.
"Refill," Lee said, slamming the glass on the counter, ending the conversation
"Sure thing," Kiba replied.
"Where is that dobe?" Sasuke, wondered out loud.
"I was wondering the same thing," Gaara agreed.
"So… Tenten…" Sakura started.
"Yeah." She took a swig of her beer and set it on the table.
"How did you convince Neji to come?" Sakura asked, curious. "Even I can't convince him to do something if he decided not to."
"Easy." Tenten smiled. "I told him if he's not socialising with us, Lee's going to train with him this weekend."
"Hey," Lee protested.
"Sorry, Lee." Tenten laughed.
"How was your first day as Neji's secretary," Ino asked.
"Tough. He's a drill sergeant." Neji glared at Tenten.
Sakura smiled. "So..."
"What is it?" Tenten asked her, taking a sip from her beer.
"You're not asking Sasukekun to come join us," Sakura wondered.
Tenten looked in the direction of Sasuke who was in conversation with HInata, Gaara, Shino and Kiba. "Naah," Tenten replied. "He's good."
"So, I heard from Lee you didn't come home last night," Sakura uttered, moving her chair closer to Tenten's. "Tell me everything."
The bun-haired girl shrugged. "I met his family and I slept over."
"Pfft," Ino responded. "You're leaving out all the juicy stuff."
Lee gulped his coke not leaving a single drop. "I need a refill," he stated, not wanting to hear about his sister's bedroom conquest.
"Is this even necessary," Neji replied, against the idea.
"I'm telling you the truth," Tenten continued. "It's just sleep. Nothing more happened."
"Naruto present." A blonde announced, saving Tenten from more of Ino's and Sakura's questions. "Look who I bumped into outside the bar." Naruto sidestepped out of the way to reveal an irritated Shikamaru. Naruto and Tenten both knew Shikamaru as Ino talked about him sometimes and he would come in the summer to hang out with them as well as with Ino. Sasuke, although, in the same social group with them never met Shikamaru because he would be on set during the period the pineapple-head visited. However, Shikamaru was Sasuke's company's lawyer which was how Sasuke knew him. Sure Shikamaru was young but he was a genius.
Ino looked both pleased yet pissed. Sure she was happy that they came eventually but she was pissed that they kept her waiting. She, finally, took a sip of her thirsty dog drink. "Naruto…" Ino made her way to the two men and stood before them, hands on hips. "Shika…" she exclaimed out loud, her gaze shifting from one to another. "Why are you late?"
Naruto fell to his knees while Shikamaru stood, lazily, with his hands in his pocket. "Troublesome," he muttered, knowing very well that Ino's anger would increase 100 fold with those words. Naruto expression showed fear at the sight of Ino's glowering face.
"Remind me to never get on Ino's bad side," Kiba whispered to Shino.
Sasuke, on the other hand, smirked at seeing his best friend get into trouble. Yep, it was worth coming here tonight.
Gaara, on the other hand, felt uneasy at the sight of Shikamaru. Gaara knew very well who he was since Shikamaru handled some of his company's affairs. Hearing Ino speak of Shikamaru's name affectionately made him wonder what Shikamaru was to Ino.
"Shikamaru kneel down," Naruto fiercely whispered to his friend. "She's pissed." Not wanting to wait a minute longer, Naruto hit the back of Shikamaru's knee forcing the man to kneel. "Forgive us."
"No, you two deserve some form of punishment," Ino stubbornly articulated.
"Then, punish us with this," Naruto said, making Shikamaru whip around to look at him in irritation and surprise. In Naruto's hand was a black leather whip.
"Where the hell did you get that?" Shikamaru demanded, immediately regretting to agree meeting Ino at the bar.
"It's in Ji'ji's secret stash," Naruto whispered back.
"Baka," Shikamaru retorted, feeling very much in danger.
"Dobe," Sasuke looked on amused. 'A whip huh. This is getting good.'
Ino sighed taking the black whip from Naruto's hands. "Honestly Naruto first spanking now this." Ino held the black handle in her right hand, and letting the braided lash fall to the ground.
"Seriously," Sakura announced aloud. "You boys are enjoying this a little too much." She said, noticing how the male recipients were giving their unwavering attention in Ino's direction. Tenten shrugged, quite used to Ino's punishing antics.
Ino, who was wearing a tight black leather skirt, the same white blouse and red stilettos, looked like a sexual sadist especially with a whip in her grasp. She balanced the whip in the hand, testing the weight of it. Then, without warning she lifted the handle and whipped it against the floor, making a cracking sound at the end of the throw.
Naruto, Lee and Kiba's nose began to bleed as they had a mental image of how Ino would be like in the bedroom. On the other hand, Shikamaru, Gaara and Shino flushed red. Neji and Sasuke's mouths hung open for a few seconds before appearing unaffected by the entire ordeal.
"Thanks for the image, man," Kiba expressed to the soon-to-be dead Naruto, wiping his blood away with a tissue.
"No problem," Naruto replied, his voice cracking in fear.
"What happened to your hand?" Ino asked Naruto, suddenly concerned with the bandage on his arm and his swollen lips.
"I burnt myself with coffee this morning."
"Is that so…" Ino replied, pacing back and forth between the two men. "And Shika where were you?"
"Work," he stated.
"Hmmm…" Ino looked at Naruto, thoughtfully. "I'll let you off the hook since you had a bad day," she pointed her whip in Naruto's direction. "Have Sakura take a look at that hand."
Naruto smiled, victoriously. "Sakurachan," he whined, walking towards Sakura.
"And you." Ino pointed her whip to a still kneeling Shikamaru. "I wanted to introduce you to my friends. You're lucky none of them have gone back home."
"I know everybody in this room," Shikamaru said, pulling himself back. "Kiba." He walked in the direction to the bar. "Beer."
"Shika," Ino called out. "Why didn't you just say so?" she broke up into a smile. "Everybody, Shika is my childhood friend," she announced.
"Troublesome." Shikamaru said, knowing very well Ino did not given him a chance to.
Somehow, at Ino's words, Gaara felt relieved. He did not want to admit it, but he had grown accustomed to the blond.
Sakura took Naruto to a table at the far end of the bar, wanting to be alone with him. She cut off his bandages and took a look at his burn. "It's not serious," she told Naruto, examining his hand. "Since I'm not in the hospital I don't have the proper medicine but Hinata's salve would do the trick," she explained, taking her own jar of salve that Hinata gave her a few weeks ago. "You're still clumsy," she muttered, softly.
Naruto gave her a foxy grin. "I'm a natural klutz." He watched her, rub the ointment on his red skin.
"I'll rub a little onto your lips. Make sure you don't digest it," Sakura warned, her fingers gently touching his lips with the salve. "All done." He sighed inwardly, as the feeling of her touch made his heart pitter patter. After four year, his heart still ached for her.
"You've been avoiding me," Sakura stated, screwing the lid shut.
"I haven't," Naruto explained, too nervous to look into her eyes. "I've found a job," he changed the subject.
Sakura smiled. "You have that's great. What does the company do?"
"It researches about people's behaviour," Naruto concealed, knowing that he could not give too much detail.
Sakura nodded still smiling. "You should have told me when you left for Tokyo."
Naruto rubbed his neck. "It's just for 4 short years. I'm back now, aren't I?"
Sakura looked at him uncertainly. "You're right… When did you get the tattoo?"
"In my second year in university, I made a bet with teme and lost." He shrugged.
"What was the bet about?" Sakura leaned in, interested in the story.
"I'll tell you another time," Naruto told her, grinning. "Lee's about to make a toast." He nodded in Lee's direction. Sakura and Naruto made their way towards Ino, Neji and Tenten.
Lee stood on a chair, raising a glass to the air and tapping it with a spoon for everybody's attention. "I'd like to make a toast on lying, stealing, cheating and drinking." Everybody proceeded to raise their glasses.
"No youth. Are you sure he's not drunk," Naruto whispered to Sakura who giggled.
"If you're going to lie, lie for a friend," Lee mentioned, glass still raised. "If you're going to steal, steal a heart. If you're going to cheat, cheat death and if you're going to drink, drink with me." Lee beamed. Tenten looked on at him with pride. Lee sure has matured in the past 4 years. "To youth."
"Youth," Everybody chimed, downing whatever was left of their drinks in one go.
"To Fridays," Lee cheered again.
"Fridays," everybody chimed once again.
"What's on Fridays?" Naruto asked.
"That's when everyone will meet up with each other on a weekly basis," Lee replied, a toothy grin on his face.
"When did we agr-" Shikamaru trailed off as Ino shot him a warning look.
"That's a great idea, Lee," Tenten agreed, shooting a look towards Sasuke, Neji and Gaara, daring them to say otherwise. No one dared to disagree.
Soon, Kiba and Lee linked 3 tables together. Hinata, Sasuke, Gaara , Shikamaru and Shino, then, joined the others at the table. After that, Kiba hung the 'closed' sign at the window and locked the front door before joining the others. It wasn't long before the table was filled with laughter and conversations.
And in friendship did they find heaven.
However, soon, all will be tested.
Surely in life, a little rain must fall.
TBC…
Lee's toast was from an anonymous quote online.
This chapter is seriously long. It's too make up for all the lost time. I got exams but I will try to update inbetween them.
Thank you for reading.
Please review.