Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Warning: Multiple character deaths, both major and minor. No pairings for Naruto 'coz he's too young in here! The story revolves around Kyuubi and Naruto so other characters could not be mentioned.

Chapter 3

How long he had been standing there, he doesn't know, as if time and space holds no meaning to him anymore as his two best friends walked away from him. Not for an eternity, but at only for a given time. Neither did he care. Why should he care when his heart felt as if it had been betrayed for the hundredth time tonight? When two of the closest persons in his world had walked away from him. And for what? Just because he doesn't agree on letting his son be his heir? It was such a simple matter. No big deal. But no matter how hard he had told himself that, Ryuu's words still echo in his head.

"Our business has no guarantee how long we will live… Can't you see Kyuubi? We have to teach Naruto now! We have to prepare him now!"

The underworld, how long had he lived in there anyway? 10, 15 years? His childhood is something he'd rather never remember about, besides, why remember it when it brings you so much pain? At the age of 15, he's already walking the street with a reputation as one of the underworld's best mercenary. It was at that time that he met Ryuu and Tora, both of them sons of famous kingpins. They were one of the reasons why he had accumulated his legacy, why he had been known as the most dangerous gun dealer in the world. Go against him and there no whole big enough for you to hide.

And in one of his business deals at America, he had met Annie. Ann 'Annie' Marie Clair, the most beautiful, charming woman he ever had the grace to meet. Sweet Annie was the daughter of a famous and renowned pastor, living with the 'good' side of the society, never knowing what it feels like to be alone and scared. For her, everyone in this world can have a second chance in life as long as they ask for forgiveness to a god Kyuubi can never hope to meet. He was an atheist by heart, why waste your time being a religious when it was religious people who had condemned the one they call the savior?

But everyone have their own flaws, and Annie's was her fear of those who work in the underground, in the underworld and at the black market. In short, Annie fears everything that Kyuubi is and will always be until the day that he dies. The underworld had been his home for as long as he can remember, he is a creature of darkness; he will never be able to fit in Annie's world.

It was Ookami's idea for him to pretend that he was a businessman of some sort, and although Ryuu is against it, he still tried the pretense. 3 months after they had met, they married each other at a small yet exquisite mansion in the Caribbean's owned by Ryuu's father a New York City Senator married them. For sweet Annie had been kind enough to forego her dream to walk down the aisle for her dream to marry Kyuubi and be his wife. A year after their marriage, Naruto came into their life and they both lived in Japan until Annie's death. That was when the dream started to disappear.

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The room was silent as it did for a few days now, since his best friends walked away from him. There were no whiskey tonight, no laughter due to Kuma's latest jokes, no bickering coming from Inu and Neko, no humming from Tori, no silver eyes silently watching your every move, no Uma demonstrating his latest Kung-fu move in an uninterested audience, and finally, no best friends sipping their drink in silence as the three of you watched the dancing flame in a muted awe as if it holds the future that you always look out for.

But the room was not empty, and there was a smoke in the chimney. And yet the room was still deathly silent as an on going cold war between 3 of its members went on.

And no matter what they do, they still couldn't break the ice that surrounded them. It was as if they were strangers in each other's eyes.

Ookami cleared his throat; this got the other's attention. All eyes were on him as he softly smiled at Ryuu who looked at him with a sad eye. Everybody knows that he got the hots for the blue eyed doctor, he simple couldn't act up on it with Kyuubi and Tora always looking out for the little dragon.

He ran a hand on his long silver hair and for the first time in his life he was actually self conscious about his faded jeans and white shirt that he always wore. Damn it! Those blue eyes always had this sort of effect on him! His eyes traveled towards Ryuu who was still looking at him expectantly, fire started to run through his veins. They looked at each other for what seems like hours until a rough baritone voice interrupted them.

"Hey Ookami!" Kuma bellowed at them in mirth, "Do you plan to melt Ryuu with your heated stare!"

This was followed by a chorus of laugh and was stopped by a pair of irritated growls coming from the sides. It was Kyuubi and Tora. Ookami sighed silently; Kyuubi and Tora had always been protective of Ryuu. Once the two of them had took down a group of Yakuza just because they were looking 'funny' at Ryuu who had been with them.

A soft melodious laugh followed the growls, it was Ryuu. And with his laughing face, flushed skin and white silk shirt paired off with black slacks, his doctor gown flung carelessly over his thin shoulders, Ookami thought that he had already fallen for him.

The once silent room was suddenly filled with warm mirthful laughter. It was as if they were friends again.

Sometimes all it needed to break the ice was a heated stare, a laugh, an infatuated wolf over a delicate dragon and growls from the over protective fox and tiger.

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"Are you sure that these people are trustworthy Ookami?" Tora asked the wolf as his hands unconsciously touch his silver skull necklace. It had been an hour since the laughing incident and yet he still can't get over the fact that Ookami looked at Ryuu in an 'unfriendly' way.

"I am, Tora, seriously. They've been known as one of the best mercenaries in Japan nowadays." Ookami replied to the golden eyed tiger calmly, not minding the fact that the hot headed tiger probably wants his balls right now for looking at Ryuu. Sheesh! What's wrong with looking?

"But this is not Japan, as you remember Ookami. This is America. Do you think they can handle it?" This was Kyuubi and even he was looking at Ookami as if willing him to die.

"I believe they can. I have seen them in work and had sometimes partnered with them. We would benefit largely once they became part of us."

"I still ain't don't trust them." Tora declared after a while of silence. "There couple of questions swimmin in my head at the mo' and I won't accept those son of bitches until they're answered."

"Then let's hear it so we can get it done with." Ryuu whispered as he smiled at Ookami while patting Kyuubi and Tora's thighs who were both sitting at each of his sides.

"Alright," At this Tora took Ryuu's hand on his thigh and was squeezing it softly. "First, how did you know them? When and How? How come we didn't know it? And lastly, who the fuck are they, because for over half an hour you're wailing 'bout son of bitches and yet you've never told us who those son of bitches are. Really Ookami, I think you're losing your head."

"Hush Tora, you're being mean to Ookami." Ryuu gently whispered. "And I think I can answer those questions." He winked at Ookami. "First, they've known each other since they were children. Both of their parents know each other so they see each other regularly until Ookami's parents moved out of Hokkaido and went to Tokyo. Surprising as it may seem Tora, everyone's got a secret they don't have to tell their friends or partners. And their names are Zabuza and Haku if I'm not wrong, am I?" He looked over at Ookami.

"Actually you got it all right."

"Hey, how come you know about it. Don't tell me you've been tracking down Ookami and everything."

Ryuu only smiled at them.