Revenge is Best Served Cold

Chapter Six: The Evil Puri Store: Part 2

Author's Note: Yeah, the last chapter was really sucky. I know, I know. Please consider that one as a crack chapter for me to release pent up stress and frustration.

Two words: Pink Everywhere.

Those were my first thoughts when I stepped into the evil place. Pink. Everywhere.

Looks like you've finally found a place where you belong.

What?

Your hair, dumbass.

Oh shut the fuck up.

Temari shuddered at the decorations, the way-too-happy singing overhead, and the screaming children that she wanted so desperately to tear their heads off. Honestly, how in the world did a company like this get so much money?

Little did I know, Puri Star had a deep and dark secret...

Temari looked angry. "How dare that mascot just shove us in like that?!" she bellowed. "I'm going to talk to the manager!"

I paled. "Temari, that isn't necessary..." But I knew it was too late. The Subaku had her mind set on going over to the manager of the Puri Star store and punching his living daylights out. Personally, I felt sorry for him. I imagined the manager to be a fat, slightly balding, cheerful man with a large white mustache like cotton candy. It hurt to think about Temari's fist connecting with his jaw.

We walked towards the back of the store. Children have been evolved with Temari-Anger Radars, and their radars were probably going off the hook beeping right now. Fearfully, all the children parted like the Red Sea when they saw Temari, the angry bull, walking over. So scared that nobody made fun of my pink hair. Huh...

My Best Friend had entered Super Saiyan mode. She stormed over to the door like a rampaging bull...

Then politely knocked on it.

"Come in," a slightly raspy voice called. I wondered if the manager had a cold.

I WAS WRONG.

I opened the door for Temari, bowing dutifully. After the queen... I mean Temari had walked in, I walked in myself as well. The room was pitch black, and as soon as the two of us were about three feet away from the door inside the room, it slammed shut.

The lights flickered open, revealing a large, spacious room with velvet carpeting. On the door was a musical note, and on the wall horizontal to the door was a large, skillfully painted image of a snake mauling a poor, defenseless deer. The walls were painted black, giving the room a completely different vibe than the Puri Star store. It seemed so strange and foreign to me that the cheerful, pink store was just three feet away.

Sitting at a large mahogany desk was a tall, thin man. His face was pasty white, and his eyes were two golden slits. His hair was long and silky, in even better shape than Temari's. And Temari was the hair expert. "Hello," he rasped. "My name is Orochimaru, manager of the Puri Star store. What may I do for you..?"

I gulped. Temari gulped. We gulped simultaneously. I think Temari was in shock that somebody could have hair so much more perfect than hers, and was about to have a heart attack, so I spoke up.

"Sir, we were just asking your mascot where the clothing department was," I offered.

"But Puri Star has just become a clothing line as well," Orochimaru said, confused. "Why would you be angry?"

"We clearly stated that we did not wish to shop at the Puri Star store," Temari replied. "Yet we were rudely shoved inside. I think that's bullshit work ethics on your part."

Orochimaru looked surprised. "Oh my," he said, his raspy voice genuinely sorrowful. "I am terribly sorry for you. Please, allow me to present to you this exclusive one of a kind Puri Star collectible. It hasn't been released yet."

Alright, so maybe Orochimaru wasn't so bad. Sure, he looked bad, but then again, Sasuke looked good. Looks can be deceiving.

You got that right. But it doesn't change the fact that this Orochimaru fellow looks like a fucking pedophile, Inner told me as Orochimaru looked through his drawers. My thoughts were interrupted when he smiled at me, his eyes so snakelike it was scary.

"Here we are," Orochimaru said. "The brand new never before released Puri Star collectible, just for you." He held up a snowy white bunny, completely decked out in these cute looking scarves and crap. "Snow Puri."

"Wow... gee, thanks," Temari said, grabbing it.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Don't hold her like that!" he hissed angrily. His eyes widened and he calmed down. "I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive the Puri Star store for your inconvenience." He held out his hand to Temari, who shook it hesitantly. Then he held out his hand to me.

I reached out and shook his hand. The manager's hand was cold, which was weird since the room was heavily air conditioned to, like, Volcanic Blast Mode. It was oily and pasty, and all together just a really nasty hand.

Orochimaru smiled kindly at me, until he looked down at my hand. His eyes looked over the charm bracelet Sasori had made for me, and for a split second, I swear to God his smile morphed into an ugly sneer, and his eyes widened with fury. But that was all in a split second. Then his anger disappeared, and his smile returned.

"My... what an interesting bracelet you have," Orochimaru said. "Who gave it to you?"

Something told me I should keep my mouth shut. "Sasori Akasuna," I blurted out.

FUCK! WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?

I don't know I don't know!

Orochimaru nodded. "Ah..." he said. "Yes, I'll be seeing you two around, I believe... Good bye." He led us out the Puri Star store personally, and slammed the door in our faces.

Temari shrugged. "That was weird," she commented, walking around the mall. "That Orochimaru bloke was a bitch. Kicking us out like that."

"Y-Yeah..." I muttered, trying to stop the shivers down my back. "Tell me about it."

Temari just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's just go shopping and forget about that weirdo guy anyways."

I nodded, grateful for her steering the topic away from the weirdo man. Smiling, we walked towards the escalators, having stupidly not seen the "CLOTHING" sign above the moving stairs.

The Puri Mascot waved the two girls good bye. He was a bit sad to see that they had left without purchasing anything; it really was a shame. His face widened in a smile when he saw another stampede of children coming over. No, he was not a pedophile, but he knew the storm of children would bring in more money for Orochimaru.

Suddenly, he heard static clicking. A familiar, slightly muffled voice clicked in. "Hello, Orochimaru reporting."

"Sir!" the Puri Mascot exclaimed from inside his mask. "What is it?"

"You saw those two women walk out of the store, did you not?"

"Yes sir," the mascot responded dutifully. "One with blonde hair and four pigtails, and another with pink hair."

"Mishter," a young child looked up at him curiously. "Puri, who are you talking to?" The little girl was around four years old.

"Excuse me, sir," the Puri mascot whispered. "Oh hello there, little one!" his voice transformed into a high-pitched, almost loving squeal. "I was just talking to the Puri Gods above, and they're telling me to invite you personally to the Puri Star Store!" The little girl squealed happily, something that almost made the mascot smile in spite of himself. The other children yelled and screamed in jealously or happiness as he led them in. A few minutes later, he checked back into Orochimaru.

"I'm sorry, sir," the Puri mascot apologized.

"No need to apologize," Orochimaru said, almost wistfully. "You did a good job executing that. Back to those two women."

"Yes," the mascot said. "What about them?"

"The pink haired one seems to have some sort of affiliation with the Akatsuki," Orochimaru responded. The mascot stiffened suddenly. The Akatsuki? "Yes, the Akatsuki," Orochimaru said, seeming to have read the mascot's mind. "I think she can be a good person to use against that notorious clan. I've done some research on her, and I've found out she's going to the same high school as you."

"Oh?" the mascot was impressed. "How did you find her?"

"Not everybody has pink hair," Orochimaru reminded. "It was actually fairly easy. Now, I'm going to need you to befriend her, one way or the other. Any way to make her trust you more than Akasuna Sasori, who she seems to be most in common with."

The mascot raised his eyebrows. "Shouldn't be too much of a problem," he smirked to himself.

"I'm trusting you... Kabuto."

"Yes, my lord."