The Name
Warnings: Not edited
Author's note: WOW! I finished! I can't believe I did this…but I told myself I have to finish today no matter what! Today is the Death Anniversary of my GRANDMA (Sept 22) though she'd kick me in the butt for saying that cause she specifically said that we should never commemorate her death..EVER…erk~
I won't grandma, I just want to celebrate your life! ^^
Anyhoo. Thank you for the reviews. I don't actually know if people would like this fanfic since I myself am confused with this plot O.o—I just let my plot bunny take over for me. Hop here and hop there. Furthermore this is waaaaaaaaaaaaay different from the usual light ffiction that I normaly write so I know I am not really good at writing dark…drama thingies but with your guidance I can be (bows)
It is only polite to introduce yourself first before asking for someone's name.
By giving your name first you are unconsciously placing your trust to the person. After all you cannot ask people to trust you without giving yours first.
Many have often taken for granted the value of a name because it is often asked for and given with little to no effort needed. However, a name is one of the few things one can truly call their own; something that proves your existence while alive and maybe even after for centuries to come.
Today, you would often find people give countless nicknames to themselves; create unreadable hard to pronounce aliases over the internet and play with their profile page. But what really happens if you truly lost it? If it was wiped out clean or taken by someone? What happens if you destroyed it yourself? Can you get it back?
"Uh…do I know you?"
Sasuke glared at the idiot for being an…well an idiot. It was either his face drastically changed in the last five years or the fool had though he could not recognize him anymore. He did not think so. A rookie who had not meant him in the flesh could recognize him and try as he might, much to his frustration, Sasuke could not erase the dobe or anyone in Hidden Leaf from his memory.
"It's time to stop pretending now moron. I won't cause a scene here out in the open."
"Oookay~ Um… You're order sir?" With his pen and paper on his hand the dobe even had the gall to look at him like he was the one who was stupid.
"Usuratonkachi"
"Teme—that's it!" Sasuke inwardly smirked. He finally got into Kyuubi's skin enough to expose his cover.
"You maybe a customer but you have no right to call me those names!" The blond slammed the notepad on the table and crossed his arms in disapproval. "If you're not going to order then haul your ass up that chair and leave. I got things to do." He finished with a huff.
At first, Sasuke was taken a back then grunted. Two can play that game. He picked up the menu on the table and browsed through. If the idiot was going to be stubborn then so be it. He'll focus on things that the other has no control of, namely his surroundings and the people in it. He had the time. The weather wasn't going to improve for a while from the looks of it. Might as well pass the time and see if he can detect another agent nearby. No Leaf Agent worked full solo.
"Fine. I'll start with brewed coffee then tomato soup." Sasuke closed the menu, grabbed the notepad, and threw it at the blond which the other effortlessly caught.
"See. That wasn't so hard you prick! " The other pressed the end of the pen to reveal the tip and wrote the order on the pad. "One order of brewed coffee and tomato soup coming right up. Che~ your taste is foods is as bland and bitter as you…no wonder." he pulled the order sheet from the pad and walked towards the counter.
Eating riceballs and tomatoes again Okami-teme?
I balance the nutrients I receive unlike you
Eh? You are what you eat! And the things you eat are boring and nasty!
Sasuke watched the blond relay his order through the kitchen window. It was rare of him to feel so unsure of something that should be painfully obvious. T felt like a paradox. The man was in many ways exactly like Kyuubi yet not at the same time. If he recalled correctly, the name the owner had called him was Naruto…Heh~ it fit the bill to the idiot's character to a T.
"Something wrong Naruto." Sasuke's keen ears heard the owner who was now busy with the coffee brewer.
The blond shook his head, leaned his shoulders forward and laid his forehead on the counter. "The customer's just a total bastard."
"Naruto having a hard time with a customer? That's a first." The chef from behind the kitchen window poked his head out from the order window. "I've never seen that happen in the three years you've been working here."
The owner gave a warm hearty laugh. "There is always a first in everything right Naruto-kun."
The blond grinned at the other two. "Ous…Hey, hey~ Do you think you can…"
The moron had been stationed here for three years? Now this was really out of the box. No agent had been assigned to place while undercover for that long. It just was not feasible. The risk of discovery will become too high and the chance to exposure the agent will be too great. The lack of one's identity is what Hidden Leaf's agent is trained to keep.
Hidden Leaf Agents are nameless men who fulfill their mission from within the shadows.
It sounded too romanticized to his ears now but there was a time he lived and breathed in that ideal and now he was struggling to keep his name alive.
My ambition is to destroy Hidden Leaf and restores the Uchiha clan to its former glory.
What was the dobe's intention? He can't be a missing agent he's too exposed, he would have been hunted by now…thought to do that would require quite a feat he was sure. He may had verbally underestimated Kyuubi countless of times but he was never careless around him ever.
"Naruto, order up." The blond grabbed the tray before taking the coffee and soup on the counter. He walked up to him and placed the orders in front. "Thank you for waiting." He greeted but it lacked the enthusiasm he had earlier.
Sasuke grabbed the mug first. He stared at the black liquid and began to regret his choice. The liquid was too dark to see anything unusual placed in it. He decided to smell the drink next and was rewarded by the aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans and a hint of smoked fruit-like spice. It did not smell poisonous. He decided to take a small sip to taste and was met with taste of heaven and swallowed. The liquid was bittersweet, with an earthly and nutty after taste that spreads all over your tongue. The temperature was just right for the cold and rainy weather. Was this really just brewed coffee?
He stared at the mug he held in front of him.
"How do you like that bastard?" Sasuke turned his attention to the blond who still hasn't left his side. He had this grin from one ear to the other. "I asked the old man to mix you up a special blend cuz you seem to have a stick up your ass."
"Hn. This isn't what I ordered." He tried to sound disgusted but even he could tell that he failed.
"Pft. I don't hear you complaining." The dobe rested one hand on his waist and gave him a look that he was not buying it.
Sasuke tried to summon the tenacity to send the drink back the aftertaste and the smell of the precious liquid was too good to pass up and summoned his nonchalant poise instead and took another sip. The chances of this being poison was slimming. They do not operate out in the open with these many witnesses after all. The only real danger was they might shadow him later to kill or expose his hideout but this will give him enough time to plan and lose their tail.
"Aren't there other tables you have to wait?"
Naruto seemed to take that as a clue that he wanted to be left alone. "Fine. You really are a jerk you know that?"He stomped all the way to the counter and ranted to the old man, no doubt about him. The Barista seemed to be amused than annoyed though.
Sasuke turned to the window and observed the waiter through the reflection. Kyuubi was a people person; a trait that was often pointed unfit for an agent by others and often times by Sasuke himself. As much as possible the blond never took a life unless provoked He would rather capture targets and try to get them to cooperate. This might sound like a child's idealism but Kyuubi had managed to do so to the most stubborn of Targets and he'd bet that was because the idiot outclassed them a galaxy away in terms of stubborn and never give up attitude. He was probably the only one in Hidden Leaf that genuinely put the phrase, to Protect Everyone to heart and that was why he was weak. He held everything dear so he had too many to lose and hinder him from taking necessary risks.
Sasuke turned his attention at the file on the table.
Was it possible that Hidden Leaf was already on to them or was this assignment one of the Snake-bastard's plots to hide an even bigger scheme? Is this why the dobe' was here? But the real question is why he was alive?
"Welcome!" Sasuke's eyes followed the blond make his way towards the two customers to usher them to an empty table.
Nothing added up right now and he hated it.
"It's cold outside. Would you like some hot beverages?" the blond, gave a warm smiled at the two and the two ladies giggled in return.
The idiot was so carefree as if he wasn't there. Like he was not in danger showing his back to him and it sent a disgusting feeling that coiled around his gut. How dare this moron to underestimate him as if he was in no immediate danger in his presence!
Sasuke inwardly cursed. This was Kyuubi no doubt. No one had this ability to get deep under his skin without even trying. He had to control himself. He finished the warm coffee which calmed him a little and proceeded to have a go at the soup. He searched the café for a server and found the blond with the girl who was on break in front of the counter again, engross in conversation with the old man.
Sasuke grabbed the file and placed all the papers back inside the envelope. First things first; because he will not proceed with this mission without properly researching what exactly were he getting himself into.
He signaled the server for a bill out. He did not fail to notice the annoyed look the blond shot at him and how the waitress politely laughed and offer to deliver the bill in his stead.
"Thank you for waiting. Here is your bill Mr. Costumer." The girl placed the bill on the table. She waited for Sasuke to lay the cash on the tray.
"Ayame-san." He read from the name tag.
"Hm"
"What time does his shift end?" It was a suspicious question to ask but Sasuke was no amateur with utilizing his looks. And with the right amount of smirk match with a deep look of the eyes and well angled face she had given in almost instantly.
"We close the shop at eight but we still clean and do the books so Naruto-kun goes home at nine." She giggled and stared at Naruto who was busy wiping a table clean.
Sasuke nodded and handed the bill to Ayame. "Thank you for the meal and keep the change." Sasuke grabbed the folder, his document tube and stood. He approached the blond who completely ignored is loud footsteps.
"Oi"
He was met with silence.
"What's your name?"
The blond refuse to turn around and focused on rearranging the chairs. "Didn't you hear me? I asked for your name moron."
The smaller male chucked the rag on the table and finally faced him. He pulled the name tag pinned on his right breast pocket. "Na-ru-to" in case you don't know how to read."
"I'm not asking for your server name I'm asking for your real one." Sasuke smirked at the blond and added. "…If you have one."
"Of course I have one but didn't anyone tell you it's rude to ask for someone's name without giving yours first? Damn, you're such a bastard."
Naruto picked the forgotten cloth and he walked towards another table. "Just leave sir, you're disturbing the café."
Sasuke contemplated with what the other male said and after a moment supplied his name. "Uchiha Sasuke" he stated.
"Uzumaki Naruto"
The reaction was immediate that he was surprised himself. Without looking the blond replied in return. Sasuke nodded even though the other's back was still turned on him. He carefully adjusted his belonging and left the Café.
The rain had turned into a light drizzle but the night was still cold. He lifted his wrist watch and checked the time.
Six thirty.
He had time to kill before he is able to corner the blond somewhere where there are no witnesses. There was a risk to lose track of Naruto but it was also dangerous for him to be out in the open for long.
Sasuke fished out his smart phone and messaged his team, Juugo and Suigetsu.
I'll be there in five
They never called nor delivered messages that were long and detailed. The less you say or text the less chance you'll get traced.
"Uzumaki Naruto huh?" He said to no one. "Might as well know who you are while I'm at it…"
Sasuke pulled the hood of his coat and tucked the folder in. He walked away from the café to their temporary base nearby but not without one last look at the blond who made himself busy by talking to the customers.
TBC