A/N: Chapter Two is released! I've really been enjoying the feedback I've been getting. I'd like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, to everyone who added this story to their alerts! Thanks to everyone who's reading, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Star Struck
Chapter Two
Shinobi Talent Industries was one of the tallest buildings in the metropolis of Konoha. Thirty-six stories in all and each level packed with people. Not including the musicians, singers, comedians and actors, STI had over one thousand and five hundred employees. And it seemed to Iruka that every single one of them shared the same lunch hour. He sighed as he tried to maneuver through the crowed cafeteria. Three floors down Kakashi was working hard. The video shoot had been progressing smoothly, the cast had arrived and the director had pitched his script. He had envisioned the classic tale of Dracula, only with a gothic rock flare. The whole cast had figuratively 'sunk their teeth' into the idea. As Tazuna-san had put it, vampire's were 'all the rage.' The shoot had been proceeding along fine, until the first scene between Kakashi and his female co-star Ayame and Iruka didn't doubt that Tazuna was regretting his casting choice. Not that Ayame was a bad actress. She was in fact one of STI's most popular teen stars and that had been a major factor when she was cast. Hatake Kakashi's "Syndrome" music video was comprised of an all star STI cast. It's release was already a highly anticipated event. With Ayame in the role of Mina and Tenzou Yamoto, a young rising star in the music industry, appearing in the role of Dr. Van Helsing the industry and public had high expectations. Unfortunately no one had taken into account just how big a fan of Kakashi's the girl was. The normally composed teenager was falling apart, she simply wasn't able to stay focused when they tried to shoot the two together.
Finally Tazuna had called Iruka over and asked him to go fetch the boxed lunches for the cast and crew that STI provided for the shoot. Kakashi was beginning to lose his patience and Ayame was getting closer and closer to breaking into tears. He had jumped at the chance to get away from the stressful situation on set and as he was leaving they were all sitting down for a cast meeting to attempt to find a solution. Iruka had been happy to get out of the tense atmosphere but he hadn't anticipated how crowded the cafeteria would be. A large figure backing into him sent Iruka stumbling forward, knocking into several others, barely managing to keep on his feet. He turned to verbally rip into whoever had sent him sprawling, but his voice froze as his eye identified the man, Ibiki. He shivered, glad that he had kept silent. Morino Ibiki was terrifying. Dressed head to toe in black leather, head shaved, and every inch of him( as far as anyone knew) covered in scars and tattoos. Iruka wasn't quite sure what Ibiki's job at STI was. He knew that the man was dating Kakashi's stylist, Mitarashi Anko, and that he was a good friend of Sarutobi-san but that was the extend to Iruka's knowledge. He backed away slowly, as to not draw the tall man or his purple haired lovers, attention and visibly winced as his name was shouted above the dull roar of the crowd.
"Oi! Iruka!"
He turned, ponytail whipping through the air, and threw himself into the thick of the crowd as Anko's head shot up, eyes searching the crowd. He really didn't know what was wrong with the woman! They had only met a total of three times since he had become Kakashi's manager. Each visit had originated from the purpose of designing Kakashi a new outfit for either a public appearance or performance. But each time he had accompanied his charge Anko had simply pushed Kakashi into a large armchair with a few sketches to choose from and forcibly dragged his manager into the studio's massive closet, snapping his hair tie as she went. His pleading looks and words to Kakashi were always ignored as the psychotic woman played dress up with his body. The man had even occasionally turned traitor, holding him still while she pulled some ridiculous fashion onto him. He would never forget his embarrassment at the time that Sarutobi-san had walked into the room to find Iruka sprawled on the floor, Kakashi straddling his calves as Anko fought to button up the Gothic Lolita dress they had forced him into. Kakashi would forever make his necessary trips to his stylist solo after that.
He snaked through the crowd, keeping his head down as he made his way to the table where the damning shout had originated from. Namiashi Raidou smiled wide, waving at him as he approached and Iruka could not keep himself from smiling back. Almost a decade before the thirty-one year old had been the lead singer in the band 'Clockwork Angel.' However the life his voice had assured he would live was stolen from him when a scorned lover broke past security during a live, nationwide broadcast performance and splashed acid all over his face and throat. Iruka had been fourteen and supporting a huge teenage crush at the time. He and Haku had both been squeezed onto their apartments tiny couch, happily singing along one moment then staring at the screen in shock as their idol collapsed. His screams had been amplified across the stadium before someone had wisely pulled the plug on his mic and cut the live feed. Raidou had almost died that day and his music career had ended forever. His voice was never the same and the right side of his face had been terribly scarred. He had stayed with STI though and now was working as manager to an actor named Shiranui Genma.
As he approached the crowded table Iruka cast an eye over his friends companions warily. He vaguely knew Ebisu, as he was the manager of Sarutobi-san's grandson Konohamaru. Although from the rumors Iruka heard he was doing a piss poor job of it. Apparently the man was a pervert as well and Iruka's personal opinion he should never be allowed near a child. From the misery that showed on his face daily, he himself agreed. The other man was almost as big as Ibiki but with much more hair, most of it on his face. Iruka knew him slightly better. Asuma was Sarutobi-san's oldest son and highly regarded as the most competent and patient manager at Shinobi. The three men were joined by surprisingly, a young boy that Iruka didn't recognize and the four were playing Poker. He frowned.
"Guys? Aren't you all off work today? What are you doing at work, before noon no less!"
The men unanimously turned their eyes towards the final member of the game. The young boy. in Iruka's professional opinion, looked extremely bored as he adjusted his cards in his hand and laid them carefully on the table, revealing a straight flush. Raidou groaned, tossing his cards, two pair, onto the table in defeat as the kid dragged a small pile of bills and coins to his side of the table. Ebisu collected and shuffled the cards as Raidou excused himself from the next round, standing he dragged a chair over for Iruka who took it gladly. Sitting he shook his head when Ebisu offered to deal him in and with a quick glance at his watch he confirmed that he had a few minutes before he was supposed to pick up the lunches and settled in to observe as Raidou whispered in his ear.
"You're right, we all have the day off today, but Tuesday's Shikamaru doesn't have a class at this hour. He's free from eleven-thirty to one. So he normally comes here to help his dad out and to occasionally beat the pocket change out of us at poker." Iruka took a closer look at the boys expression and felt stupid for not seeing the resemblance sooner.
"I see! Shikamaru-kun is Nara-san's son!"
Nara Shikaku was the head of Shinobi's Accounting department. Iruka couldn't help but wonder if the two practiced at making their expressions of boredom identical or if it just happened naturally. He and Raidou smiled as Asuma victoriously threw down his cards, confident that the boy couldn't beat his four of a kind. Shikamaru's expression was the perfect poker face as he calmly set laid down another straight and collected his winnings. Both men burst into laughter as the boys competitors groaned and let their heads sag against the table in defeat, wallets emptied, completely broke. Shikamaru didn't smile as he carefully folded the bills into his wallet but, after so many years of working with children, Iruka could sense the smug air of self satisfaction the boy had about depriving the men of their pay checks and his laughter ceased. A smirk and a quick look at Raidou gained a conspiratorially grin as Iruka asked Ebisu to deal him in and tossed a fifty onto the table. The boy's confident eyes became suspicious as he eyed his new challenger but he anted up without a complaint and Ebisu dealt the cards.
Iruka's face showed clear dismay when he looked over his hand but Shikamaru watched him like a hawk regardless. He only took his eyes away for a moment to exchange his own cards. Iruka's face never changed, not until he laid his ace high royal flush onto the table and a wide smile split across his face as he collected the two fifties. For the first time Shikamaru's eyes narrowed into a glare. "You cheated."
Grin spreading wider Iruka leaned back in his chair fanning himself with the money. "Oh? I cheated did I? What a sore loser you are! Can't believe that someone beat you fair and square?" He snapped forward across the table, grin disappearing as he snatched Shikamaru's cards from his hands. "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones kid." He tossed the cards down next to his, revealing matching hands. The others sat gaping like fish as the boys face slipped back behind it's mask of boredom. "The cards are marked," he stated as he stood, his time was up. "You shouldn't let him use his own deck in the future. And you!" He glared hard at Shikamaru, using his most intimidating voice(Kakashi called it his sensei voice and for a moment Iruka could hear the man in his mind. "Oh sensei! I've been a bad boy! Punish me!"). "You might get away with crap like that at school. But someday you'll either meet a card shark with faster hands that will rob you blind or someone with sharp eyes and you will get caught. And when that happens I hope that the worst they do is take your money!" Words of wisdom delivered he turned to leave and paused. Then with another grin and a flick of his wrist he left a pair of ace's on the table from his sleeve and slipped back into the crowd. "You were just unlucky that I happened to be both."