Chapter 2
Konoha Town, 2011.
Itachi turned on the radio as they got in to Sasuke's black jaguar:
"GOOD EVENING KONOHA TOWN! THIS IS YOUR FRIENDLY BROADCASTER SPEAKING, ROCK LEE! FOR THE NEXT COMING OF HOURS, A MASSIVE STORM BIGGER THAN ANYTHING MOTHER NATURE HAS EVEN DONE IS ABOUT TO HIT OUR REGION. SO, STAY AT HOME IN SAFETY, FOLKS BECAUSE THIS BIG WINDSTORM MAY CAUSE A WHIRLWIND OF DANGEROUS OBJECTS COLLIDING AND SLAMMING INTO THE AIR. THIS IS SHINOBI NEWS, STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT COMING OF HOURS, THIS IS ROCK LEE AND PEACE!
" Shit."
" Oh Fuck. This can't be happening." Sasuke said, looking at the window of the car, gazing at the darkening sky, a storm was about to break into town.
All Sasuke's plans vanished like dust into the wind.
" We still have time."
" No we don't."
" Why don't we split up, then? I fetch Hashirama and Naruto and you go after Tobirama." Proposed Itachi.
" Am I a joke to you?" Sasuke said rudely.
" Did I say something wrong?"
" I am not driving on those damn roads. Why don't we call him to drive to town, instead of us going to his isolated place he calls home."
" There is no internet where Tobirama lives, I thought you were aware of that, Sasuke."
" What a fucking caveman this Senju dog is! You go after Tobirama then, and I will go after the other two dummies."
" They are probably at the Ramen Ichiraku Restaurant getting drunk. In this case, you won't be able to carry two grown-ass men by yourself, Sasuke."
Sasuke saw there was no other way, besides, arguing with him was a waste of time, so she agreed with the plan.
Itachi opened a map, taking a pen from his polo bag, marking the roads and paths Sasuke would have to drive across in order to reach her destination.
Before Sasuke drove off, she left her brother in downtown Konoha.
Sasuke was just not used to driving in dangerous conditions such as on the steep hills in mountainous areas while attentively paying attention to fallen rock zone signs nearby.
Every time Sasuke's car ascended the rocky terrains, traversing the roads between the pine valleys, circling the curves of the roads, she felt like she signed up for a kamikaze plan, a very stupid plan to say the least, which was a recipe for disaster. That was one of the reasons why driving at sunset hour through the mountains seemed scary, she wasn't used to narrower roads without traffic lights and without the busy people waltzing through the streets, in this case, the setting was mountain roads full of wooded bushes and huge mossy trees with animals running off the road or massive rocks that could hit your car at any moment.
What did Sasuke get herself into?
Pitter….. patter….. pitter….. patter…. pitter…. patter.
Shit! It began raining! What a fucking day! Thought Sasuke.
The pouring rain unsettled Sasuke even more as she drove the roadway taking a turn to the right, reaching Tobirama's property.
Finally, I found this fucker's damn house. Thought Sasuke, annoyed as she parked the car, looking at the old-fashioned house before getting out of the expensive black jaguar, a gift given by her boss, Orochimaru, the C.E.O of the firm she worked. It seemed, as her colleagues told her in the past, that the boss liked to spoil his subordinates, especially the ones he found promising.
What the fuck! Where did this fog come from? Sasuke thought as she looked around the foggy woods, walking silently like the grave along the sultry forest path that led to the house: a picturesque landscape of moss-covered grounds, trees and bushes that spread out around the house.
Sasuke rang the doorbell.
The rustle of the leaves and the heavy rain reminded Sasuke of the coming storm.
She had to be quick and fast. No small talk. Nothing. Straight to the chase.
The door opened showing a man with an alarmed look on his face, eyes showing a mixture of irritation and surprise as he stared at Sasuke.
" Tobirama." Sasuke was the first one to break the ice. " We need to talk."
Tobirama didn't respond right away, taking the time to scrutinized Sasuke's state: her clothes were wet, hair ridiculous haughty hair was longer and her face, more ghostly than 12 years ago.
" Didn't you know a storm is hitting the town tonight?" Tobirama asked, raising his eyebrows, tighten his harsh lips.
" That's why we need to go."
Tobirama with a clenched jaw line, said sharply like a brick of ice narrowing his eyes at Sasuke's onyx orbs. " And go where?"
"To town." Sasuke's cryptic manner and her esoteric smirk on her face made Tobirama lose more of that natural overbearing composure he had and become more vexed towards her.
"Why do I need to go to town with you?" Tobirama, bluntly said, eyes showing disdain at her, with chin up.
" The less said, the better. We need to go."
Tobirama's eyes sparkled like a ninja ready for the battlefield." You need to leave."
"Do I have to paint you a picture?"
" Leave."
" Do you even remember who I am?"
" Yes."
Of course he knew who this woman cold as marble was.
Sasuke Uchiha, the epitome of edginess.
An Emo of the first order.
Everything that went wrong with generation X is embodied in the person of Sasuke Uchiha.
When Naruto was a teenager, his cousin Kushina and her husband, Minato would ask him if he could pick up Naruto from Konoha High after class and Sasuke would always be there next to Naruto, but, instead of talking or playing with Naruto and the other kids, Sasuke would stay silent with a contempted look on her face.
Tobirama hated that air of entitlement that Sasuke showed whatever she said or did. It was everywhere around her.
Tobirama once recalled crystal clear one time that Naruto threw a party at Minato and Kushina's ranch, Sasuke, of course, was there, but instead of dancing with her female friends: Hinata, Sakura and Ino, she stood at the corner, close to the buffet, watching the whole partying and chattering with her signature boring look on her pale resting bitch face as if she was above them, above the mere mortals of Konoha City.
" Then, what's the problem, Senju?"
"More who's the problem, Uchiha."
Sasuke took a very long deep breath, hardened eyes fixed on Tobirama: "I am selling my shares of the firm. Hashirama, Naruto and my brother are probably at the office waiting for us to sign the papers. End of story."
" And you want to do this right now?"
" It is the only time I have."
Tobirama hesitated for an infinitesimal of a second, but composed his unemotional posture, and said, forcefully: "Come back tomorrow."
With no remorse or guilt, Tobirama shut the door on Sasuke's face.
Oh no Sasuke was not going to let this Senju dog treat her like a toddler, oh no no. NO ONE TALKS DOWN ON SASUKE!
Like all the troubles that have gotten into Sasuke's life, she was gonna dance her way out.
And this wasn't a regular trouble but a Senju trouble.
Sasuke sensed since the olden days that Tobirama wasn't fond of her, not that she minded not being liked or respected, but Tobirama made it clear that she was on his black list.
Not that Sasuke cared about it, actually, she didn't give a damn.
Sasuke had to play dirty now to get this fucker out of the house and do as she says.
Sasuke said loud and clear, but in a cool, collected, I-am-superior-than-you way: "Busiest lawyer finds the most of time, Senju Dog. Haven't you learned anything from law school? By the way, how did you make it through university, huh? Did you fake your way through? I didn't think a Senju had the intellectual ability to pass the law entrance exams."
The door opened again: " Why do Uchihas have the habit of picking up trivials matters to fight about? Do Uchihas have trouble understanding the basics of natural law? Let's get this straight: A storm will hit town, the roads will be blocked. There's no way we are driving to town in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. GOT IT?"
"Oi, Tobirama, civility costs nothing, you know? But you are too Senju to even try to behave like a civilized person."
As if you were civil, Uchiha Buffon. - Thought Tobirama, pissed as hell. How dare she!
" Other times, other manners, Uchiha."
" Hn."
" Come back tomorrow and we will talk about your selling of your shares."
" Tomorrow I will be in New York."
" You know what, Uchiha: I am going to radio call my brother RIGHT NOW to solve this. This is the most ridiculous situation I've ever been in."
" Hn."
Is this all that she can say? A "Hn"? A FUCKING HN! HOW CAN ITACHI HANDLE HER "HN"? HOW CAN EVERYBODY HANDLE HER "HN"? BECAUSE I CAN'T! -Thought Tobirama, mad like a bull in the matador.
This woman, who apparently is a crazy one, shows up at my house unannounced after billions of years away from Konoha, bossing me around to go with her to town minutes before a storm emerges! DOES SHE WANT TO KILL US ALL??THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!! SHE NEEDS TO BE PUT IN THE PLACE! - Thought Tobirama.
" Follow me." Tobirama said coldly as he went inside the house to the radio room: the only communication he had to the outside world was a dusty tiny cell to contact Konoha.
" Mm-mmm, when things get tough you call your brother, that just shows who you really are underneath all that iceness and manliness: a man of a weak character." Sasuke said haughtily as she thought she had the higher ground, but she was wrong.
Tobirama stopped walking, making Sasuke pump into his rigid body made of frozen ice almost falling on her back on the wooden floor. At that moment when her body touched his by accident Tobirama suddenly recalled she was wall wet from the pouring rain and probably, feeling cold.
" You must be cold."
Can't you handle a little rain? Are you afraid?- Thought Sasuke.
" Hn."
Tobirama went to the his room and got Sasuke's a blanket, giving it to her.
" This is all I got."
" Don't bother."
" I don't want this to get this postponed any further, you are a troubled person, Uchiha. I want you out of my life as soon as possible. You are one of the most rotten women from inside out that I ever met."
Who has the upper hand now,Sasuke?
" What about my brother, Itachi?"
" He is fine by Uchihas standards. However, he is not my favorite person."
As a matter of fact, everyone else is way better than you, arrogant punk. - Thought Tobirama.
Sasuke wondered who Tobirama's favorite person was, knowing little about him, actually, she never took interest in knowing him or anybody else. She would guess it was probably either his brother, Hashirama, his cousin, Naruto, or his teenage niece, Tsunade.
"Hn."
Sasuke covered her shoulders with the blacket for the time being.
He proceeded to go to the radio room.
Tobirama turned the radio on:
" Radio check? Hashirama? Mito? Over."
" Stand by. This is Mito. Over."
" Copy, where is Hashirama? Over."
" Sleeping on the sofa. Mr. Itachi brought him home. Over."
" WAKE HIM UP. OVER."
" Roger."
" Copy. Over."
" Mr. Itachi left you a radio telegram message after he brought my husband. Over."
" Send the message. Over."
" I will read it. Over."
" Roger."
" Dear Tobirama. If Sasuke told you about the emergency, then there is no need to explain much further. We were to talk business today but I am afraid we need to delay it because of the coming storm. Meet Sasuke, Hashirama, Naruto and I tomorrow at 12:00 p.m at the FIRM. I am here with your brother and your cousin. End of message. Mr. Itachi left minutes ago, taking a drunken Naruto to Kushina's house. Over."
" GET MY BROTHER RIGHT THE FUCK NOW, OVER."
"Stand by."
" Roger."
" TOBI, I AM HERE! OVER."
" YOU DRUNK TOO? OVER."
" YUP, HEHEHEEHEHEHEH."
" You are running for mayor next year, you need to behave yourself and stop bitching around. You need to look clean and respectful in front of the townspeople. Over."
" I told the same thing to him the other day but he doesn't seem to listen, over." Said Mito.
" See? Listen to your wife. Easy as A, B, Cs, over."
" You silly two! MY WAIFUU, CAN YOU CALL NARUTO TOO COME BACK, CUZ WE FORGET TO FINISH THE KARAOKE! TOBI, DO WANT TO HEAR ME SING BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY? OVER."
" Negative, we need to talk. Over."
" Okay okay. Okay, we talk but after I sing this for you: OOH BABY, I LOVE YOUR AWAY, EVERYDAY YEAH YEAH OOH BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY EVERYDAY. I WANNA BE WITH YOU NIGHT AND DAY….."
" HASHIRAMA!"
" THE MOON APPEARS-"
" Hashirama?"
Nothing. The other line was silent.
" Look, I am sorry to yell at you. But I am in a very delicate situation here-"
" Sorrryyy Tobi for not responding, but I was french kissing my wife. Over."
Tobirama said nothing, burying his face in his callus hands.
Sasuke watching from afar this radio circus talk show, she decided to intervene.
" Hashirama, this is Sasuke Uchiha, over."
" SASUKE! OH MY GOOD LORD!! HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE I SAW YOU! THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU WERE OFF TO COLLEGE !"
" Time flies, over."
" Your brother seemed so happy to see you. He talked about you all the time YOU KNOW HE LOVES YOU VERY MUCH! Besides, Tomorrow afternoon, why don't you come to my house and have lunch with Mito and I? Tobirama you are invited too! Over."
No way Tobirama was going to let this Uchiha filth set foot in his brother's house. A No-go situation. Uchiha Sasuke was like a vampire, it needed to be miles away from a proper residence.
" Thank you, but I am afraid I can't because I need to be back in New York as soon as possible. Over."
" whyyyy. Don't you like us?"
" I have a big case so…yeah..over."
" That made me sad. I am going to put Mito on the line. WIFEEEEEE, MIKOTO's DAUGHTER IS HERE-"
This is what Tobirama just needed. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. More unwanted shit for him to deal with.
" How are you, Sasuke darling? Over."
" Never been better, listen-"
" Sasuke, darling, do you need a place to stay for the night? We have a guest room here. I am making dinner, honey and you seem just the kind of girl that needs a home-cooked meal."
That would be lovely, actually, to eat, to shower and to sleep. - thought Sasuke.
" I don't want to cause any more problems so It would be better if I find a hotel nearby. Over."
" But all the motels are closed due to the storm, darling. Tobirama, can't you bring Sasuke here, please? She must be tired from all the driving from New York to Konoha. Poor girlie. Over."
" Mito, as much as I want to, I don't think it is wise to drive to town now." Tobirama took a deep breath, closing his eyes. " She will be staying here. Over."
" Oh, then why didn't you tell me before? I will bring you two fresh baked goodies,huh? Over."
" Noppppe you ain't….you are staying here to pleasure me, wife-"
Oh no, not this radio making out section again. -Thought Tobirama, angry.
" There is no need, Mito. Over."
" Well, promise me that tomorrow, you, my darling Sasuke, is having lunch with us, huh?"
" I…promise…thank you Mito." Responded an embarrassed Sasuke, eyes on the floor.
" Till tomorrow, then. Over."
Tobirama saw that he wasn't going to be able to alone with his brother to talk about important matters so he decided to say it tomorrow at lunch.
" Out."
" Bye Tobi, Bye Sasuke."
" One last thing, Tobirama, be nice to her." Said Mito, in a serious tone, like a mama bear.
" Yeah, be nice to SASUKE, you ogre!" Hashirama screamed.
In a rude way, yes, I am being nice. -Thought Tobirama, annoyed.
" But I am being nice to her!"
" You were never nice to her when she lived here and you are never nice to Itachi as well. He is a wonderful boy and she is a special girl." Said Mito. "Sasuke darling, if something happens, radio call me, okay? Oh darling, you were such a pretty girl back then. And now you must look EXACTLY like Mikoto! I really want to go there and hug you! Kisses and hugs, kisses and hugs! Bye bye now. Sleep wel!!"
" Hn."
If Tobirama didn't finish this now, Mito would talk all night long about how she liked Sasuke's mama and how Mikoto was a dear friend of hers and of Kushina's.
" We are OUT."
Both stood there for some time, before leaving the room.
" Now that was interesting radio conversation ."
" I know."
" Your family is so big and so loud you are the opposite."
" I know."
" Hn."
" Does it bother you that I am not like them or act like Hashirama?"
Now that was something totally unusual, Sasuke never even tried to get to know a person let alone speak to them. Tobirama once remembered a time when Naruto wanted to ask Sasuke out on a date, obviously, she kept turning him down. But the strangest thing was that Naruto would make a dossier list of things Sasuke liked and disliked, always trying to please the Uchiha girl as if she was the Queen of England, and Sasuke only knew one thing about Naruto: his last name.
Sasuke's remark about his family to Tobirama, was so remarkably strange. In the past, every time he saw Sasuke either in Konoha High, in the movies or in Aburame's ice cream shop, he kept thinking how can a person be so indifferent to anything in life. Any other girl would be so joyous to have such a dedicated admirer, but Sasuke, didn't say shit and didn't do shit. Sasuke kept treating everybody like crap. Tobirama never understood that. Nobody did. He suspected even Itachi never quite comprehend it too.
"What about that room you promised to lend me when you spoke to Mito, Senju? Is it still available?" Snapped Sasuke.
Tobirama didn't say anything, just waved his hands to Sasuke to follow him to the room.
" Here. Nice and clean. And the bathroom is down the hall."
" Hn."
She began unbuttoning her dark suit, something that was not past unnoticed by the Senju.
Tobirama never met or saw a woman that rocked in a business suit like this one did. Fashionistas say that clothes make the woman, but in Sasuke's case, she made the clothes look good.
Tobirama had to admit, Sasuke was breathtaking in a Uchiha-ish way.
" What are you doing?" Snorted Tobirama" A strip show?"
Not that he didn't mind watching but……
" Hn." Sasuke said in her natural aloof tone.
" Speak up." Tobirama snorted, wanting to look away.
" I am off to shower, wanna watch?" Sasuke smirked.
" I'll make dinner."
" Can you lend me some pijamas?"
" WHAT?"
" Please?"
" Fine."
" Oi, Tobirama."
" Now what?"
"Thank you."
" Yeah." This was only what Tobirama was able to say before walking away, troubled and thoughtful about the whole situation.
Like they say, the unexpected always happens.
He never in his wildest dreams thought this would happen. Out of the blue: this emo brat came like a cold breeze into his life freezing everything.
He just didn't even think this was going to happen in his life, not that he wanted to, but, he didn't think Sasuke was ever setting foot again in Konoha, to be more precise, setting foot in his house. Actually, Sasuke never went to his house when she used live in Konoha and Tobirama never went to her family's property as well.
Sasuke Uchiha was a distant dream, reminiscent of the past, a forgotten memory that somehow always kept coming back to his mind from time to time and it bothered him.
Since the old times, Sasuke was like an esoteric mystery to him. A puzzle that was never solved by anyone and after Sasuek's parents died, that emo punk became more unfathomable and impossible to decode.
That Uchiha rascal came back to shake this town up and down and the person she went to emo talk to was him. Fucking unbelievable! Not that Sasuke went to see him, out of spontaneity and out of love for the Senju family, it's just that Tobirama never ever thought he would come across a Sasuke Uchiha knocking on his front door asking for a favor. Before opening the door, he thought it was Shikamaru wanting to play another round of chess, or Sakura wanting a helping hand in the town hospital or professor Iruka that always wanted someone to help him and Konoha High Principal, Kakashi, to help organize the school for the homecoming queen party that always happens in end of the semester.
In the end, Tobirama concluded it was better to make the best out of this miserable situation. And he expected Sasuke to do the same. At least try too.
Like his brother would say: when life gives you lemons, make a lemonade.
To be continued! Stay tuned.