Hope you all had a great time with your respective holidays and New Years! :D
Sorry again for being so late, I was a bum over winter break. .
Remember, when it's Naruto's point of view, he will obviously think of himself as a man, but when it is the point of view of others, they will think and describe Naruto as a woman. That is all!
Well, here's the update, hope you enjoy!
"Don't tell me. Don't tell me! He's..he's..the man in charge of shipping the metal!" Naruto exclaimed loudly.
"Yes, Naruto-san, that is c-correct." Naoki replied softly, a small smile lingering on his face.
"Four days and I already know all the officials that I will have to deal with!. Not to mention that ridiculously complex system of hierarchy you have amongst your businesses memorized. Stated Naruto happily, not at all ashamed to toot his own horn. He had been 'training' with Naoki intensively this past week in order to get better acquainted with their partnership. He had not expected Naoki-san to be such a great teacher. It also didn't hurt that when Naruto retired for the day, he would bust out a few clones to go over the materials. Hey, I'm just using my resources! He justified mentally. It was an added plus too, since it gave him an excuse to release some of that stale chakra in his system; Kyuubi had been quite satisfied. Naruto just had to be careful as to not let too much out. His signature was a bit hard to ignore, so he had to keep himself in check, especially around such keen Uchiha. Damn, it feels good though.
"Y-y-yes, quite impressive, Naruto-san. The quickness in which you learnt this information is v-very impressive."
Rubbing the back of his slim neck, Naruto grinned widely, he couldn't help but feel proud of himself. He was usually really bad with information regarding specific business matters, it was a subject he could never fully wrap his head around, but he was surprisingly on top of his game. It was totally different regarding the memorization of a new skill, if you gave him a new chakra technique or handed him a new hand sign scroll, he'd be on it quick and wouldn't sleep until he figured it out. He had a certain list of priorities, and the memorization of business matters were not usually on the top of that list, but he wanted to succeed in this new assignment either way.
"Thanks! It's due to the nature of your teachings. If only I had such patient teachers while I was in primary school." Naruto joked lightly, taking note of Naoki's humbled nod. Putting a hand to his stomach, he felt the deep hollowness of hunger. Dusting off his bum, he got up from the wooden bench in which he had been studying on and stretched contently, ignoring the slight flush that appeared on Naoki's face. It had been an extremely productive day. Breathing deeply he took in the particular set of smells that accompanied this place. They were in one of Naoki's shops, close to his home. It was a large building filled with working men and loud machinery, but they had found a mostly empty work room in which they could discuss their plans. Noting that it had been more than six hours since he had last snagged some food, Naruto reasoned it was an adequate time to eat.
"Well, I think those mysterious meals are awaiting for me back at the compound." Naruto said with mock suspicion, but actually excited to go to his 'home' and dig into whatever was laid out on the table. Madara wasn't kidding about food being prepared for him at least three times a day. He also noticed that at times there would pastries, or bowls of sliced fruits mysteriously on the table in between meals. It was quite interesting that they appeared about the time Naruto become hungry for a snack. How they knew was a mystery to him, but he didn't feel like delving too much into the matter. It wouldn't surprise him to know that low ranking ninja were assigned to regularly check up on him; it was common protocol after all.
Bowing slightly to Naoki, he headed out the door and through the main exit, waving at a few workmen who returned his gesture with polite nods or surprised smiles. Naruto was slowly striking up conversations with a few of them, it was interesting to find out what their backgrounds were. It didn't hurt that he was this exotic woman with a pretty set of eyes, and a hard-to-ignore hourglass figure. He had already received a confession from a young man in his teens just yesterday. The kid was cute, but way too young for him. No jailbait for me, thankyou verymuch. Not to mention he didn't think it was smart to have a romantic relationship at this time. Who knew how long he would end up staying. I'm close though, I can feel it. He mentally chanted.
He could feel Madara slowly loosening up; at least as to how he had originally met him. Naruto saw him now and again when they had to meet, but that was mainly work-related. It was hard at times due to Naruto mostly being in Naoki's shops or in one of the many meetings he attended, but Naoki had promised that after the preliminary round of work, there would be less tasks in which Naruto had to be involved with; since most of it was handled by Naoki and Madara themselves. All that Naruto mostly did was just as he had been titled: he assisted. It was relatively easy and it didn't hurt that he got paid for it, which Naruto was extremely happy for. He felt bad paying people with imaginary money or having to pick pocket the random passerby's on the street.
Stepping out onto the street he bee-lined for the sleeping quarters in which he lived, stomach protesting its emptiness. "Yeah, yeah, give me a few seconds." He muttered to himself. Looking around to make sure no one was paying him any attention, he hopped on the closet building and began roof hoping, arms swaying behind him in the typical running pose. He didn't worry about being caught since he had gotten this down to a science, requiring no chakra of any kind, but still having the speed and ability to blur in and out of vision. I'm good, what can I say? Naruto thought cockily, then smiled as he saw the shimmering rooftops of the dignitary district. Reaching his destination in less than a minute he slowed down and headed for the one assigned specifically to him.
Landing on his own roof, he slid down to the ground and straightened his shoulders, adjusting his pale green kimono. Walking up the steps he slid the door open and was met with a plethora of delicious smells that had his mouth watering. Slipping off his shoes he sat at the table and devoured what tasted like some type of spiced pork, then continued to eat the grilled fish, and the several servings of rich soup which accompanied it. It was funny to note that when these foods first began appearing, only one or two plates of a measly meal would be arranged on the table. To any other person this would have been plenty of food, but that was not the case for Naruto. He had complained loudly, but not done much to change it. After a few days of this, he couldn't help it anymore and had written a sincere and kind note and had attached it to his front door, addressing it to whoever it may have concerned. Going to sleep hungry that night as always, he had awoken to a variety of breakfast choices, to which he had gladly eaten them all.
Finishing up his meal, he cleanly arranged the dishes on a neat pile near the end of the table. He had tried washing the plates one day, and stacked them on the fancy little china cabinet they had, only for them to have gone the next day. So Naruto had stopped trying and simply tried to make it easier for whoever picked up after him; it made him feel like he was at a 24-hour restaurant, or an upscale hotel.
It felt nice not to have to worry about chores like dishes though, but it felt weird at the same time. He was used to being so self-sufficient that having, what was essentially a maid, look after him was so foreign. Heading to his room he collapsed on the fluffy mass of pillows and blankets that was his bed. Adjusting his arms to cross and cup the back of his head he laid there languidly, letting his body relax for just a moment. It was good to be busy again. His back wasn't killing him anymore. What a good bra can do. He thought with amusement. When he had ventured into his closet one day, he had found several changes of clothes as well as feminine undergarments either neatly folded or hung in his closet. Once again, how they knew his size he did not fathom, but it was a load off Naruto's to-do list so he let it be. Plus I can simply change into a kimono instead of having to transform into it. Visual jutsu like that were always pains in the ass.
With a cat-like body stretch, Naruto got up from his bed and started getting ready for a venture towards one of their private training grounds; he had promised Madara to a quick spar. It had been almost two days since their last one, though the direction of the spars had been changing slightly over time. What started off as a simple excuse to punch something, for both of them, turned into something more…educational? Madara would slow down randomly during an execution of moves and give tips to Naruto; which he annoyingly accepted. Of course Naruto wasn't going to go all-out, he didn't want a dead Uchiha on his hands; well, at least not as much as he thought. Soooo, Naruto had to grin and bear it, and try not to flinch every time the young Uchiha tried to be helpful.
It irked him to admit it, but the kid had a pretty good fighting form, and a few, very few, were actually pretty helpful. Leave it to the Uchiha to achieve mastery at such a young age. Not perfect, but very close. Which scared Naruto, when he was nineteen his form was far from being this good, if he had to say it, Madara was close to reaching perfection. "Well, at least pertaining to the Uchiha taijutsu technique." Every clan had its own unique fighting style, so to say a person reached mastery was difficult to say unless you were actually in the clan.
Going into his closet, he grabbed a pair of what he considered as sparring clothes, and to what was actually chore-work clothing, but his keepers didn't need to know that, which wasn't important since they probably did anyway. After a short fight with his hair, he successfully put it into a high ponytail and headed out, it was fun to keep Uchiha men waiting, but it wasn't worth their bitchin. With that last thought, he headed out the back door and jogged to an awaiting Madara, wondering what he had in store for her today.
A few hours later…
"The hell was that all about?!" Naruto exclaimed, almost ripping the shoji door off it's frame. Collapsing on the living room sofa, Naruto let out another irritated groan, digging his hands into his hair. Madara had been super pissy today, and not to mention so god-damn annoying. Kicking his shows off messily, he ruffled his bangs out of his face, and huffed indignantly. But what Naruto meant as pissy and annoying was more along the lines of Madara being ridiculously nice and not even attacking him properly. There were so many openings in which Madara could have easily taken him down, but noooo, Madara had to 'accidently' keep missing, or happened to swing too slowly. It was all so ridiculous and a complete waste of his time. Sparring is important, it shouldn't be a joke! Naruto thought angrily, he hated to throw a good match.
Starring at the ornate things around him, he couldn't help be reminded of their bout earlier. Heavens, not to mention that weird favor he asked me. Naruto thought mentally, A dinner? With his family no less. It wouldn't be se irritating if it hadn't been for his awkward behavior during their whole routine, but there was little that angered Naruto more than beating around the bush. I mean, how hard was it to ask a question? Seriously.
Forcing himself to relax on the sofa, he closed his eyes and forced himself to take a nap, he could think about this situation later. So I can waste even more time. He thought with contempt.
Earlier that day…
Madara dodged another one of Naruto's quick melee hits, jumping over her frame and faking a kick to her shins, which she quickly dodged and did a quick one-two combo to his side.
"Oomph." Madara groaned, trying to hide a pained grimace. He blurred out of her vision and stood a little farther back, analyzing her stance. He noticed she was favoring her right leg, a deep bruise starting to blossom below her left knee.
"When you strike, try to vary your movements, otherwise an opponent will repeatedly hit you in the same area." He said, indicating the nearly black bruise.
Naruto nodded stiffly, then ran at him and they continued to exchange blows. Madara noticed she was become more and more sloppy, a scowl on her delicate features. After a failed attempt at disabling him, she rolled away from him, then stood up and slowly started dusting herself off; soft comments flying quickly from her lips, comments that he couldn't quite pick up. Preparing for his next bit of advice, he went still as she gave the sign that indicated the end of a session; hand clenched in a fist, positioned over a downward open-faced palm.
Releasing his fighting form, he relaxed and walked over to her, only he was stopped by her palm. Cocking his eyebrow, he gave her a quizzical look.
"Okay, you're going to have to tell me what has been on your mind. Or what you have been thinking lately, or whatever has got you acting so strange, it is seriously getting on my nerves." She uttered through clenched teeth, eyes drilling into his own. For whatever reason, even though she seemed irritated by him, he couldn't help but fight the swell of emotions those intense eyes stirred in him. Coughing to clear to the mysterious lump that was now in his throat he regained his composure.
"Meaning?" He replied simply, genuinely wondering what had caused such a reaction.
Sighing exuberantly, she gestured at the field around her violently. "This!" Then pointed angrily at him, "And YOU!" She ruffled her bangs quickly, a tick he noticed she did when she was upset. "First, you change the location of our sparring area to something, I don't know, more pretty? Then, you start giving me all this advice, which I appreciate, but you've been going way overboard with it. Lastly, don't even think for a second that I don't know you've been holding back, it's infuriating! What, you think because you're an Uchiha I don't deserve to face you at your highest? Because frankly, it is insulting." She finished, crossing her arms and scowling deeply, eye filled with rage.
Taken aback by her outburst, he could only reply with an, "Oh."
Which caused Naruto to cock her head sharply at him, not accepting that as an adequate response.
Realizing how he must look, Madara forced himself to walk slowly towards her, taking deliberate steps as to not anger her. He felt as if he was nearing a wild animal, preventing any quick movements as to cause her to bolt away, or in her case, bolt at him.
Taking a deep breath he tried to make eye contact with her, but couldn't take the steady gaze of those brilliant blue gems, so he chose to simply look at the wild ponytail that was slowly starting to unravel atop her head.
"You are right. I have…changed my behavior these past few days…It concerns my father, and a a very soft-spoken demand, actually." He said, unsure as to how to word the mental war that had been going on in his head this week.
Sensing his internal battle, he observed how she relaxed slightly, still mad, but less so. Hoping that he could finish his thoughts without hesitation, he let his gaze wonder down to her bangs.
"It is a simple request that I ask of you, which there really is only one appropriate answer to." He said blandly, faking his cool demeanor. Continuing to drop his gaze, now at her slightly arched eyebrows.
"I would l-like. Well, that is, my father, or rather, well…actually." With a quick mental pep talk, he dropped his gaze further down until he met her eyes. "Would you perhaps have time to dine with my family tonight?" Madara all but spat out, gauging her reaction, clenching his toes in anticipation. After a pregnant pause, all that Naruto uttered was an, "Oh."
She dropped her crossed arms and looked at him with a confused face, teeth biting into her lower lip in bewilderment.
"Yes..." Was all he could reply with.
"Ahhh. So, that was the cause of your actions?" She said slowly, waiting for him to confirm.
Madara simply nodded.
"Then..why didn't you just say so?"
Madara stood quietly, not really sure how to answer that question.
With a hopeless sigh, Naruto scratched her forehead lightly, "The swings in your personality really throw me off-balance sometimes. It's quite infuriating." She commented.
The feelings mutual. Madara thought sardonically.
After a nod to herself, Naruto 'hmphed' and walked away from the field. After she was almost too far away from hear shot, she looked back and yelled over her shoulder, "I'll let you know." She shouted and slowly walked away from him, ponytail now completely loose and following her movements.
Madara stood there, not sure if he was more anxious than before, or relieved he had this problem off his chest. This really didn't do much, since she hadn't responded at all. Just a vague answer, which did little to help his situation. I need to know soon. He thought with urgency. His father had been subtly asking about their dinner arrangements these past few days, to which Madara would repeatedly reply that Naruto was still too caught up in learning the ropes of her new role. Of course that was only partially true, but for some reason he did not want Naruto to meet his family, let alone his father.
Which was strange for him to think, for Tajima was not a cruel man, he was a tough clan leader, but never cruel or tyrannical. He had an uncanny faith in Madara that made him swell with pride, but also instilled a certain uncomfortable-ness within him. People that are regarded highly rarely ever lived up to their expectations, but Madara wanted to avoid that. He would one day become heir, and to be respected by all was always a pleasure he enjoyed, but he did not admit, always caused him a bit of anxiety.
Sighing with exhaustion, he went and picked up the armor he had been wearing before the match. He had patrolled the compound earlier in search of the strange wild beasts that sometimes roamed these lands, but had found nothing, it was a delicacy his father enjoyed very much, he thought that if perhaps he caught one he could prepare it for his father and put him in good spirits. Unfortunately, as with his luck this week, he had failed in retrieving any type of animal, excluding the small rabbits.
Sealing it within the storage scroll he carried with him at all times, he headed back to his own lodgings, hoping that a long soak could release some of the knots that had been paining him this past week.
Waking up from his nap, Naruto groggily made his way to the bathroom and rinsed off his face. A tired woman stared back at him. He noticed that his hair was in complete disarray, tufts of it sticking at odd places. Trying his best to smooth it down, he rinsed his mouth and spat it into the basin. "Why don't I look this good when I'm a man, damnit?" He cursed angrily at the reflection staring back at him. Even though he was in no presentable condition, this female form was still highly attractive, even with drool staining the corner of her mouth and bangs sticking to her forehead.
With a final once-over, he deemed himself presentable and headed to his room. Picking a pale yellow kimono, he dressed quickly and headed out the door to find Madara. The small nap he took had helped him calm down and clear his mind. He realized it wouldn't be such a bad idea to meet the parents of the man who would affect Konoha so much in the future. They might even give him strategic clues on how to complete his self-assigned mission.
Nodding optimistically he headed out the main door and began walking to the center of the Uchiha compound. For once he could actually sense Madara's chakra. It was pulsing slightly, fading in and out of his senses, but surprisingly clear. Fearing that this stroke of luck would run out soon, be picked up his pace and followed Madara's chakra signature more urgently.
Speed-walking past faces, he rarely saw any he recognized, most were what seemed like patrol squads while others were walking, if not running; most likely late to a debriefing or team assignment. That was me only a few weeks ago. He thought with a bit of jealousy. Sighing wistfully, Naruto started jogging slightly to the energy location he had locked onto. It was beginning to dim and recede within itself, whatever activity or technique Madara had been doing was now most likely completed.
With a quick turn of his heel, he found himself facing a small, compact building. A dark blue, lettered sign, simply decorated its front.
'PROCESSING,' was all it said. It was small and almost hard to see, but it was there. With a careless shrug, he walked through the doors, huffing slightly with exertion.
"Maaan, a little on the heavy side." He whispered to them surprisingly. With an audible 'thump!' they shut behind him, sealing the light that had pooled in when he had entered. Blinking rapidly, he realized how dim it was in the building. No windows adorned the walls to let in the sunshine, or any overhanging lamps to beat back the darkness. Only a few torches lined the walls, flickering with the sudden gust of wind that the shutting of the front doors caused. The dancing fire caused wicked-looking shadows to flit back and forth between the dark hallways. One led to his left, one directly in front of him, and one to his right. It was an oddly chilling atmosphere, he got the feeling that he wasn't supposed to be here.
Well, technically I'm not supposed to even exist here. He thought with slight amusement. Snorting arrogantly, he headed forward. No use in turning back now.
Walking down the hallways slowly he followed the weakening signal that was Madara's chakra signature. It was growing fainter by the minute, worriedly, Naruto began to take longer strides, for some reason feeling as if he did not get to that energy point in time, he would be out of luck in finding the young Uchiha any time soon.
Stopping abruptly, he swiveled smoothly to his right, facing the only door he had seen in the expanse of the hallway. Not exactly knowing the protocol for this specific building, he raised his hand and simply knocked thrice. Gnawing on his bottom lip with anxiousness, he waited.
Silence.
Raising his hand again, he got one knock in before the door was swung open, a stoic face now peering at him, no indication of emotion on his face. He seemed oddly familiarly, his bone structure ringing out to Naruto as if he had met him already.
"Uhm…hi, I, uh…"
"Naruto-san. Of course." The previously intimidating face, completely changing into a more friendly one.
"Please, come in." The young man said softly but warmly, but Naruto couldn't help but note a slightly mocking tone to it. Stepping aside for him, Naruto walked through and stood awkwardly to the side, waiting for him to lead the way. Coughing lightly, his sniffed and picked up a familiar scent, but one that he couldn't quite place. Figuring he could think about it later, he realized he should probably state the reason as to why he was here.
"I'm looking for Madara-san…." He said uncertainly, not sure if it was an appropriate time to bring it up. Though, the young man had to know a reason for his appearance. Now that he thought about it, it was strange that he didn't even question a strange woman showing up in this type of building, which Naruto had a few guesses for the purposes.
"Why, yes. He's cleaning up right now, you have quite fortunate timing." The young man said with a stoic face. "Do you see that side door there?" He pointed at a smaller door several steps to his right. Naruto nodded. "Just head on through there, Madara will be pleasantly surprised to see you." The man's soft voice deceived the array of thoughts that Naruto could see swimming behind his eyes. Pivoting to his right, he began taking the few steps to get to the door, all the while quickly inspecting the room. It was dark just as it was in the hallways, with bare concrete walls and flooring, no furniture decorated the room. The room was just so blank. The many questions that flew through his mind were quickly solved just as he was crossing the middle of the room. He would not have noticed had it not been for him practically stepping on it. Now noticing the subtle incline of the floors, Naruto's gaze quickly jumped down to the dark floors.
A drain.
Not missing a beat, he stepped over it and continued on his way; hoping that he didn't give any indication of his spotting it. Naruto couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
Of course Madara had to do these types of things. Being with him in casual situations had distracted him for what they really were: trained assassins. It was stupid of Naruto to forget that. Hell, he was one, though he had better morals than others, essentially they were all the same. Swallowing this dose of reality he continued on through, shedding the idealized view of this building.
Processing. That's a nice way of putting it. He thought somberly, recalling the few but gruesome times he had to interrogate captured enemies. Naruto knew the duty of a ninja, but he did not always agree to the methods in which you at times had to acquire certain types of information. He was good at it of course, he wouldn't be at such a high level if he wasn't, but it didn't mean he enjoyed it. Shaking his head of the dark path his thoughts were leading him, he took the last step to the door.
With a quick twist of the knob, he walked through, to a room that was better lit than the previous, but was much smaller. Looking around, he spotted several cabinets and what he guessed tools filling them, lining the walls, as well as a metal rolling table pushed to the side. Other things such as strapped chairs, ropes and knives laid against a long shelf on the wall directly to his right. Forcing his gaze from the recently cleaned paraphernalia, he spotted a hunched over man, hands scrubbing, deep in a sink. Leaving the doorway, he made his way next to Madara.
"Damnit, Izuna, you could have at least gagged the man first." Madara said sternly, scrubbing at his hands more roughly.
Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Naruto cleared his throat. He needed to cheer himself up; making Madara uncomfortable was always a great solution.
With a sharp raise of his head, Madara looked at Naruto with wide eyes. "N-Naruto-san…"
"Hi." Naruto said simply.
"How did you get here? W-what are you..?" Madara babbled, eyes straining to look at Naruto and not the sink behind him which Naruto imagines was full of draining blood. Or to the drying, steel weapons that were laid out next to it.
"So, about that dinner?" Naruto asked coyly; trying to have fun at Madara's expense, not really concentrating on the fact that a man had just probably been mutilated with those recently washed hands.
"Y-yes?" Madara stuttered out, slowly sliding along the sink, trying to hide the scene which Naruto already knew well in his head. Different village, same procedures.
"I'd love to come. I just need to know some logistics. Such as, time, place, attire, things like that." He replied, with an almost a bored expression, playing with the sleeve of his kimono.
Madara only looked at her, face screwed into to such a painful expression of uncertainty that quite frankly, made him seem unattractive. Where's the sexy and cool Uchiha-ttude? Naruto thought with amusement.
After a few more awkward seconds of Madara trying to piece together sentences, a voice from the doorway made Naruto to turn away from the Uchiha before him.
"Tonight at seven, our home which we can guide you to, semi-formal, nothing too fancy, but of course enough to impress, and the rest you can decide for yourself," Said the young man from earlier, leaning against the door frame, face at ease, exuding confidence and nonchalance.
Smiling softly, Naruto nodded at him with appreciation. "Thank you, I don't know when I would have gotten that information from this man here." He said, indicating at Madara with his thumb.
Laughing smoothly, the man walked over to Naruto and bowed slightly, "I am Uchiha Izuna, Madara's brother. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. The circumstances of our introduction that I had initially imagined were a bit less…dark, but it is a pleasure nonetheless."
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. No wonder he seemed familiar. He looked like eerily like Madara, but with a slightly softer bone structure. He must be a bit younger.
Soaking up Izuna's character, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle, this guy knew how to smooth talk. Not exactly in a suave, I-wanna-get-in-you-pants way, but more of a I've-had-to-solve-problems way.
"Well then, I guess I'll leave you two to your machinations, I will see you in a few hours." With that, Naruto smiled widely at them both, and headed out, fighting not to look back. Reaching the door, he opened it and began on his way home, trying to hold in the snigger that he so desperately wanted to release.
For the second time that day, Madara was once again staring dumbfounded at the back of Naruto's head. Finally gathering his wits, he looked sharply at his younger brother, upset at the fact that he had seen him in such a moment of weakness, especially because it concerned the woman he was trying to…well…he wasn't exactly sure what.
"Amazing. To think a woman such as her has come to reach your presence. I do not know which of the two is more lucky." Izuna said with his ever-soft voice, but with evident humor. Feigning being in deep thought, Izuna snapped his fingers. "Ah, I do believe…it is you, brother. I have not seen such striking beauty before. I do say I am jealous." Izuna said, half in jest.
Snapping back to his usual self, Madara growled. "How did she get in here?" He whispered harshly, words dripping with anger.
Izuna only took a subtle step back, not intimidated by his brother, but still taking precautionary measures. "She knocked. I opened the door. Then she walked through another door. Very simple actually." Izuna said, calmly as if someone merely asked him the weather.
Rushing up to him in a blink of an eye, Madara grabbed Izuna's collar and hoisted him slightly, not enough to choke him, but just enough to make it feel uncomfortable. After a few seconds of this, Madara surveyed his younger brother. Satisfied by the cautious look in Izuna's eyes, Madara snorted at him.
"You know very well what I mean. She is a civilian. They are not allowed here. Even in her special case, she was not to have witnessed this. What is she to think now?" He whispered venomously. With a slight flick of his wrist he released his brother, causing the younger male to stumble slightly.
Realizing the depth of his mistake, Izuna bowed, head to the ground. "I am sorry Madara. I did not know the…bond you had with Naruto-san." He said with genuinely, though he fought with his brother regularly, he did not like it when he upset him. There are lines even siblings could not cross.
A tense silence stretched out between the two, which was then broken as Madara threw his last unwashed tool into the sink, scrubbing rigorously to get the matter out of it.
Still in an apologetic position, Izuna dared to lift his eyes, peering at his brother. It confused him to see his brother so distraught and angered, especially at him. He was simply having some fun with his brother, Izuna did not think that he would take it so seriously. What hold does this Naruto-san have on him?
At first Izuna had been amused that Madara would at times come home frustrated, angered, or simply confused. Izuna did not know what the source of his brothers mood swings were, but he was quite entertained by them. When he had learnt that it was from the newcomer in town, he had been even more amused,
Yet, he did not picture this to be his brother. So out of control. So unsure; doubting his moves. So, lost. Instead of causing displeasing thoughts towards this Naruto woman, it actually encouraged Izuna. She wasn't a courtesan, or a distant Uchiha cousin trying to improve her social standing. She was just a woman that Madara had coincidentally met. It was quite intriguing.
Ripped from his reverie, Izuna straightened out, as Madara threw him a pair of sharp kunai.
"Hang those behind you." Madara said blandly, his voice losing its sharp edge.
Catching them expertly between the loops, Izuna turned around and did as his brother demanded. Hanging them on the hooks, he made sure they were exactly as they had been before they used this room. Sighing softly, he turned back to his brother. "Please accept my apologies, my actions were only in jest. I will do what I can to fix it." Izuna uttered, eyes pleading for his brother to forgive him.
Crossing his arm, Madara looked at his brother. He didn't want to admit but it felt good for his brother to grovel, or as close as an Uchiha could get. Big brothers will always want to bully their younger siblings. His gloating was short lived though. Noting the genuine, dejected, look on his brothers face he reached over knocked him on the head.
"Thank you for the week's worth of patrol duty you just volunteered for Izuna. I could not ask for a kinder brother."
Madara grinned, daring his brother to rebel. Sighing with exasperation, Izuna nodded and couldn't help but chuckle, "It is nothing."
"Well then, I believe it's time to alert father and mother of our dinner guest. They will be annoyingly satisfied." Madara muttered; knowing full well that his parents would make an ordeal of such a simple matter.
"With most enthusiasm." Replied Izuna, he knew his parents quite well, they would gauge and judge and pull apart the dinner, just for this newcomer. It was rare for a guest to dine with the high family, but when Tajima invited someone, it was because his interest had been piqued. Not to mention his mother might have also been a big part of it as well. Though Madara might not have noticed it, there was much gossip about the blonde-haired, sapphire-eyed beauty that was seen wandering the streets. What there was less talk of, but implied much more, was the effect that this woman had on a certain Uchiha; an effect that no one had ever witnessed before. If only Madara could see how this woman was charming him. Izuna thought.
What was funnier, was that neither of them knew it fully. By what he had witnessed and heard, it seemed this Naruto-san liked to banter with Madara, but not on any deep level, only for entertainment. While Madara like to return her banter, but not being used to such remarks, especially from a woman, Madara would usually be the less victorious partner. This was a experiment to Madara, an experiment in which Izuna realized his brother was becoming rather smitten with.
Laughing under his breath, he followed his brother as he exited the processing room, nodding here and there as his brother recounted some story between Naruto-san, Naoki-san and him. Closing the door behind him, Izuna smiled behind his brothers back and nodded to himself. Quite smitten.
Three hours later…
Naruto checked himself out in the long floor length mirror in front of him. He was in the larger room of the house that he rarely ventured into. It was the only one with such a huge mirror so he kept going back and forth between the rooms making sure he looked fit to be seen.
After coming back from his little conversation between the Uchiha brothers, he had taken a long hot bath, had bummed around, and now finally was beginning to get ready, if he had to guess, he had about twenty minutes before Madara showed up, so he was scrambling, trying to find a decent kimono.
The problem with that was the closet was filled with so many elaborate kimonos he didn't want to look like a fool wearing one to something as simple as a dinner. He would have worn the other nice and plain ones but they were dirty, laying in a pile beside his bed. For some reason whoever was cleaning up after him hadn't got to the laundry part yet.
Huffing with annoyance, he stepped into his closet once again, hoping to find something that met his standards.
"Too gold."
"Ugh, so many blossoms."
"Really, now that's just obnoxious." Naruto said. He was going through his outfits again and the ones that were left were all so extravagant, borderline ridiculous.
Going backwards in sequence, he slowed down, gauging the kimonos once again. Eyes widening in joy, he cheered to himself. "Perfect!" Naruto exclaimed.
In his frantic search he must have looked past this elegant, but straightforward beauty, It was a deep amethyst kimono, with a softer lavender trail of cranes edging up the skirt and softly into the sleeves. It was graceful, a great combination between dressy and understated. Putting it on he added the finishing touches of the vanilla-colored obi belt that came with it, he shuffled back to the vanity in his room. Sitting on the cushioned bench, he updid his hair, casting a subtle genjutsu on it for it to not look so unkept, and nodded in approval. Hair wasn't his forte so it was hard for him to style it well. What he was decent as was surprisingly make-up. He had found a few ivory cased palettes in the vanity and had applied a neutral eye look, with a touch of color on his lips, a soft crush-rose color. Giving himself a final once-over he couldn't help but preen with pride.
"I look fuckin' beautiful." He said eloquently. Just as he snorted in the juxtaposition of it all, he heard a knock from the front of the house. With a quick movement, he was up and by the front of the door in a few split seconds, opening it to receive his dinner companion. My date. He thought cheekily. His 'date' though was nowhere to be seen, a dark sky and empty space was all that was before him,
"What..?" He whispered to himself, stepping out a few steps in case he was hiding beside the door frame. Confused when he saw no one, Naruto re-entered his home, only to 'eep!' out in surprise as his nose crushed against Madara himself. Embarrassed by the extremely feminine noise and by being caught off guard, Naruto blushed. Trying to dispel his anxiousness, he punched Madara's shoulder lightly.
"Good evening, Naruto, I hope you are ready." Madara said, voice amused, and body standing rigid with that arrogant confidence that only an Uchiha could possess.
"Was that really necessary?" Naruto replied, rubbing his nose, glaring at the Uchiha heir, trying to keep an amused grin from his face. Hoping his clothes selection was appropriate, he motioned at Madara. "By the way, how do I look?" He said, trying to hide the pride he had on his outfit, but smiling nonetheless, arms out, body turning.
As if finally seeing her for the first time, Madara stood quiet, trying to keep his face from showing too much emotion. Giving her a long updown, he gulped thickly.
"You look…quite presentable." He said slowly. Eyes quickly averting so he wouldn't meet his own, suddenly preoccupied with some dirt speckle under his nails.
A vein in Naruto's head slowly pulsed. That was not the remark he was expecting.
"Presentable? Well, thank you Madara-san, I forgot how much of a wordsmith you were." He uttered, trying to hide the fact he was slightly put off by his comment. Hey, a compliment doesn't hurt. Naruto thought gruffly, though he didn't take forever on his appearance he still tried. Must be these female hormones, make me all sensitive and crap. Naruto reflected, trying to justify his sway in character.
Closing the door and pushing past him, he walked down the steps and crossed his arms expectantly, "Fine then, where is this home of yours?"
Confused by her angry tone of voice, Madara stepped down as well. Giving him a long look, Naruto took in his appearance as well. He was wearing his Uchiha colors quite proudly: a long sleeved navy shirt with subtle red organic embellishments at the cuffs of his sleeves and navy pants, as well as the ever famous fan emblem stitched tightly onto his back. The outfit was simple, but the simplicity of the outfit did not hide the high quality of the clothes. After a few seconds of analyzing, Naruto came to the conclusion that he looked quite handsome. Though Madara didn't look much different than any other day, besides the fine clothing, the aura he gave off was one of self-awareness. Bastard knows he looks good. Naruto thought off-handedly. Breathing in deeply, Naruto caught a wisp of the smell emitting from Madara, a nice clean and crisp smell, it reminded him of a cold winter morning. Realizing he must have been ogling. Naruto smiled tightly and waited for Madara to make the first move.
Noting the awkward silence, Madara motioned before him. "Please, if you could follow me." He said almost tenderly, a earnest look in his eyes.
Sighing softly, Naruto took his arm and hooked it onto his, surprising the young heir greatly. I need to behave tonight. Naruto chided, it was probably smarter to give Madara some slack. With that thought in mind, he looked expectantly at the young heir, hoping that this contact would show some peace treaty between the two.
After a few seconds and with no movement from Madara, Naruto tugged on their joined arms, hoping to snap him back from wherever his mind was on.
Clearing his throat, Madara began to walk. "Right. Well, I hope you are hungry." He said lamely, causing Naruto to roll his eyes, and off they went.
With an almost audible scrunch, the two appeared before an elegant household
Wow. Naruto internally whistled. He was not expecting this. After Madara had warned him of using a ninja technique to transport him, he had assumed he would simply have landed inside the house. But for whatever reason, Madara transported them to a few feet before what Naruto assumed was the main household.
Walking up to it, he had to tilt his head up at the splendor of what was more like a manor than anything else. It looked like one of those old school castles that he would see adorning dated magazines. It was designed in the similar way his temporary home was; deep reds with white and blue accents, subtly incorporating the Uchiha colors here and there. It surprisingly worked very well, the warmer colors being the basis of the whole structure, while the blue and white trimmings making up some of the window frames and basic embellishments. Sensing his awe, Madara threw him a cocky smile, pleased with his reaction.
"Our lineage is fond of the castle-styled homes of civilian shoguns. It is three stories high and has fifteen rooms. Our home has a fully equipped dojo, with our own personal hot springs, and two ballrooms. It is a gem of the Uchiha construction, built from the ground up with the labor of hundreds of Uchiha men."
Naruto's eyes widened even more in surprise."Impressive."
Continuing their short walk Naruto spotted two guards next to the large doors of the household, and a few on the wrap-around porch that extended around the property, Naruto's eyes picked out the other sentries posted on and around the property. Seventeen in all.
Naruto whistled appreciatively, was once again taken back, though he thought it was a bit much. Are they preparing for a war or something?
Either way, it was a sign as to how many men they had at their disposal. Way more than Naruto remembered reading in any Konoha history book. His elementary studies weren't the most resourceful though, seeing as how he had always studied from worn down booked he would find behind old bookstores and the local library.
Climbing up the steps to the main entrance, the guards bowed deeply before them and opened the doors. Naruto didn't miss the way their muscles strained to do so. Walking through, Naruto was hit with the warmth emitting from inside the home, along with a pleasant and light scent that tickled his nose.
Trying not to look like an idiot, Naruto took in the extravagance of the home. Walls full of expensive looking paintings and adornments. As well as the glamorous furniture that was arranged artfully in what appeared to be the foyer of the house. Peering up, he was temporarily transfixed by the hypnotic colors the glass lamps projected onto the surrounding areas.
So this is Uchiha living.
Slowing his pace, Madara let Naruto take in the extravagance of his home. Again, his pride swelled at the collection his family had composed over the many years of any and all things rare and beautiful. If only I could add one more to my collection. Madara thought wistfully. Shocked by this ridiculous thought, he subtly urged her to speed up, hoping she did not feel his quickening pulse.
After a few turns of his home, he stood in front of the doors that led to one of their dining rooms. These doors were small and simply adorned, it was one of their more straightforward rooms, but elegant nonetheless, at its maximum it could fit twenty people, but his parents had most likely ordered it to by arranged in way to seat five people comfortably. Nodding to one of the home attendants, the young woman opened the door quietly, eyes averted to the ground, trying and failing not to look at the woman on Madara's arm.
Grinning, he looked over at Naruto-san, once again taken aback by her features. Her golden hair was up, but was arranged in a way that softly cascaded gradually to her neck, accentuating her slender neck and figure. Though she was not that much shorter than him, she seemed more petite and somehow delicate with a kimono on, instead of the sweat-soaked working clothes she donned whenever they sparred. It was hard to put these two images of the same person next to each other, it disoriented him slightly. How can one woman be so many things? He pondered. To think such a dangerous woman, who was not even a kunoichi and could spar evenly with him, adorn an elegant kimono and dazzle with her striking beauty was unbelievable. It took all of his willpower not to reach out towards and do something foolish.
Breathing in deeply, he collected himself and led the unusually quiet Naruto-san into the dining area.
"Madara, my son!" A light voice greeted from off to the side; a middle-aged woman dressed in a soft vanilla kimono emerged from a doorway, hands extended to hug her son. Releasing Naruto-san's arm politely, he embraced his mother, reaching down slightly and closing his arms gently around his mother. He noted the happy glimmer in her eyes, and they way they subtly said, 'Introduce me.'
Hiding an eye roll, he turned her towards Naruto-san, "Mother, this is Naruto-san, the woman I have been working with alongside Naoki. Naruto-san, this is my mother." He said smoothly, having rehearsed this several times before. He wanted to give the implication she was just a woman he worked alongside with, nothing to fuel the fires of his parent's imaginations. The meddling of his mother and father would not help the internal turmoil he had yet to really figure out.
Smiling widely, Naruto surprised his mother by hugging her as well, voice loud and clear, unlike the usually quiet and reserved voices of those that regularly visited the Uchiha house.
"It's a great pleasure to meet you." Naruto said with glee, smiling widely." I would never have guessed you would have two sons. My lord, I hope to age as beautifully as you." Naruto said pleasantly, arms now laying gently on his mothers forearms.
Taken by surprise once again by Naruto's forwardness, his mother laughed delightedly, already at Naruto-san's charms.
"Well, they do keep me on my toes, now my Izuna, you've met him correct? He wasn't such a little monster as my Madara." His mother said jokingly, winking at her son.
"I respect your patience greatly, Mrs. Uchiha. At times Madara-san here is so grumpy; it takes all I have not to simply whack him." Naruto replied lightheartedly. "Though, I will admit I have accidentally done it once or twice." She said mischievously, chuckling to herself and grinning at him.
"I would not hold it against you my dear, especially with the dealings you must have to go with in your new position, there must be some collateral damage to the unfortunate rooms you meet in." His mother replied with amusement. Pausing for a second, it appeared a light went off in his mothers head.
"Now that I think about it, he's done some damage to our home as well. You must follow me, I would like to show you some of the mess they've permanently caused within this household, some of them are almost too hard to comprehend. Children can be so creative." As if friends for the longest time, his mother and Naruto walked away and out of the room, talking animatedly about grumpy men and outrageous scenarios. The last thing he saw was a playful glance Naruto-san threw his way before disappearing from view.
With a long suffering sigh, Madara kneaded his forehead. "Mother you are giving her more ammunition." He said to the silence of the room, hoping his mother didn't get too carried away. She was probably happy she could speak to someone who was not after her social ranking or a fellow shinobi relaying orders. He couldn't blame his mother, Naruto-san had a way of disarming a person by her sheer presence. Scratching the back of his head, he observed the dining room. Five low tables were set up in a subtly pentagon formation, each small enough to sit a person, but large enough for the food to surround the individual. It was quiet an intimate setup, not to mention Naruto-san and him would mostly likely be at the points, while his mother and brother on the sides, and his father on the 'bottom' side facing them all. Stepping closer to the tables, his suspicions were proven right. His favorite eating utensils were set up right across from the table his father always sat at. Lord, could they be less transparent? Madara thought fondly, they were acting as if he was courting Naruto-san. Which was hard to say, because he didn't think a woman such as she was simply 'courted.'
"It was within my thought range that you had forgotten about my request." Said a deep voice from behind him. Turning around, he was met with his father's face, an almost indistinguishable smirk on his face. Tajima had once of the hardest faces to read in the Uchiha name, he was infamous for his stoniness during his one-on-one battles.
"Of course not, Naruto-san was simply caught up in her assistant training. She is quite devoted in learning it as promptly as possible." Madara said calmly, trying not to show the fact he had put off asking Naruto-san as long as he could.
"An admirable quality." His father said, again, not giving much away.
Motioning him to sit down, Madara complied and sat across from his father, bending his knees to fit comfortably under the low table. Starring at his father, he noted something that caused him to smile.
"I have not seen you wear that outfit in some time, father." Madara said with amusement. It was an old yukata with the Uchiha fan embroidered in the back. The yukata was a dark crimson, with navy-threaded stitching. It was an older style of dressings that most Uchiha men no longer wore.
Sensing his amusement, Tajima only chuckled. "Your mother was impressively persuasive, she seemed to think that my regular attire was not appropriate for the rare occasion in which our son brings a woman to dinner." He finished, a knowing gleam in his eye.
Chuckling to himself, Madara avoided showing the slightly annoyed twitch of his eyebrow. "If it had at all been voluntary I would be slightly more sympathetic," He said through a tight smile.
Eyes fill to the brim with delight, Tajima only wracked his knuckles on the table, motioning for a house attendant to bring him some drinks.
Nodded away politely, the attendant did so hurriedly. As if on cue, he heard the sounds of his mother and Naruto-san entering the room. Sitting up straight, he tried to look as calm as possible, bracing himself for the onslaught of questions and insinuations that his parents were sure to direct towards them.
As he thought, Naruto took the position next to him after his mother sat on her 'assigned area.' Before he could think of his brother, Izuna walked in through the same door they entered and sat gracefully across from his mother, a knowing grin on his face. After a few more seconds of clothes adjustments and polite hello's from Izuna, the table sat quietly. When Tajima surmised everyone was settled, he wracked his knuckles on the table once again.
"Well, let us eat."
Tan-tan! Ahah, do you hate me?
So that's the end of chapter eight! Sorry, I had to cut it short because this thing was a monster to write, it just kept going and going, and after 23 pages I was like, 'You know, it's time to stop,' because otherwise this would be one long ass chapter and I wasn't down for that, because then I'd have nothing for chapter nine! Sorry sorry, they're excuses and I know it :P
If the grammar and spelling are off I apologize, I just wanted to post this ASAP before classes resumed, otherwise this puppy would be sittin' on my hard drive decaying til' midterms. :P
Well, review it as you will and have a wonoooonderfull weekend! :D
I adore you all my little cabbages.
~miscmist