Misery Loves Company

Author: Ladelle

Rating: M, for later

Comments: D'oh, another chapter. Look at me go. But I really need to update DW or BM next so it will be a couple weeks for thirteen, mmk?

Thank you so much for all of your reviews. I love reading them and I'm so excited that so many poeple enjoy this story. It's going to be really good from here on out, at least in my opinion, and I'm completely and totally ecstatic for the rest of MLC.

Chapter 12:

If Naruto had expected to return to a somewhat normal lifestyle, the next day proved to him the complete opposite. Even if Danzo had managed to commute all the way back to his side of town, his reach was formidable—almost as if he had never left. This was confirmed when Naruto received a startling knock on his apartment room door at nearly nine o'clock at night from a weathered little man who announced that his first day—or night—of work would be occurring in less time than it could take Naruto to get ready.

After running around his apartment in an effort to change into something he felt was closer to appropriate for a club, Naruto grabbed his icon and hustled out, feeling rushed. Zabuza, who was notorious for staying up late, was comfortably seated in the lower lounge, and his eyebrow raised as Naruto dutifully—yet reluctantly—followed the older man towards the double doors ahead of him. There was an unspoken conversation between them—one where Naruto was yelling 'I really don't want to do this!' and in response, Zabuza was saying, 'I know, kiddo. Be strong.'

So Naruto left the building and ended up at a long and sleek black car, something he suspected to be reminiscent of a limousine. The windows were so incredibly tinted that he could scarcely make out his reflection in them. He wondered vaguely if he was being escorted to work or kidnapped. The thought would have been more amusing if he didn't have a creeping anxiety building in his gut, so he kept himself silent.

He had a habit of talking too much and he wanted to try his best to ensure that his outspoken nature didn't land him in any more unfortunate situations—aside from the one he was already in.

"It's a shame you're not excited," the older man said as Naruto let himself into the backseat, and he frowned at the comment. Being forced into a job with Sasuke's boyfriend hardly fell into the category of exciting. Excruciating maybe, or even agonizing. But even those felt like understatements.

"It would take a normal person years to get your position," the man continued as he seated himself behind the steering panel. Naruto stared out of his window, frowning when the tint inhibited him from even seeing the passing scenery as the vehicle revved to a start and sped forward.

"Is that so," Naruto said, although he wasn't that interested. The hover car had already sped off through the night, and glowing neon signs blurred as they whisked by the window. The escort that had been sent for him glanced back with narrowed eyes, obviously unused to transporting people that weren't excited. Naruto noticed and sighed.

"I've never worked at a night club before," he explained and while he had been to many in the past, night life in the future was completely different than it was then. It was sexier, dirtier, and more dangerous. At least it had seemed that way at the Purple Martini.

The older man was nodding before he turned onto what Naruto was beginning to recognize as the new downtown Denver, where flashing lights and sparkling corporate buildings almost seemed to create runways for air traffic. The hover car dived lower to greet the implied roadway, and Naruto held the seat beneath him as his chauffer floored the accelerator and weaved between other vehicles before whipping into a private parking garage.

When the engine of the car turned off and the older man shuffled out, Naruto glanced around furtively, surprised that their destination had been so close. He blamed it on the driver's speeding and was slightly disappointed. He wished the ride could have been longer, just because his nerves were gnawing at him like some kind of emotional stomach virus.

Naruto twisted to the side and stepped out of the car, following the older man towards the trunk.

"This is the best club Denver's got to offer," he said, and when he grinned, his face wrinkled.

"Mm," Naruto said, still not fully knowing what to expect. He felt jittery and anxious knowing that he had both Suigetsu and Danzo monitoring him like some sort of microscopic bacteria of a human being.

He almost felt defenseless.

Which was ironic since he was also an officer. Or at least he was trying his best to be.

"This way," the man said, and he led Naruto down a short tunnel, lit from the ceiling by bright fluorescent lights. He squinted his eyes as they neared the exit, and even more intense glowing signs met his vision.

For a moment Naruto felt as though he had been caught in old Las Vegas as vivid lights sparkled against the pitch black night sky, the words, "Showtime!" blinking in-and-out of visibility, followed by 'the Snake'.

Naruto drifted through an opened door that the older man was holding for him, his eyes still glued to the amazing show of advertisement above him before he was pulled inside a backroom door to the club. His eyes mechanically adjusted to the inner-lighting, colorful and intense bulbs of illumination now transformed to boring indoor fluorescents.

"We call this club Hebi," the man said, and Naruto nodded, following him down a long and boring hallway. It was white and dull, and reminded Naruto of the inside of a hospital. It would have been completely sterile-looking if the carpet wasn't an obnoxiously glowing shade of purple, but he didn't have the energy to debate the building's color scheme.

"It's the most profitable club in Denver, and averages five to eight hundred guests a night," the man continued, "those numbers are for the weekend crowd. During the week Hebi is a bit calmer, and sometimes hosts stage shows."

Naruto took a left out into what appeared to be a larger lobby area, most likely for employees. There were richly designed sofas that looked practically un-touched, and the walls had gone from pale white to silver plated, with modern deco paintings hanging loosely against them. There was an abstract rug on the ground, one full of bright reds, oranges and browns; colors that all sloshed together in the middle to form a gigantic snake with a hissing tongue.

"This is the employee lounge," the man explained and he pointed to a few doors at either end of the room. "Those are private rooms—you're not to use them. You need keys to get into them anyway," he went on and Naruto felt his eyebrow lift a little. Private rooms in a club? He didn't want to know.

"Suigetsu's office is this way," and Naruto was pacing briskly behind the man again, weaving down another hallway and past a few other employees that gave him the up-down skeptically. He promptly ignored it; after all, it wasn't as though he had asked for the position. He had never even imagined this as a potential job for him either.

"He is usually here at Hebi," the driver went on, and suddenly pulled himself to a stop outside of two huge double glass doors. "So if you ever need him, this is where you can find him."

Naruto turned to the side to get a good view through the glass—squinting as he realized that it was frosted, initials carved into it. Suigetsu certainly had money.

"Does he want me to go inside?" Naruto asked and the man rapped on the glass in answer, signaling a buzz that signified the door was now unlocked.

"Good luck," the older man said and he took off down the remainder of the hallway, looking busy and distracted. Naruto grabbed the door and pulled it open a bit before staring anxiously at his hand as it hovered over the handle. It hit him suddenly—this would be his first time really meeting Suigetsu.

The other man.

He rolled his eyes at the thought, feeling a little ridiculous thinking about him that way. Naruto was intimidated though, that much he couldn't deny.

"I really don't have all day," the voice cut like a knife through Naruto, who glanced up quickly as his feet instinctively bustled into the room. It was huge for an office, with glass-coated flat-paned waterfalls cascading behind a business appropriate mahogany desk. Even the carpet was lavish; despite the fact it was plain and maroon colored. It was thick though, and soft, and Naruto had to quell the urge to get on his knees and run his hands through it.

"What, you've never been inside an office before?"

Naruto snapped his attention upward, finding the source of the question faster than he had time to think about searching for it. Suigetsu looked just as brilliant as he had when they had first met, stylish in a tailored suit, his hair pulled back into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. Naruto was strangely caught off guard, and didn't manage to reply before Suigetsu frowned and spoke again.

"Ah, I get it. You're only annoying and talkative when you have the power in a situation," his lips moved in a cruel way as he said it; something mocking and content in his voice. Naruto lowered his eyes.

"Sticks and stones," he said minutely, and he glanced down at his icon. Ten o'clock. He couldn't believe he still had a good five hours before this night would be over.

Suigetsu snorted. "What about them?"

It took Naruto a minute to realize what he was talking about, and he mentally smacked himself for using another saying. It was impossible for him to not use them, he was beginning to think. He decided to save his breath in explaining.

"What's my job?" he asked instead. At least if he was given something to do he could occupy himself. Distractions were always welcomed in uncomfortable situations. Suigetsu narrowed his eyes and picked up a bundle of papers that had been stacked in his desk. His expression was cool and calculating, as if trying to size up Naruto with a less than passing glance.

"I don't like you," Suigetsu said suddenly, as if that was the conclusion he had come to. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the outburst and the light-haired club owner rambled on. "And I am sure your feelings towards me are mutual. You being employed here is a favor to Sasuke. You should know that, because I feel no obligation to you whatsoever."

There was a moment of silence where Naruto worked to organize his thoughts. None of what Suigetsu had said surprised him, but it did frustrate him. The only thing he had against Suigetsu was that he was dating Sasuke. That and he seemed a little arrogant.

"I never said I didn't like you," Naruto said. He had wanted to add more to that, to say something like 'I don't want you to feel obligated to me', but he bit his tongue. In all actuality, he needed to be grateful for this job opportunity and pick and choose his battles.

"Right," Suigetsu looked unconvinced. He paused, and then started up again. "I don't like travelers but for all intents and purposes, you being one will actually be convenient. I'm going to work you dry and use you completely to my advantage."

Naruto couldn't help but narrow his eyes wondering just what that implied. "I'm not going to do anything that puts my citizenship here at risk," he stated and Suigetsu rolled his eyes before setting his bundle of papers down. He came forward, striding the way very confident men do, and smirked.

"You need this job to stay. Therefore, you'll do whatever I want you to do."

If Naruto were an animal he would have growled, but he settled for a low grunt from the base of his throat. He hated being taken advantage of—that was how this whole situation got started in the first place.

"Hm. I like you better quiet," Suigetsu decided.

A number of things ran through Naruto's mind, none of them logical and even fewer practical. He missed the cool hilt of his magnum riding above his boxers and debated—for one measly second—using it if he had it. He took a deep breath. His fists were tightened into balls at his sides and he contemplated jumping forward, landing one of his dangerous right hooks into the figure in front of him. Again, he silently talked himself out of it.

He felt his nerves drain and his anger peak though, something that brought a newfound sense of confidence to his position. If Suigetsu was going to use him, Naruto was going to prove himself, and beyond.

"I want you to speak to a customer tonight," Suigetsu said, and his voice sounded surprisingly serious. "I want you to get information from him, just like you did at the Purple Martini from Kisame."

Naruto wasn't sure how Suigetsu knew so much about what had occurred that night, but it made him more than frustrated. He bore it though, with a straight face.

"What kind of information?" he asked.

"Whatever you can get about Itachi Uchiha," Suigetsu said, and Naruto paused, replying the request in his head. Itachi? He wanted information on Itachi?

That… wasn't a problem at all, considering he wanted the exact same thing.

"That's it?" Naruto didn't mean to make it sound simple, he was just surprised.

Suigetsu frowned. "It won't be as easy as you think, so don't look so cocky. If you get yourself into trouble, I'm not getting you out."

Naruto scowled. This job was going to be more difficult than the police one—and that one required him to train like a professional athlete.

"Fine. Who is the customer?" Naruto asked, looking irritated.

"I'll point him out when he arrives," Suigetsu twisted towards his desk and pressed an intercom button to which a woman's voice came through richly.

"Yes?"

"Karin, come and take care of this traveler," he quipped, and after an irritated 'yes, sir' the intercom went silent. Suigetsu glanced up at Naruto and raised an eyebrow.

"In an hour I want you back here," Suigetsu stated, and he grinned. It was a smile that made Naruto narrow his eyes, and the light haired club owner raised his arms, pointing playfully to a large window behind Naruto. Naruto turned to see what he was pointing at, and frowned when it was the gigantic blinking billboard that read 'Showtime'.

In a different world, Karin may have been a sweet girl.

In this world however, and in front of a wide variety of tailored suits and uncontained gossip, she was the bane of poor Naruto's existence.

"I just don't understand it," she was going on, as if completely oblivious to the bleak presence behind her. "Sasuke deserves so much more. I mean, yeah, Sui is rich and all of that, but…" and suddenly, she whipped around, her thick pony-tailed hair nearly blinding Naruto in one eye, "I mean, wouldn't you take a girl if you could get one?"

In all truth, Naruto had been convinced that this conversation was between her and the rack of clothes in front of her. So when she raised a skeptical eyebrow at him in hopes for an answer, he faltered. He decided admitting that him wanting Sasuke over any girl was out of the question; thus he was left at a loss for words.

"No?" she asked and then shook her head. "This world is coming to an end if no men find women even remotely attractive," she stated, and pushed a pair of glasses higher on her nose. She continued to rummage through the selection at hand before yanking out a straight-laced white-collared shirt, with pearlized buttons lining the front.

"This one looks about your size," she mumbled, and then turned to hold it against him as if that would validate her hypothesis or not. Her eyes scanned the shirt and him like a computer doing a fingerprint analysis, before she nodded and thrust it forward. Naruto caught it in his hands and huffed a little, surprised at her strength.

"Sui told me that you're going to be a lead," Karin said, and she briskly guided Naruto to another rack of clothes, this time searching for an expensive pair of pressed slacks. She eyed Naruto's waist in a way that made him feel nervous, before disappearing behind a large shelf of dress shoes. Naruto heard her fumbling and his ears perked when she spoke again.

"It's crazy that you'll be a lead—seeking out people and chatting it up with them. But then again, maybe not," her voice was like the jagged edge of a shattered vodka bottle as she continued, and Naruto contemplated how he had ever managed to sit through any conversations with the opposite sex. After a half hour of hunting for professional apparel and what seemed like an even longer period of time where he was forced to hear anything and everything about Suigetsu and his exploits, Naruto felt like yanking out his hair.

"I mean, you're a traveler, right? That means a lot of people will be interested in talking to you…" her voice faded as she pulled out a nice pair of pleated black trousers from a cubby, looking satisfied with her decision. Her expression reverted however when she regained her train of thought and peered up at him.

"But, I don't know. You look kind of… innocent. I hope you know hat you're getting into with this position," she said and she motioned him towards a pair of rooms near the rear of the outfitting room. Naruto took the hint that he was supposed to try her selections on and he dutifully obeyed, grateful for the silence that small little fitting room seemed to promise.

He stepped inside, closed the door, and sighed. He began undressing, wondering just how much like a hotel bellhop he was going to look like in the clean-cut garb Karin had selected. He pulled the shirt on first, and buttoned it slowly.

"But Sasuke," Karin's voice lit up again and Naruto frowned, trying to distract himself by making sure every button was meticulously in place. It was against his nature to be so precise, but damn if it didn't give himself something else to focus on besides Sasuke. And Suigetsu. And Sasuke and Suigetsu dating. And other things Naruto didn't want to hear about them being together.

"Sasuke is a powerhouse," she went on and Naruto could hear her fiddling with things outside, maybe organizing the room a bit. "He put forth the funding for this entire club—you have to really love someone to back that type of investment."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. Hebi was Sasuke's? Or at least partly, he gathered. He pulled off his pants and reached for the other ones, listening more intently than he would have wanted to Karin outside.

"I mean, ever since Haruno went out of the picture, Sui and him have been stuck together like glue," her voice got softer, "Damn her really. She's the type of broad who makes men want women even less."

Naruto couldn't help but stop what he was doing and let out a breath that had caught in his throat. In all honesty, he hadn't thought about Sakura for a while now—he hadn't even wondered where she was and what had happened after he had left. And despite the fact her actions had been bordering on desperate when they had last met, he still held an affection for her he couldn't deny so easily.

She was, after all, the mother of his son who someday he hoped to meet. That was another complication in Naruto's mind. One he didn't think about often, but one that, when thought about, struck a deep and resonating chord within him.

"And that kid! Disappeared off the face of the earth," Karin continued. "When Sasuke cuts all ties, he damn sure cuts all ties," she said, and Naruto paused, his attention caught.

'Cuts all ties'? What did that have to do with his son?

Naruto forced open the door abruptly, his pants not even fully buttoned as he held them at his waist, his expression somewhat wild. He had always been under the impression that his son was safe somewhere, with a family that was well-off enough to support him until Naruto was at least safe enough in the future to make an appearance.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, and Karin was slouched against a table across from him, surprised at his outburst. It had been the first time he had spoken, Naruto realized, but he couldn't help the nervous adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"You know about his kid with Sakura? The one they adopted out," she explained, waving her hand and breaking eye contact like her comments were casual and meant nothing at all. "Well, you know, the kid was adopted years ago and from what I've heard, Uchiha Industries no longer pays a dime towards him."

If Naruto's eyes could grow any wider, he was sure that they would fall out of his skull. The one thing that Naruto had left behind that needed protecting from Sasuke had simply been… abandoned? He couldn't believe it.

"Why?" he asked, and the question almost stuck in his throat. Karin raised an eyebrow at his concern, looking confused.

"Who knows, maybe he just needed a clean slate," she shrugged. "He's rich, so he can do whatever he wants."

Naruto stared at her, his expression vacant and bordering livid. A part of him was yanking at his conscious, begging him to wait and see if it was true. The other side of him kept replaying his cold conversation with Sasuke, boiling it down to everything that could equal Karin's 'clean slate' hypothesis.

"Are you okay?" Karin was watching him closely, and he couldn't bring himself to answer more than finishing dressing. His pants were buttoned and his shirt was tucked in, and as a passing thought, Naruto realized that everything fit very well.

"Very nice," Karin commended, and she tossed him a thin pair of black socks and two pairs of shiny leather shoes. Naruto gauged himself in a mirror when he was finished, his mind still spinning in disbelief as he took in the new person he had become. He looked confident and capable, and because of the rush of anger clouding his mind his eyes looked like pools of vast temptation, alive and aware.

"So as a lead you just need to keep in mind that…" Naruto let Karin's voice fade, positive that whatever she had to say wasn't as important as the inner demons he felt the need to quell. So many thoughts were assaulting the forefront of his being that he could barely believe he hadn't punched a wall. Or worse—found Sasuke and punched him instead.

Jubaku. Or so Sakura had named him.

If Naruto was going to be honest with himself, it started with a very upfront and direct admission. An admission that in any other situation would make him feel like the worst person in the world, more or less like some crazed victim on the Maury show claiming that that baby wasn't his.

Only Naruto knew Ju was his.

His admission was that he hardly felt connected to his son at all.

He did the math in his head as he followed Karin. Jubaku would be four this year. Four years of living with a family—four years of believing in that family, four years of never knowing that Naruto Uzumaki existed, or much less was his father. It made his stomach upset thinking about it.

Especially because he had grown up the same way. Foster home to foster home, family to family. Although from what it sounded like Jubaku only had one family. And to hell with that name.

It wasn't as though the separation factor was the complete reason he hadn't thought about his son either. In moments of passing thought, he had thought himself responsible for keeping his distance. After all, if he could barely manage his citizenship, would bringing himself into the boy's life be a smart move?

But that's why he had depended on Sasuke, if only on an unconscious level. To protect that boy. And now he felt foolish, as if it had been too much to ask, or even assume.

"Well, you're all his. Have fun tonight and you know, be careful," she gave him an examining glance before leaving Naruto outside of the glass-plated office, and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed to think about the mission at hand. If he couldn't get rid of the threat that was Itachi, he didn't stand a chance of accomplishing anything in the future—involving Sasuke or his son. He nodded and knocked, his resolution set. The buzzer sounded and he let himself in.

"So who am I targeting?" he asked, and Suigetsu raised an eyebrow at him from his text, taking him in full force. And he must have looked like a force to be reckoned with because the scowl on Suigetsu's face was almost amusing.

"You clean up well," he said distastefully, and Naruto had never thought himself the type to be satisfied at jealously. He didn't say anything, and Suigetsu continued.

"Alright, come with me," he stood up from behind his desk, forcefully organizing some documents into a few dividers near his computer. He was quick to approach Naruto though, and even faster at leaving the office and leading Naruto down a more than colorful hallway.

The floor began to reverberate against Naruto's feet and his ears took in the heavy beat of music, full and loud as he saw the beginnings of the actual club. It was hazy and green with flashing red lights, that Naruto attributed to the club's namesake, 'Hebi'.

"This is the dancehall," Suigetsu said, and he had to lean in close to Naruto so that the blond could hear. The music was pumping from gigantic speakers lining the ceiling, and even from a few on the floor level. Naruto and Suigetsu were on a second level peering down, and Naruto's eyes went wide in awe at just how many people were already there, crowding the dance floor at eleven o'clock at night.

"This will get you drinks or whatever you might need," Suigetsu said and Naruto turned as the club owner pinned a small silver snake to the collar of his white shirt. He turned to the dance floor again and started pointing out different sections.

"Public area," he pointed to the left, "Private area," his hand swooshed to the right. "The people you'll be dealing with are private. More specifically, table nineteen."

Naruto followed his perfectly manicured finger to a table towards the back of the private section, content behind the booming speakers. There were two men sitting at it, one hidden by an overhead light and the other looking brilliant with light hair under the canopy of flashing colored lights, holding a bottle of fancy liquor in his hands.

"Who are they?" Naruto asked, and he squinted his eyes, trying to make them out better. Suigetsu leaned closer and his voice got lower.

"The dark haired man is Orochimaru. He's someone you don't want to be in the wrong with. The other guy is one of his right hand men—a real professional though. Even I don't know his name."

Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes and settled on nodding instead. "So all I need to do is get information on Itachi?" he clarified and Suigetsu lowered his eyes, looking skeptical.

"Don't make it sound easy. And don't get into trouble—I wasn't joking when I said I wouldn't help you. And remember, your citizenship depends on how well you deliver."

Naruto frowned before gathering his confidence and turning to Suigetsu, eyes narrowed.

"I have no intention of failing," he said, and he dismissed the surprised look on Suigetsu's face before he walked over to a downward stairwell, anxious to get the night over with. His palms were sweaty and his head was wracked with internal aggression, but he did his best to convert it to motivation.

The first step was to get an idea of how to target the duo. If he walked up, it would be suspicious. He needed them to want him. It was easier to talk to people when they had the drive to communicate with you—he knew that for a fact. He wandered to the bar and flashed his pin, before pointing at a bottle of beer, all while keeping his attention casually on the two people at the table.

If he was going to sweet talk older men, he was going to need a good drink.

He stood by the bar for a good while, taking in the two men, trying to sort out a plan. He was more than confident in his abilities, but less than practiced with dating. It had been a long time since he had tried to pick up anyone, and it looked like that was his best plan of action. Get one of them interested in him, get invited to the table, and leak information.

A three step plan for success.

"Excuse me, where are the restrooms?"

Naruto twisted his attention to a man that had approached him and his eyebrows furrowed. He… had no idea. The man raised an eyebrow and from behind Naruto, the bartender was loud.

"Down the back hallway," he said, and Naruto gave him a friendly smile, which wasn't all that well returned, before returning his attention to the dancing crowd. He frowned, and almost jumped out of his seat when a familiar face brushed through the crowd.

He blinked and shook his head, wondering if the bright lights were making him see things. He stared though—there it was again! He set his beer bottle down and jumped up, completely distracted from the task at hand. After all… it couldn't be…

He weaved into the crowd and reached forward, lightly touching a shoulder. The figure turned and eyes widened, and Naruto held his breath when the figure spoke.

"Kitten?"

If it was possible for Naruto's jaw to drop, it would have popped right off its hinge and fell to the floor in that very instant. Of all the people he was not expecting to see, Sai was definitely one of them. And by the looks of things, Sai felt the same way.

"Sai? What one earth…" Naruto glanced around, as if forgetting Sai's demeanor. It wasn't too surprising to find him in a club, but after everything with Yamato and Kakashi, he suspected the black haired Asian boy would be attempting a low profile.

The man Sai had been dancing with gave Naruto a dirty look before looking hurt as Sai smiled a him—that familiar and eerie smile Naruto remembered so well—and took Naruto's wrist in his hand. They left the bulge of dancing and found their way to a quieter place on the outskirts of the dance floor, where Sai twisted Naruto out and looked him up and down, as shocked as it was possible for him to look.

"Fancy seeing you… anywhere," Sai said after a minute, and Naruto realized that he was really the ghost in the situation. Seeing Sai brought back even more memories, and those dark and flirtatious black eyes and casual demeanor were a welcomed relief from all of the stress he had so recently.

"It's a long story," Naruto said slowly and he glanced around, keeping an eye out for Suigetsu. All he needed to do was get in trouble on the job on his first day.

"Who are you looking for?" Sai asked, and Naruto turned to him and frowned.

"My boss. I'm kind of on a mission and I'm assuming he has eyes like a hawk," he said, but even after doing a quick glance around the upper tiers of the dance hall, he couldn't help but return his vision to Sai. God it felt great to see old friends. He had almost forgotten how much.

"A mission, huh?" Sai glanced around as well. "Suigetsu likes to stay out of the limelight though—if you're that worried, come dance with me and we can catch up," he said.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, wondering how Sai knew it was Suigetsu he was talking about. In return, Sai thumbed the pin on his collar and Naruto nodded in agreement.

Sai led them back out, although this time it was to an area where the music wasn't as loud. As soon as they had reached an open spot, Naruto realized how badly thought out the plan had been.

Dance? He only danced with… girls.

But before he could bring himself to oppose the current situation Sai was in front of him, his slender back against Naruto's chest, bringing his ear to the level of Naruto's mouth.

"Tell me about it," he said, and Naruto did. Well, the important enough parts. About how he had come back and how he was trying to get citizenship—about how he was an officer and about how he had to prove himself tonight or risk losing everything he'd worked for. Sai nodded in all of the right places, listening as aptly as he always had, and Naruto was surprised to find that the rhythm they found together seemed comfortable and normal throughout. When Naruto finished Sai twisted around, switching their positions so that he could speak himself. Naruto felt awkward with Sai's hips against his back, slender fingers cupping his waist.

"I'm working for Danzo," Sai said against Naruto's ear, and his grip tightened on Naruto's waist when he tensed at the comment. "To get information on him, and information on you," he explained, and Naruto turned his head, confused. Sai slid against him at a turn in the music and continued when his mouth came back into contact with Naruto's ear.

"Danzo was the only one with traveler information," he said, "and a way to find out what happened to you," he finished. "Danzo is after Uchiha now, though, and because of that, this club as well."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. Why on earth would Danzo be after Sasuke? "Why?" he asked.

"I don't know the details, but I'm here to watch for suspicious behavior between the two," he said, and Naruto nodded. A feeling was beginning to mold in his gut, one that felt an awful lot like a conspiracy of some sort.

"What is this 'mission' of yours?" Sai asked casually, running his hands along Naruto's hips. He felt awkward under the attention, but he figured it made him look like he fit in. At least he could hide a bit—a little 'Where's Waldo' for Suigetsu.

"I have to get close," Naruto motioned his head sideways, "to them."

He felt Sai frown form behind him. "Orochimaru and Kimimaro?"

Naruto nodded, assuming that was the other man's name.

"These two are dangerous," he said against Naruto's ear, sounding slightly concerned. Naruto nodded and shrugged.

"I've got to do it." His citizenship depended on it.

There was a pause before Sai stopped dancing behind him, instead asking a rather direct question.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, and Naruto turned to him, feeling caught off guard. Sai was gazing at him lucidly, looking confident and boastful as always.

"I… yes?" Naruto wasn't sure how to answer.

"I'll get you over there in five minutes," Sai said, and Naruto nodded shakily, wondering why Sai sounded so confident in his approach. But Naruto did trust him. He always had, and for some reason unknown to him, he felt he always would.

The music changed and the beat slowed, a sensual tune thrumming through the base. Sai's hands were around him and his own had drifted upwards out of the way as he glanced down at whatever Sai was aiming to do.

Their bodies were tight together—it made Naruto embarrassed, and Sai's fingers started at his waist, un-tucking Naruto's white collared shirt from the black pleated pants below.

"What are you—"

"Naruto," Sai whispered into his ear, and Naruto rolled back against his name, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"He's watching," Naruto twisted his head to the right, feeling his eyes go half lidded under the intensity of the lights as he caught the gaze of the silver-haired man.

And hell, he wasn't just watching.

There was a sort of hunger in his eyes that roved Naruto like a wild thing. And Naruto let Sai continue whatever he was doing, and listened to the whisper sin his ears.

"He likes travelers," he explained, "he's crazy about them. He'll want you," he warned.

Buttons were coming undone and Naruto felt awkward, even if it was doing the job. He twisted his head.

"Sai, stop," he said, content already as he saw Kimimaro stand up from the table. He turned back to view Sai though and reached his hands down to grab the slender fingers moving against him.

"Sai—"

"Get out."

Naruto yanked his attention to the side, surprised when a hand even paler than Sai's yanked him out of the touch. Sasuke Uchiha was staring pins and needles at the other man, and Sai, as usual, remained unaffected.

"Uchiha," he said calmly, and Sasuke snorted.

"Get out."

Sai glanced between Sasuke and Naruto before giving Naruto a knowing sort of glance and smiling. "As you wish," he said sweetly, and made a round towards the exit, weaving through the crowds.

Naruto turned his attention to Sasuke, eyes narrowed, before glancing over to Orochimaru's table. He cursed; it was empty.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sasuke stared down at him, and his expression hadn't changed much from the look he had given Sai.

"I'm doing the job you got me," Naruto answered plainly, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed more, if at all possible. His face was gaunt against the lights and his hair was perfectly styled; sleek and handsome against his sharp features. He was wearing a suit with a bright purple tie, and his hand was still holding Naruto's bracingly.

"This job doesn't entitle you to be a wh—"

"My, my, isn't this the scene?"

Both Naruto and Sasuke jerked their attention sideways and Naruto let out an unbidden breath. Kimimaro was standing to the side, his eyes focused on the grip between both he and Sasuke.

"This has nothing to do with you," Sasuke said smartly, and Kimimaro laughed.

"But it has everything to do with him," he said, and he was referring to Naruto. "And he looks like he isn't too comfortable with you, Uchiha."

Naruto wondered how good and bad things always managed to find him in pairs. Here Sasuke was, talking to him, and at the same time, the person he had needed an in with was practically requesting him. Naruto glanced between Sasuke and the silver haired man, trying for the life of him to debate on what to do.

Sasuke looked livid. But above livid, Naruto recognize concern. Kimimaro must have been dangerous, especially for Sai to say it. But if he didn't take this opportunity, he would never have it again and he would have nothing to give Suigetsu after his shift.

He let his expression fall and closed his eyes, as if willing Sasuke to believe that he was truly sorry.

"Can you please let go of me." It came out as a statement, not a question. It sounded cold, and he wished Sasuke could understand. The grip tightened and Naruto's eyes snapped open when Sasuke jostled him a bit.

"Do you know what you're saying?" the corporate mogul asked, and Naruto pulled forward a look of confidence.

"Of course," he said, and Sasuke's eyes went wide. There was an uncomfortable silence between them that Naruto couldn't read, and Sasuke's hand wouldn't loosen. Until Kimimaro pulled them apart.

"Would you like a drink?" the silver haired man asked Naruto and the blond bit his lips before nodding, seeing the frustration in Sasuke's eyes. Kimimaro led Naruto away a little bit, and Sasuke stood, staring in disbelief behind them.

"I should be the one offering you," Naruto said softly, and his insides were tight. The man beside him laughed and Naruto glanced up as he spoke.

"I wasn't thinking here. I was hoping I could steal you away for a little while," he smirked, and Naruto frowned before glancing towards the exit—they were only feet away.

A few steps and he would be gone.

"I—uh." Naruto couldn't think straight. Leaving wasn't smart. He knew that. But now he didn't know what to do. What was more important? His pride and potential safety or his promise to Suigetsu and citizenship?

He looked back towards the door and then to Kimimaro and stepped backwards as a hand came down and caught Kimimaro's wrist.

"You're not taking him anywhere."

Naruto flinched as the room broke into chaos.

a/n: My knack for cliffhangers surprises even me, believe it.