CHAPTER 10
3.30 p.m Uchiha mansion
Sakura was cooking spaghetti. No, correction, she was murdering some spaghetti, imagining it was her boss instead and burned them in extra virgin olive oil. Normally that particular activity would have brought her a great pleasure.
She absolutely loved Italian food, pasta especially. It reminded her of great moments when she used to trip to Venice with Orochimaru or Karin and have dinners in a small classy restaurant, in the vicinity of the Foscari Bridge, eating Spaghetti Napoli and traditional Venetian cookies with almonds and pistachio nuts.
It was pretty hard for a CIA agent to clear his busy schedule and spend time with the dear ones, but they tried to make the best of it, enjoying each other's company, in those small but precious moments.
But not a single peaceful thought crossed Sakura`s mind on that very moment. She was practically killing the innocent spaghetti with the wooden spoon. "The son of a bitch...who does he think I am, the delivery girl?" she was almost spilling the olive oil over the stove, her small hand gripping the pan as hard as she could.
"If he wanted food he could have just ordered it or I dunno…wait until it fell from the sky…or from the fangirls that are stalking him…or he could just go die of starvation for all I care…" she was talking like a demented woman she was aware…but that was what one got when working for the one Uchiha heir.
After she has cooked the spaghetti as well, Sakura took them out and mixed them with the sauce, adding parmesan as well. She has used 6 tomatoes instead of 3 to make the bloodiest tomato sauce one could have found.
It looked like that slime bloody substance the troubled teenagers used for Halloween decorations. The Sound agent burst out laughing. Her boss had issues and he was not even aware of them.
"…now how in the world do I pack this shit to keep it warm and tasty looking and make sure it doesn't turn into a mess until I arrive to his damn Mangekyou…" While she was looking for a food storage container in the kitchen cabinet she found out an interesting wooden lunch box. She took a better look and saw it was pretty old, but it looked in really good shape, probably because it stayed in a dark corner, far from the sun rays and humidity. She took a better look and couldn't help but stare in awe.
"Wow…this is beautiful" She studied the decorative design. It looked like wooden lace was carved in it, in the shapes of phoenix birds and really detailed fractals, painted in bright red, green, white and gold.
She realized it was handmade, using the fretwork technique. The person that has done the box was really skilled and had refined taste. "I bet it is really expensive…"
She decided to pack Sasuke`s lunch in that beautiful box. Maybe that would brighter his mood. The poor man was constantly brooding and it was just a shame to such a gorgeous face to have wrinkles. Sakura was mentally laughing at the idea of mixing his after shave lotion with anti aging cream.
Instinctively, Sakura turned on the radio to find some music, but instead she only heard some weird noises made by the most tone deaf people in the Milky Way, that were giving some interviews to the local station, about how they plan on going international starting that summer and become the most legendary band ever. They sounded like cats on heat and their band name was so gay.
"Is that the kind of music teenagers nowadays listen to?" She attempted to turn off the radio, because it didn't help calming the atmosphere, when a feminine voice interrupted the interview.
"WE ARE INTERRUPTING THIS PROGRAM TO ANNOUNCE THE LATEST NEWS FROM TOKYO: KEN DAVIDSON JR., 28 YEARS OLD, KNOWN AS THE HEIR OF THE AMERICAN MULTINATIONAL RETAIL CORPORATION WALMART WAS FOUND DEAD THIS MORNING IN HIS ROOM AT SHINJUKU GRANBELL HOTEL.
THE POLICE OFFICERS REFRAINED FROM GIVING ANY INFORMATION REGARDING HIS TRAGICAL DEATH. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSESS, THREE FIREARM SHOOTS WERE HEARD THIS MORNING FROM THE SAID HOTEL, AS WELL AS SOME OTHERS COMING FROM ANOTHER CLOSE BUILDING TOP ROOF.
NO ONE KNOWS EXACTLY IF IT WAS A MURDER ATTEMPT, BUT WE CANNOT OVERLOOK THE POSSIBILITY OF A SUICIDE. ACCORDING TO OUR …"
The young agent turned off the radio and bolted to her room. She pushed the door open and took out her laptop, turning it on, typing the young dead heir's name on search bar and pressed ok. She left the laptop opened on the bed and closed the door behind her, with the key Sasuke has given her.
She had a special program that looked for any information available concerning the said man, in every world system that had some data about him.
Sakura was no fool. She knew what happened in there. And it certainly had nothing to do with suicide. That heir was killed by a professional assassin, that was skilled enough to create a diversion and shoot an important person, passing his security guards and hotel's own security system, in broad daylight, fooling even Neji Hyuga and managing to escape them nonetheless.
Thank God the Hyuga heir has put a tracking device on his van. Akatsuki will be able to follow him everywhere and stop him, before he leaves Japan.
She took a pair of ripped baggy jeans and didn't even bother to undress from her agent black shorts. Also, Sakura has found some really large black T-Shirts on a questionable looking shop, near the hair salon that were drowning her in and hid her curves and chest, so she didn't have to wear the stupid chest bindings and attract hungry stares from unwanted people.
But she didn't remove her boots, out of vigilance. She had her Staff and two needles inside and god only knows when it could come in handy.
The young woman took her phone, the lunch box, a bottle of cold water, threw one more glance in the large hall mirror ( she was really skilled if she managed to look so horrible in such short amount of time) and went outside, closing the door behind her.
She was really lucky her boss lived 15 minutes of walking far from his company, otherwise it would have been really difficult for her to cross a larger distance in time. She had made it in 7 minutes straight running, after all that was how she has managed to go and save Naruto in time, after getting the SOS message.
But this time she took her time and walked in small steps like a true geisha, iPod in her ears, blasting at the volume limit, enjoying Eddie Benitez and his magical Latino jazz guitar songs.
Her bastard of a boss was hungry? She didn't have enough fucks to give about the matter. Wasn't he involved in charity or something? Let him experience how the poor living in poverty children were struggling every day. "Cocky jerk…"
4 p.m Japan, Tokyo, Mangekyou HQ
Sasuke was studying some files in front of him intently…with one eye. The other was glued on the Swiss wall clock in front of him. His maid was late. Why on Earth was she so late, was she growing the tomatoes at that moment or was she doing it on purpose. Sasuke knew it was the former.
He threw the file he was trying to study for half an hour on his desk, not bothering with the fact that some of the papers flew in all directions. It was something stupid anyways, like he was interested in the upcoming Ball's schedule or menu or music or whatever was written there.
It was just waste of time and paper in his opinion. Those trees used should have been spared. Oxygen was vital to him, silver imported cutlery was extreme dumbness.
But the worst part of it was definitely that year's party thematic: a masquerade ball…he wouldn't be caught dead wearing a costume of any sorts, that was for imbeciles like Naruto, who had their costume prepared in advance.
"If those imbeciles wanted to parade in an expensive hotel, dressed like faggots and stuffing their faces with creepy looking food and drinks, they could have waited until Halloween."
The young Uchiha was really hungry and that made him even angrier. He could hear his stomach begging for attention, but he would be damned if he went downstairs to eat another sandwich from the vending machine.
After having a taste of Sakura`s home made lunch, he couldn't understand how did he survived with that pathetic excuse of food until then. Those sandwiches had the aroma of dirty socks and glue.
And of course he couldn't waste the chance to corner her and tease her. Sasuke didn't understand why, but he felt the need to talk to her, know her better, uncover her secrets and make her show him her true colors.
It was astonishing for him to find out he wasn't bothered by her rude behavior and the false respect she was showing. He crossed his hands in front of his face, elbows planted on the desk thinking.
All his life, the raven haired Uchiha was used to have people to worship him, kiss the ground he walked on and praise him for everything he did, be it good or bad. It was his life as a rich heir after all, he was living in luxury and he was breathing luxury.
He had everything he wanted at his dispose, without even asking for it. And no one ever dared to oppose him or god forbids insult him, or mock him, with the exception of his stupid dobe of a best friend and brother. But they were pathological cases so Sasuke didn't take them into account.
And this little poor young woman came into his life like a tornado and turned every rule he knew about being a rich man upside down. She was a fire cracker he knew that much and the fact that she wasn't afraid to show it to him shocked him.
It was undeniable she didn't give a damn about the fact that he lived in a completely different world than her and that surprised Sasuke a bit. Unlike all the other normal people, her life purpose was not to be like him or live like him, just because she was struggling in debts.
And it was precisely that attitude over rich people she had that impressed him and determined him to want to know her better. She was not a superficial dumb poor woman. She was more than that, she had solid moral values, she had a deeper meaning of things than average people.
And her glaring intelligence was also something to look out for. Sasuke dealt with many women, in all possible ways, being them his co-workers or the lascivious ones he used for his pleasure when he felt the need to loosen up and have fun.
From that point of view, the little Haruno girl was far superior. She was better than them in terms of intellect (he was certain she could give any of his coworkers that had ten diplomas in business and economics, but couldn't get the meaning of trading and holding, a run for their money any day) and even though she looked like she was playing the leading role in a movie with killer sharks, that terrorized beaches and ate people, she was more interesting to talk to. And the fact that she had a small retort to everything he said was spicing things up.
Although, the fact that she was concealing her identity still remained, nagging at his brain. She was honest when she told him she needed the job and was more than willing to be his maid, but he couldn't find it in him to trust her.
Why was she hiding her past from him so desperately? Was she ashamed of being poor? That couldn't be the case, judging from her behavior.
Did she have family issues? That sounded more likely and it was making more sense. She was a smart lady, she was aware of the low chances of being respected having alcoholic or foster abusive parents, for instance. But did she really think he was that kind of man to judge someone on such superficial terms? Probably, she didn't know what kind of man was he, maybe so was just being cautious.
But how did this Sakura girl reached the unfortunate conclusion that she was going to gain his trust by lying to him? Sure, he had no right to judge her or poke his nose into her business, it wasn't his job to question her matters, but he was in a delicate position as a multinational company heir and future CEO, she should be able to understand his need to trust his people.
And that involved knowing them better. But Sasuke was more intrigued to her than he should be and he really hoped he wasn't making the mistake of his life by letting her in his home and consequently in his life. That reminded him…
He took out his smartphone and dialed the number he (unfortunately) knew by heart. A smooth low voice, so similar but somehow different from his answered almost immediately, probably not wanting to miss the chance to taunt him like he always did since he was a child.
"Why if it isn't my foolish little brother calling because he misses his beloved younger brother." Oh god, he was talking like they were a married old couple, making holiday plans. Sasuke felt the sudden need to take the sharp pen that was resting on the table and stab his hand.
"Beloved is a little far from the truth Itachi, but try weird, unpleasant and dumb instead, that would suit a guy like you better." Now, Sasuke was not going to be a hypocrite and say he didn't love his older brother, because that was not the case.
But when Itachi decided to be a runaway bride and fly from Japan in search of his identity or whatever the hell his reason was, the brothers were not that close anymore.
Itachi loved Sasuke more than he was willing to admit, but the change was in his little brother that has grown colder and colder towards him, becoming more like his father.
"Thank you little brother, after all it takes a weird, unpleasant and dumb man to recognize another."
"Hn…I would like to tell you to go to hell, but I need you to confirm something and besides, I know you are not quite fond of hot places. If you are lucky, they put air conditioners."
"Ah…you always knew how to be so kind and polite when addressing people little brother. A trait you were so adamant to preserve during the years."
"Cut the crap Itachi and answer me this: are you still working as an insurance agent or broker or whatever lame job did they appoint a lazy man like you to?" Of course Sasuke didn't buy the crap with the insurance agent, Itachi only fooled his family and friends.
Sasuke was certain his big traitor of a brother was somewhere in Italy, dressed in black leather tight pants, riding a chopper and being part of an international organization.
Probably criminals or mafia. He sported the look quite well. But given the circumstances, it was worth a shoot. He couldn't research himself. It was riskier…and more troublesome.
"As surprising as it may sound, they are making good use of my lacking abilities. Why do you ask little brother?" Itachi was currently drown in a sea of files, his phones beeping constantly. Since the incident involving his team, Tobirama was on fire, giving him more hell than usual.
Itachi had numerous things to take care of, he needed to focus on not loosing the track of the unknown black van Neji has put a tracking device on, as well as gaining information about the most recent events.
And one of his men was in critical condition. The last thing he needed was one brooding foolish little brother to question him. Why in the world did he need to know if he worked as an insurance agent or not? (Itachi even forgot what job did he tell people he worked at, when he left his family and position and joined CIA).
"The world is going to an end if they need your skills. Whatever, I don't give a fuck about that. I need to know if your company provides insurance policy to farms."
Now Itachi was taken aback. Farms? Did his foolish little brother has a newfound hobby in growing up vegetables, pigs and cows or did he wanted to give up his title as a heir and go cowboy all of sudden?
"My company gives insurance policy to every individual that runs a business, no matter the type. It depends on what are you really interested in." Itachi could have bet all his bank account that his foolish little brother was stalking someone, which was a scary thought. It was usually the other way around.
"I am looking for a certain someone that owns a farm in debt and I want to know if she used your services."
So it was a person Sasuke was looking for indeed. Itachi really found that really weird. A man with his brother's connections could have found out about anyone he wanted, with mid difficulty and some phone calls. Why was he asking him of all the people?
"You do realize any information of this kind is private, right?" Did his brother say "she"? So it was about a woman…Itachi was not surprised at all, he knew Sasuke was a player. In fact, every breathing creature knew how much of a manwhore his ototou was…even aliens.
"I am not a dumb idiot like Naruto, of course I am aware of the privacy matters, but I want to know if that person has a policy or not. If she caused me damage, I am entitled to know the name of the company to contact and take the insurance money." Sasuke was getting impatient. Leave it to his imbecile older brother to play James Bond. The man had too much free time at his disposal.
Oh, so his foolish little brother knew how to play his cards right. Itachi was not considered a genius for nothing. He was not one to be cornered like that. But he was slightly interested in why was the younger Uchiha so impatient to find out about that woman so he played along.
"Heh…I knew sooner or later, it will be a woman the one to bring you down…but let's say you are my brother and I love you and I feel generous today, so I might be able to take a peek in the computer and look for the said woman."
Oh, took him long enough, Sasuke really despised talking to Itachi and he was getting hungrier as the time passed by. And it didn't help the mood he was in. "If you are finished playing the erotic line, can you stop wasting my damn time and tell me what I want to know?"
He was wasting his time? Itachi has just found out an important heir was murdered near his little brother's company that morning and was about to drop the phone from his hands. And his boss was shouting on the large screen something Itachi wasn't hearing, because he had the speakers on mute.
But it was funny watching Tobirama moving his lips like a fish out of water. "Tell me her name." And he really thanked all his battle training for managing to keep his balance and not fall from the chair when he heard what woman was his brother interested in.
"Sakura Haruno."
WHAT?! Itachi`s mind went dead. Why was his little brother asking if Athena from the Sound owned a farm in Italy? But nonetheless, his sharp mind put two and two together.
So that was the cover the Sound used for the young agent, when she was send to work as Sasuke`s maid. Smart, but apparently not enough. Itachi was getting slightly worried. Did Sakura act suspicious or slipped some information to make Sasuke check on her?
Sasuke was surprised his brother wasn't saying anything when hearing the name. Not even a smartass or cocky remark regarding why was he interested in some insurance money from a farmer girl. Weird. The young Uchiha only took a guess when he called his older brother, he knew there were countless insurance companies in Italy to choose from, but he didn't expect to hit the nail on the head.
"Sakura Haruno you say? It doesn't sound familiar at all. Where is she from? That would help the search filters better." Now Itachi was interested in how much Sakura told Sasuke about her and what was the actual truth. If she was smart she told him a random location.
"She is from Ravenna." Ok, so she wasn't smart. Itachi was certain the Sound agent told his brother a false address, but somehow his cunning little brother had found her out. Ok, one more problem to add to the already overdose. Fuckin great.
"Ravenna? You do know that there are no more farms out there left after the economic crises, right?" And the Sound was calling Akatsuki stupid, when they couldn't even come up with a believable story to cover their secret identities. Maybe the snake man Otokage was getting senile. Well…in Itachi`s view, he was never sane to begin with.
"I don't need you to teach a history and economic lessons Itachi, I want you to tell me if you know the woman or not. Are you that much of an idiot that I need to make a drawing for you to understand?" God Sasuke was certain some God really hated him up there, for every person he was close to was either a moron or a total looser. Or both, if he was talking about Itachi.
In all his twisted honestly, Itachi was somehow amused by the situation. Sure it would have been a disaster if someday and somehow his little brother was going to find out about CIA and his secret life, but man if this wasn't funny as hell.
Here a so called maid had managed to make his player of a brother so interested in, when model looking women were worth only a good fuck in his eyes. Itachi was mentally laughing. It was funny as hell.
"I am afraid I cannot help you on that little brother, she is on no list. I don't have any information including Miss Haruno."
"Miss Haruno? How do you know she isn't married? She could have been Mrs. Haruno instead."
Oh god Itachi was fighting the urge to bang his head on the large LCD , where his boss` scary looking face was talking to his invisible audience. Like Itachi ever listened to whatever that man was saying. He was too loud and vulgar for his taste. How could he have forgotten he was talking with his little counterpart?
"I only took a guess and here you are jumping on conclusions. You have to loosen up a bit little brother, either way, you are going to end up like father." Okay, Itachi needed to end the conversation and fast. He started to understand how Sakura managed to give away her birthplace in the first place.
He knew how much of a smart man Sasuke was, but Itachi couldn't remember him being so…he didn't have a name for people like him. Oh, wait, he did have. He was just like that freak Orochimaru: always on guard. Itachi was sure when they went to toilet they paid attention to the cunning toilet paper and its evil thoughts. Antisocial paranoid freaks. And his father was just as bad.
"Hn…is this why you ran away in the first place as soon as you got the chance? Was father that much of a demanding bitch or you were too high for such an unimportant job?" If there was something Sasuke won't ever forgive was his brother's coward ness.
He ran away when Sasuke was still young and full of hopes (he didn't give a damn about business or shit, it bored the hell out of him), successfully destroying any chance for making his own living, for he had to take his place and suffer the consequences and the blame for snatching his brothers rightful position as the head of the company.
"Now let's not talk about such depressing subjects. Besides, I see you are doing just well. I bet father is really proud of you. He knew you are better suited to lead the Mangekyou than I am."
The older Uchiha knew that deep inside, his little otouto was always seeking his father's attention. But Fugaku only had eyes for Itachi and ignored Sasuke almost all his childhood. Sasuke has always been hurt and felt somehow betrayed.
Upon hearing that statement, Sasuke grew angrier, gripped the phone with all his might and slowly raised from his chair, taking a handful of his black locks, pulling it hard backwards in a vain attempt to refrain from throwing the phone right on the big glass window.
"Stop the bullshit Itachi, oto-san doesn't give a damn about me, like that was something new. I bet he is still sulking about you not being here to play the older capable brother. You are just a bastard of a coward that took away his toys and left, not giving a damn about whose life you are going to ruin."
Itachi was really hurt to hear Sasuke talking like that. He was practically hissing the words, venom dripping from his mouth. He even raised his voice an octave, sounding unleashed. The older Uchiha didn't regret being in Akatsuki, it was his dream job, but he knew that he took more than one dream when he left that October night with the first flight.
He could forget his mother's burning tears and prayers to him not to leave and he cold live with his father's harsh words of being an embarrassment for all his ancestors. But the disappointed stare he got from his brother's cold dark orbs were plaguing him every night.
"Listen Sasuke, you from all the people should know that is not the case. You are way better than I would ever be, anyone with a decent brain can see it. Do not become just like father, he was blinded by his pride and narrow mind. And I know that…"
"You know nothing about me. Go treat your guilty conscience some other place, I am not interested in hearing your excuses. They are always pathetic and make me sick." He was talking low, calm and dangerous.
There was a darkness radiating from the way his little brother was speaking and Itachi was not sure what it was, but it was cold. It was too cold…and scary.
Sasuke was right. Itachi didn't know the person he was talking to anymore. "What happened to you foolish little brother…"
But he didn't got the chance to speak any further with his brother, because as soon as he finished his statement, Sasuke pressed the end call button and promptly thrown his expensive phone on the door, the said device leaving a scratch on the wooden surface and falling with a loud thud on the floor, breaking into pieces.
The raven haired man was now standing, supporting his body with his hands firmly planted on his desk, head bent, black locks falling into his eyes, concealing his pale face. He was breathing hard, heart thumping painfully in his chest, mouth slightly opened, taking large breaths of air.
"Fucking loser…" That was the reason why he was always displeased with the idea of talking to his older brother. They were both grown up adults, the childhood days long gone. There had been a drift between them and Sasuke was almost certain they would not be able to ever mend their wounds and close the distance between them, becoming a big happy family again.
They were too different now. Everything has changed. And it was his dear brother that changed everything, from the night he decided to walk away from his family. From him.
Itachi never knew, but when he left, Sasuke has suffered from major depression and his family wasn't there to support him. He hid it from his mother because he didn't want the poor woman to have another thing to worry about, for she was already upset with his brother's childish behavior and sudden departure.
And his father was never there to begin with, only having harsh words and critique attitude towards him, somehow accusing Sasuke of being the one to blame for Itachi`s attitude.
He had Naruto and Suigetsu by his side, but they weren't enough to fill the hole Itachi has left in his life. Plus, Naruto was having difficulties himself, dealing with his father's sudden death and Suigetsu`s parents went through a horrible divorce, spending years in fighting for their child's custody.
That was the reason why the younger Uchiha moved to Virginia and enrolled in Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, being a top graduate in mathematics, science (organic chemistry and quantum mechanics especially) and technology (the man took Accelerated Integrated Geometry and Accelerated Integrated Precalculus courses, Naruto couldn't even spell the names correctly, he always thought his bastard of a best friend was going to build a rocket and fly in search for other galaxies, someday).
It was a mystery to everyone how in the world was Naruto able to graduate the same high school, but he enrolled in psychology and foreign languages courses. The dobe was apparently good in reading people, as well as he spoke English, Japanese, Chinese and Italian fluently, so he had no problem in passing his courses.
Of course he failed his math exams 6 times, until Sasuke couldn't stand anymore of his complaining, took that damn calculus book, made some weird schemes and diagrams and explained everything to his idiot friend in one night, leaving everyone dumbfounded when the said blonde dobe was finally able to pass with a score of 70%.
And Suigetsu was also there, studying oceanography and marine biology, they even shared a room in campus, all coming with the wildest parties, a lot of alcohol and of course countless women.
They had a reputation as bad guys, but no one dared to oppose them, because of their wealthy well known families, as well as their popularity. They had a lot of fun nonetheless, but it didn't help Sasuke`s already damaged temper so much. He grew even colder and more distant to the others, except his two friends.
It was at that time when some Tobirama Senju dude has sought Sasuke telling him about how he saw his immense potential and wanted to offer him the opportunity to improve himself in CIA, but Sasuke gave him the finger, turned his back to him and promptly told him to go fuck himself, because he had other things to do than play Batman and Robin and left, not once looking back.
And he was still laughing at the memory of the stoic man and his secretary's wide as plates eyes and gaping mouths, when hearing his rude remarks. Damn imbeciles had no idea who they were dealing with. As if Sasuke gave a damn about the fact that he was insulting a CIA higher up. In fact…there weren't many things he gave a damn about at that time.
And it was then when the dark haired young Uchiha heir has met that person. And his life has taken quite an interesting turn. At least, there were some good parts as well.
He sure as hell wasn't suffering from depression or any sort of illness that involved strong emotions anymore. Sasuke has thrown all the feelings he had in the back of his mind and locked the door, closing his heart from the other people, growing the perfect picture of coldness. He became worse than his father Fugaku from that point of view.
The young Uchiha closed his eyes tight, took three more deep breathes, cleared his mind of all the bothering thoughts and open his dark orbs, looking at his desk. He took a piece of paper and his pen and started to write down his thoughts. He was not sure if he was going to stay sane enough to remember it.
"So…Itachi is in Ravenna, lying about his job ( the man said he was a selling agent, then suddenly he discovered his passion as insurance agent, bullshit to the max). Sakura is from Ravenna, lying about her past, which means they both hide the real reason why they are there, but both telling the same location, means they are not lying about this fact." The young Uchiha has designed a diagram, trying to connect the events.
" Itachi said he doesn't know Sakura, but he knows she is not married (yes, Sasuke has thrown his brother the bait, and his imbecile older relative has took it like the loser he was), which basically contradicts his previous statement." Sasuke was thinking about every piece of information regarding the two people.
"Sakura is hiding her identity and Itachi acts like he doesn't know her, which only leads to one logical conclusion: The retard of an older brother of mine and my stupid looking poor maid have met at some point, at least once, but not only met, they had some form of contact, either ways, Itachi would have told me he knows her. "
"So if Itachi knows her but refrained from telling me the truth, it means they had more than one encounter and he knows about her life.
"And now the real question: if that damn weasel knows Haruno girl, why in the seven pits of hell is he protecting her as well? If she was hiding something important and dangerous for me, than he would have warned me immediately, so au contraire what she hides is beneficent for me…"
"So it means that what Sakura is hiding is not harmful, but important enough to keep me in the shadows…interesting…it could be the fact that hey have some kind of history together…were they a couple or something…"
Now Sasuke really had difficulties in picturing his hideous looking maid and his effeminate brother together…that couple would have been like Frankenstein and his bride, cosplaying Morticia and Gomez, when they got married.
"So they were not together, that would have meant the end of the Universe…maybe friends or…colleagues? Is my little spitfire of a maid working with Itachi? Then why hiding it from me then? Are they working for mafia or something more shameful than this? Don't tell me they are strippers at some night club…are they that ashamed of what they do?"
"No it is more like…they don't want me to know what they do…which is even more suspicious…and Sakura`s reaction when she saw me for the firs time looked like she didn't know me at all…didn't Itachi tell her he has a brother or she just faked that one as well? She is a good actress after all…"
The Uchiha`s head was getting hard and he was having a barely there headache as well. It was too much damn information and he was tired…and so hungry…
"So…Itachi and Sakura know each other and have a connection I don't get at this point. He knows her past, knows it is doing me no harm but he doesn't want to tell me. If my traitor brother knows the poor maid, then it goes both ways."
The young heir was pacing through his large empty office, hands in his pocket. The situation was getting him annoyed. He felt there was something in the story he overlooked, something important but he couldn't put his finger on and that frustrated him to no end.
"If I wasn't so sure I didn't tell anyone about the fact that I am going to hire a maid, I would have thought Itachi sent Sakura especially to baby sit me…which is ridiculous!" He went to his large window, looking at the crowded city in front of him, a frown on his beautiful face.
"This is fucked up…what are this two hiding that is so important? What is so special about Ravenna anyways?" Sasuke put his left arm on the glass, resting his forehead on it, a wicked small smile playing on his lips.
"It doesn't matter…I am going to figure those two out somehow." And when his charcoal eyes looked down, right at his company's entrance door, he swore his angered mood had a 180 degrees turn. If he was some other person, he would have probably been on his knees, gripping his stomach, laughing his head off, anime tears in his eyes.
But he was Sasuke Uchiha and he didn't do laughing, so he was only smirking widely and shaking his head.
His amused gaze was resting on his little pink dyed maid, that was screaming at one of his bodyguards probably to let her enter, stamping her foot on the ground, waving her fist at him, attracting a lot of attention. Apparently his guard was not so fully convinced to let an electrocuted looking caniche, dressed in an emergency tent, with the attitude of a caveman hunting for mammoths, near his company.
And of course, giving Sakura`s unexpected short temper, the situation escaladed quickly. Now the panicking bodyguard took the decision to end the commotion, by putting both his hands on the girl's shoulders and promptly shoved her away, forcing her to step back and almost slip on the stairs. But it looked like the much smaller woman was not at all surprised by the man in front of hers violent behavior, for she quickly gained her composure and answered his "polite" gesture with an original retort of her own.
So when the said heated woman took a hold of his bodyguard's hands, that were still on her small shoulders gripping a little harder than necessary and performed a flawless reverse wedge block, bringing the said man closer to her and knee kicking him right in the groin making him let go of her and bent his body at 90 degrees, holding his throbbing area with both hands comically, Sasuke lost it for real.
He started to laugh like his very life depended on it, not giving a damn about the fact that someone could come in any moment and see him. That was the most hilarious thing he has ever seen, and that spoke volumes, considering the fact that he was friends with Uzumaki andHōzuki.
He was already with his finger on his office phone, calling for his secretary Juugo to go and bring her to his office, because of course no one would know she was working for him (and no sane person would ever believe it). Only, to his utter shock, he couldn't stop laughing…
"Hai, Mr. Uchiha?"
"Juugo….PFFFF…let my maid…HAHAHA…" WTF Sasuke decided to go get a full check up. Apparently his brain decided to betray him, because he truly couldn't finish what was he going to tell his secretary…in all honesty he couldn't even remember, all he saw in front of his eyes, was his kick ass maid. Screw that, Sasuke was going to hire her as his bodyguard.
That woman could fight all right. And Sasuke has realized he wasn't in the slightest shocked. Nothing coming from that woman would surprise him any longer. For all he knew, she was going to pull down her ugly glasses and start shooting lasers from her eyes, melting rocks and breaking mountains.
Maybe Sakura was the short coded version for Superwoman and the ugly clothes were covering her superhero attire. Still laughing (boy if only Naruto saw him then…), he opened the last drawer and took out a dusted photo, that no longer held any meaning to him, in order to be kept on his desk or anywhere on his sight: it was a picture of him and his family, when Itachi and he were children.
He stopped laughing. The young Uchiha didn't even know why was he still keeping the family photo, it was probably for the fact that he still didn't find it in him to dispose of it. It didn't matter, he placed it temporary on the desk with a very good purpose.
Juugo was heading downstairs to place some documents in the archive, when he heard some commotion coming from the outside. Judging that morning's events, involving the death of that heir, he was the first to run and see what was happening. In fact all the employers stopped working, watching with interest the scene in front of them.
One of the guards was molesting a young woman, that looked like Tarzan's daughter. And she was acting like that as well. When he took a better look, his mouth almost dropped on the floor: it was Sakura Haruno, his boss` newest private maid. The tall man knew Sakura, because he was the one that choose her, from the other candidates.
What was she doing there was a mystery to Juugo, but he thought it was probably the young Uchiha heir who called her, so he promptly pushed the little gang of workers that were gathered in front of the door watching the show away, with the sole purpose of putting an end to the absurd situation, before someone was going to be hurt.
Unfortunately for the guard, he wasn't fast enough to prevent a well placed kick to the whining in pain security man. Nevertheless, he was too shocked too burst in laughter like all the other co-workers did, when watching the small funny looking young lady making a fool of a well built man, that had ten times her weight and was practically shadowing her.
It was first class entertainment. Juugo was sure some were even cheering on her. And when the Uchiha` s secretary answered his phone call he really thought the end of the world was coming for real. His unemotional detached boss was not able to finish his statement because he was…laughing?!
Dear Lord, now the gentle man Juugo didn't know what to do first: put an end to the ridiculous show outside, or go to his apparently high boss, and stop him doing something he would regret. Yeah, the answer was simple for Juugo: get the crazy maid to her equally demented boss. Sounded legit!
"Excuse me please, make space, thank you!" He gently, but firmly forced his way to the revolving door, marched to the furious looking maid (Juugo was taken aback by the way she looked like, it was ten times worse than in the photo she sent along with her CV), grabbed her arm and took her inside, leaving every viewer mouth agape. He asked the other security guards to disperse the gathered people.
"Please tell me you are my boss` secretary Juugo, because either way I feel really generous in sharing my punches with the other people today." Sakura was fuming on the inside, not only she couldn't enter his dumbass of a boss` idiotic company, but she was pushed roughly outside as well, by one of his guards nonetheless. Wait until she was in front of him, the mother fucker was going to get it for real, boss or not.
"Yes, I am his secretary indeed. I am sorry for the unpleasant incident Miss Haruno, I was thinking about today's meeting and forgot to announce your coming to the guards. Please accept my deepest apology." They headed straight to the elevator, got inside and Juugo released Sakura`s arm and pressed 19. The doors closed with a ding and the elevator rode up.
Now Sakura was slightly surprised by the tranquil looking man. He was intimidating with his muscular frame and height, but he was gentle and his voice soothing. And he was polite, compared to the presumptuous bastard of his boss. Too bad there were not so many people like this guy on the Earth. He was MJ`s impersonated dream of universal peace.
"Well, no need to apologize, after all, me coming here was quite unexpected…and unpleasant as hell, but thank you for coming and help." The young Sound agent gave the tall man a small sincere smile which he surprisingly returned with one of his own.
"Don't mention it, besides, it didn't look like you need my rescue after all, you looked perfectly capable of taking care of yourself."
"Eh, you only say that just because you don't want to offend me, but we both know my earlier demeanor is in complete dissonance with how a person must act in the civilized society. "
Sakura crossed her arms and closed her eyes, speaking like she was the owner of the…elevator.
"But I don't give a damn about what the others see me as, I will allow no one to lay a hand on me without my permission." She crossed her hand on her frizzy bangs to remove it from her eyes. Sakura was sure she put too much hair foam. That think was getting sticky and smelled like berries. She was a walking birthday cake.
Juugo looked at this woman that was three heads smaller than him in awe. He indeed thought she was a peasant woman, coming straight from her small farm, without any knowledge of manners whatsoever.
But the way she has behaved and spoke were in total opposition. Like she was playing the unmannered woman just for the heck of it, and then becoming a refined lady all of sudden. And that smile she has given him…not only was it sincere, but also…not suited for a poor woman.
Juugo wanted to smirk at the thought. He sure as hell found a worthy maid for a man like Sasuke Uchiha. He could bet all his wage for two months his boss was having the time of his life dealing with this pink haired creature. She had attitude all right. Juugo already liked this woman.
After what took like forever, another ding, followed by the elevator coming to a halt and the door sliding open, got the two people at the 19th floor of the tall building. Sakura took the small lunch box from her backpack, holding it in her small hand.
"Just how many floors does this building have anyways? Stupid arrogant vampire in disguise jerk, he lives in a building as big as his ego. Hmpf…like a stork building its large stick on a post".
Sakura was watching the long hall intently. There were not so many office doors in there and all of them were only on the same side as the elevator, because the other side had giant mirrors instead of walls, giving an impressive view of the surroundings and provided a warm natural lightening.
It was also really silent in there, but not the frightening type. "This place basically screams Sasuke stays here…"
"We are here Miss." Juugo stopped in front of a big door, covered in black leather, knocked two times and opened the door, allowing Sakura to enter first. And when she entered his boss` office, Sakura didn't even bother to mask her astonishment. Not only the office was freaking huge, but it was entirely made of Carrara marble and glass, illuminated by a mixture of white and blue neon lights and the floor was laminate.
Note for herself not to slip on it like a nitwit. The furniture was a mixture of black and white and there were some exotic looking plants as well (she really hoped there was no cactus involved as well). Everything looked expensive as hell, it basically radiated luxury.
The young girl felt like she was in an UFO. It was that amazing. She didn't know where to start looking at. Oh well…when she caught the sight of the man she was looking for, she knew exactly where to start let her eyes wander.
In the meantime, Juugo was watching her reaction with interest. He was really entertained by the way her eyes were moving in all directions like gyroscopes, not knowing where to focus first. She looked like a child in a candy store. Well, the tall man couldn't actually blame the farmer girl, for he had the exact reaction when he first came in. Only he wasn't this obvious.
"Leave us." Came the smooth but commanding voice of the Uchiha, who was facing the glass wall, his back on them, hands in his pockets.
"Of course. Please excuse me." The said man bowed slightly (Sakura almost snorted at this, who the hell was Sasuke, some kind of crowned prince?! Man was he arrogant as hell) and exited the office, closing the door behind him. Sakura realized it was soundproof (it looked even bulletproof if she was being honest).
"I am glad you finally decided to show your face around, Haruno." The said woman turned her head in the direction of her boss. He was still not facing her, his tall and straight posture giving her a delicious view of his back…and ass (Sakura really wanted to bang her head on the door Juugo has just closed. She was becoming a pervert freak because of this man).
"I was stuck in the traffic." She replied just as smooth. God if she didn't abhor that man's guts. Like he was entitled to have everything at his feet whenever he wanted it. Well, giving the fact that he was a fuckin spoiled rich heir, that was probably how things went for him, but if he really thought she was going to built an altar in her room and worship him, he had another thing coming.
"Really now? I was not aware of the fact that my body guards resemble cars." He slowly turned around and faced her, actually putting some effort in making sure he looked like he was posing for photo shooting and considering his gorgeous looks and how the sun was shining on his back, creating an interesting light effect, it was a total success.
"I thought they were too lively to be considered walking objects." Oh boy, he couldn't help but smirk at his maid's reaction. Where was his camera, he needed to record her face, he was sure it was going to go more viral than Gangnam Style.
Sakura was having difficulties in keeping her mental sanity. Seconds ago she was still having fantasies of her beating the stupid man in front of her until he begged for mercy and strangling him, but then he decided to be a bitch and ruin her fun.
Why in the world was that person with the attitude of a wild boar has to look like a freaking Adonis was beyond her understanding. Karma was trolling Sakura really bad. Because the moment the Uchiha turned to face her (was he posing for a swim suits photo shooting or something?) she really thought her body was going to melt on the floor.
He was dressed casually, not in the slightest as the future CEO, in a pair of dark blue classic Jeans, a white shirt, with one sleeve rolled up to his elbow and slightly unbuttoned, revealing his long neck, but Sakura could have sworn he never looked so sexy and elegant as then.
And he had that amazing face to add to the already breathtaking looks. His raven hair and equally dark eyes that made a strong contrast to the white shirt and pale skin, that only enhanced his beauty even more (Sakura didn't think that was even possible).
And when he started to approach her not moving figure, revealing his lean muscles that were visible in that white shirt he wore, Sakura swore her eyes went the shape of hearts.
"Oh dear Lord. C`mon Sakura stop looking like the fool you are and get a hold of yourself, stop ogling him like a brainless fangirl…"
Sasuke came right in front of a stunned Sakura, a little too close for her well being (not for her liking, because Sakura wasn't sure she had the strength to deny she didn't want him to be that close to her), crossing the arms in front of his chest (of course the bastard did it to enhance his chest muscles even more, not that it was necessary to begin with), his dark eyes looking for her hidden behind the glasses and hair green ones.
The pink haired Sound agent was well aware of the game he was playing, he was doing that every time he was around her. He had her trapped in his spell, piercing her entire body with his coal orbs, like he wanted to read every letter written deep inside her.
And he knew that she was very attracted to him physically, that was impossible to deny, even for her. She might have been a prominent CIA agent, but she was also a grown up woman with raging hormones, and being in a close proximity of such a droolicious specimen was screaming danger.
"And I was not aware of the fact that your security guards were trained to molest innocent people as well. If that is not written in their job description, I will not consider their barbarian behavior close to humanity." Sakura really couldn't understand how in the world did she manage to keep her sarcastic tone and not stutter, because she was certain not even a single neuron in her brain was focused on anything else than throw the young Uchiha on his big desk (even destiny was chanting at her to do it! No Neji Hyuga intended) and jump him right there and then.
She was certain she heard Karin screaming from Italy that she has just embarrassed the whole female race for not doing it the moment she laid her eyes on him.
Sasuke was aware of the effect he was having on this woman, and the fact that she was fighting to keep her cool and look like she wasn't bothered in the slightest was admirable. He couldn't refrain from smirking at her. She was one of a kind.
Also, in a more serious note, Sasuke was really shocked at how she defended herself. Her body reacted the moment she was attacked, without her giving too much thinking to what was she doing, and her perfectly executed moves betrayed the fact that she was not an amateur.
He was no fool. She had advanced martial arts knowledge and adding it to the newfound piece of information about her connection to Itachi, only added to the mystery.
"Hn…I am sure they are going to remember it. That kick looked like a really good lesson. I applaud your manners. You really know how to express your opinions and frustrations in public."
Sakura`s eyes grew wide upon hearing that. Did he see her beating his security guard? God that was bad, now she had another thing to cover up and it was already a disaster, because he figured out she did not own a farm in Italy.
They had serious trust issues, and that didn't help their situation at all…she knew she had screw it up big times when she attacked that man, but she couldn't help it, it was the agent instinct kicking in. She didn't have time to think beforehand.
"That would teach the too enthusiastic men a lesson about never underestimating a single woman." God he was staying a little too close for the Sound agent's liking. And his expensive perfume was invading her senses, successfully making her slightly dizzy.
Whenever she was close to him, she felt like she had another brain kicking in and screaming at her to close the distance between them. She unconsciously stared at him upside down with a hungry gaze.
Sasuke uncrossed his arms and as slowly as possible, he touched her forearm with his fingertips, from her elbow to her hand, getting a hold of the lunch box she was gripping like she wanted to support her body on it, but not removing his hand, making sure he was touching her fingers as well. All the times, his dark orbs never leaving her face, smirk plastered on his face, watching her every move like a hawk. The reaction he got was immediate.
Her body went even more rigid than before, she raised her shoulders a bit, opened her mouth slightly, like trying to inhale more oxygen in her lungs, pulse higher than normal. She looked like she was torn between turning around and run or hug him. And it amused him to no end.
"I know you cannot take your eyes off me Sakura, but I thought ogling was not your style." He dropped his voice an octave on purpose, sounding even more sensual than normal. And the way she closed her mouth tightly told him he hit the nail in the head.
Sakura was aware of the fact that she was a goner from the moment he touched her, but she wouldn't go down without a fight. So she bent her head on her side attempting to watch on the outside telling him "I…I was…ah…admiring the view."
"…I am sure you did, Sakura…" Sasuke watched how his maid's face, or should he say, how much was he able to see from her face, because of the hair and glasses, was turning into all the hues of red know in the visible and invisible spectrum. So she has realized the double meaning of what she has said.
God she was so predictable when it came to him and that provided Sasuke with endless opportunities to mock her. View? Bah…the only view she had was his face and body because she was ogling him like he was walking on water barefooted.
He then, with the most serene attitude ever, took the lunch box from her now trembling hand and walked to his desk, leaving the woman rooted to his floor. He was slightly worried that he would have to water her like he did with all the other plants in his office, but this particular one sure as hell didn't give off oxygen.
Who cared, he unpacked the lunch box, glad that he was finally able to give his poor in need stomach the deserved food, after such a horrible day, but when he unfolded the cloth he was really surprised to find out what lunch box did his plant maid packed his lunch in. This woman…
Sakura really didn't understand what happened, because she couldn't remember anything from the moment in all her glorious moment of extreme intelligence basically gave away her fangirl thoughts to her boss, to the moment he was resting at his desk, frozen in place looking at the lunch box.
It wasn't her fault thought, the way he acted towards her, like she was his puppet and he had her strings, was making her insecure. He was toying with her, he knew exactly what she was thinking about and that was scaring Sakura because she didn't know what to expect from him.
He was always two steps ahead, cornering her whenever he had the chance, successfully combining his intelligence with his charms. And what is with him and his flirty attitude? The moment she felt his fingers on her bare skin, she thought she was going to drown in the sensation.
He left a trail of goose bumps all along her forearm, not only that but her body was trembling and it sure as hell wasn't from fear. She wasn't afraid of him…at least not in the physical way.
And to her utter shock, she realized the painful truth: she was not afraid of him, she was attracted to him so much it was physically painful. There was no point in hiding it and Sakura knew her boss was aware of his effect on her, successfully making good use of it.
The bastard…She slowly came into her senses and saw his boss looking intently in front of him, his eyes fixed on the lunch box. Now what…
"Sir…is everything all right?" In the little time spent with him, Sakura learned something about Sasuke Uchiha and that was his eyes were really expressive. She could see the level of energy radiating from his gaze like it was coming from a faraway star.
When Sasuke was in a playful mode, his black eyes were glowing, just like burning coal, melting her whole body. When he was serious, his stare was hard and cold, just like a black hole, nothing came out from it and it was impossible to see through it.
And it was the former attitude he had on that moment. He was not saying anything, his eyes not once leaving the box, his hair shadowing his face. He was drawing lazy circles on the wooden surface with his fingers, looking lost in thoughts.
Like he was reminiscing a past event. God Sakura really hoped she didn't screw it up once again, by trying to surprise him. She took some steps towards him, stopping in front of his desk, watching him intently.
"Mr. Uchiha, are you…"
"Where did you find this?" Even his voice seemed somewhere trapped in a past memory. He didn't lift his head, his gaze still fixed on the box. The way he was looking at it was…she hasn't seen that look on him and thought she was imagining it, but Sakura was almost certain he was watching it in a caring way…almost lovingly.
"In the kitchen, in one of the cupboards. It was laying in the back of a drawer. I was lucky to see it." She knew how to deal with a playful Uchiha and she was not so scared about an angry one (ok, maybe she was, but she wont ever recognize it to the world), but she didn't know how to deal with him expressing emotions. The Sound agent was sure he didn't even have feelings to begin with. It was something new and unexpected.
"My mother gave it to me…when I moved to the U. S. She had it from my grandma. It is a family treasure."
So the young woman was right, it really was expensive and meaningful. She curled her lips upwards slightly, a small smile making its way on her face. So the ice cube had something dear to him after all, he was not the emotionless manwhore he was making the others believe.
She really wondered if there were people out there knowing the real Sasuke, the one that was hiding behind memories and caged feelings. His friends maybe?
"It is really beautiful Mr. Uchiha, the fretwork design is impressive." She was speaking the truth. The wooden box was really pretty and now that she knew it had a deep meaning as well, made it even more amazing.
The young Uchiha raised his head and watched the woman in front of him slightly surprised to hear her confession. Now she was an expert in wood designs and had good taste.
And to think she has found that box from all the things, when he didn't even remember he had it anymore. And that smile of hers…it was one of the few things she was not faking…that and her discomfort when he was teasing her.
"Hn…you are a walking wood detector. I couldn't remember where I have put this lunch box." Sasuke opened the box and started to eat the good looking spaghetti ( it was covered in tomato sauce people, he felt like Jerry the mouse jumping in the apple pie), without any further delay.
And when he took the first bite he swore his horrid day has just become brighter. This maid knew how to cook. "You should make good use of your nose and go look for lost people or drugs, as a police dog. Go work for FBI or CIA or something."
Sakura really wanted to come up with a smart retort, but she was too stunned to say something intelligible upon hearing his last statement. She really wanted to die right there and then. Either this man possessed telepathic abilities, or he was just spitting universal truths without even being aware of. Good thing he wasn't looking at her, she grew paler than Casper.
Her boss was frightening. She needed to sit. And water. For some reason her mouth was dry. And her boss was slightly rolling his tongue whenever he opened his mouth to eat the pasta.
"Is it getting hotter in here or my boss is a Green Peace fanatic, trying to save energy by not turning that damn air conditioner on?" Sakura decided the man in front of her was the reason of the global warming. When the Antarctic ice sheet is going to melt, he will be the one responsible for getting everyone wet…
5 p.m Tokyo Hospital, ICU
"How could this have happened…Neji?"
"It was our fault. We have been careless and they took the opportunity to corner us."
"Have you talked to Itachi?"
"I have sent him an email and briefed him about the situation. He is going to investigate further. Only he lost the GPS signal of the black van. It looks like our man is way smarter than we thought."
"…this sucks..."
"…yeah…"
Ten Ten and Neji were staying outside the ICU, where Naruto was getting intensive medical attention. After they left the Shiseido Ginza they headed straight to Tokyo hospital, making it in record time.
And it looked like it was just like Sakura told them, the Otokage Orochimaru had everything covered, because as soon as they parked their car, four nurses were waiting for them, taking their injured friend straight to the ER, where doctors were already expecting Naruto and his gang.
They were taken by surprise when the nurses told them they are really sorry for the unfortunate event with the rats pest control. It seemed like the snake man Orochimaru had some sort of twisted sense of humor, because when he called the hospital and told them Akatsuki were trying to put poison baits for rats, but ended up poisoning one of their friends with arsenic instead and the cuts were made by a hole in the old floor that broke under their feet, because it couldn't support all the weight.
As dumb as that sounded (and humiliating because the Hyuga and Uzumaki families were famous in Japan), it was the perfect cover for their CIA identity. The nurses also treated Ten Ten`s injuries. Apart for some scratches, she also had a sprained ankle, but nothing serious.
Neji refused to be taken care of. He didn't have a scratch on him, except for the painful bruise made by the bullet that hit his bulletproof vest, but it was not like he was going to show that to the doctors, it would only raise suspicion.
So there they were, Ten Ten and Neji outside the ICU, lying on the empty chairs, waiting for the doctor to come and inform them about their "exterminator" friend's health condition. Ten Ten was resting her tired head on her fiancé's shoulder, holding his hand tightly. With the adrenaline rush gone, they were both dead tired and all they wanted to do was find out about Naruto and go home to take a good 12 hours sleep.
"I feel like I have been drinking and partying for three days and three nights straight. My head hurts like a bitch."
"I know. I feel like that too."
"Do you think Naruto will be fine? I mean he is strong right? A little poison wont kill him now…"
"I don't know honey, I hope that too. We were really lucky Haruno was there to back him up otherwise…"
"ARGH stop talking about that damn woman in front of me, I had enough of her today."
Ten Ten really didn't need to be reminded of their painful failure and the fact that a Sound agent helped them AGAIN was making it even worse. And it was Sakura the one to cover them nonetheless. Ten Ten was going to be sick, she was sure of it.
"Stop acting childish Ten Ten, we were lucky she made it in time. She has her own mission to take care of, but she came to our rescue without any further question. You are all exaggerating when it comes to her, she is not that evil like everyone says."
Neji was aware of all the rumors regarding the Sound agent, but he was a man, he didn't give a damn about that. Besides he was a Hyuga and Hyugas had their own opinions, they didn't need to be told about how the Earth revolves.
It was not like he was a fan of her, but there was some truth in what his blonde poisoned friend was saying about her being a good woman. And he wasn't a woman, so her fiancé's jealousy on her was a mystery to the Hyuga heir.
"Are you defending her now? Don't tell me you have a crush on that vixen like Naruto and the others. Do I need to remind you that she is most likely at Sasuke`s home, talking to that snake freak of her boss, laughing their asses off and bashing us about how much of a losers are we and how they need to step in and save us all the times? Are you for real or the bullet has hit your head and you are not aware of it?"
Now Ten Ten was furious. She didn't understand why were all the men defending that bitch of a Sound agent. Maybe she did voodoo on them or some kind of black magic ritual for her own selfish purposes.
"What are you talking about, of course I do not have any romantic feelings for her whatsoever Ten Ten, do not be a hypocrite. That is Tobirama`s job. The CIA women have no solid proof to back up their imbecile accusations, do not listen to what they say. Athena is a hardworking agent and one of the best we have, of course they are jealous on her." In all honesty, all the rivalry between the CIA offices was bullshit to the Hyuga. They were acting like little children and that annoyed them to no end.
Their little argument was interrupted by a doctor coming straight from the ICU room. They both stood up, looking expectantly.
"Mr. Hyuga, I have good news, we have managed to treat Mr. Uzumaki`s injuries, without developing any complication. He was really lucky to have his femoral vein cut instead of the artery, either way it would have been more severe. You did well in providing firs aid help.
Also, the chelation therapy is taking effect. We started the 2,3-Dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid administration through IV and he is responding to the treatment. It was a miracle to have one of your neighbors working as a nurse and administrate him dimercaprol, as well as noting down the hour and the dosage. It was of a great help."
"Neighbor?" Ten Ten wouldn't call Athena quite a neighbor, that was used for people who were close to each other, which couldn't be said about the two woman. "How much is he going to stay in the hospital, Dr. Yoshihiro?"
"As much as necessary to make sure the arsenic is fully eliminated from his system. If everything goes smoothly, I would say a week or two. It depends on how fast is Mr. Uzumaki`s body going to form ligands with arsenic ions and eliminate the poison."
"Can we see him?" The Akatsuki woman agent didn't catch a thing about what the doctor tried to explain. He was talking in a language she didn't understand, nor that she cared. She wanted to see her friend, because it will take her some time to forget the image of him crying on her lap, sweating and trembling.
"Your friend is going to be transferred to a private hospital room by tomorrow morning. I will be there to do the basic check up as well at 9 a.m. You can pay him a short visit after that." The doctor replied in a soft and friendly tone. He knew those young people, they were famous heirs after all and he was slightly surprised to find out about such a weird occurrence.
In all his 40 years of medical career the said doctor couldn't remember a heir poisoning himself with arsenic by accident. Murder attempt was another story.
"Is he conscious?" Neji really wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong with his dumb blonde colleague's brain. He was already stupid to begin with, any further damage would have been cataclysmic.
"We have put him in a semi-induced coma to let his body recover. He is bound to gain consciousness by tomorrow, or maybe tonight. I can assure you he is going to be watched 24/7."
"Thank you doctor, you have been of a great help." Neji shook the said doctor's hand firmly, already planning in take his fiancé home to rest, then return to the hospital. He knew there was a killer out there watching them and Neji didn't want to risk Naruto`s safety.
"It was my pleasure. If you will excuse me now, I am taking my leave." The doctor smiled politely and proceeded to go, when Ten Ten`s voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Excuse me doctor Yoshihiro, was it good for our neighbor to treat our friend with such a strong antidote, I mean wouldn't it be harmful for him in any ways?"
At this the said doctor turned his head, put his hands in his white coat and gave them a smile. "You can tell your friend that he has a guardian angel Miss. She has saved his life." The man left, leaving two dumbfounded Akatsuki members behind.
Ten Ten looked at her lover who was staring hard in her direction. It was a look the said woman knew all too well. "Pffff…I know I know…but I am not going to do it tomorrow. I wanna mentally prepare myself." She crossed her hands and let a small pout. She already loathed the idea.
Neji closed his eyes and shook his head. Why was he even trying with that woman, she was hopeless and stubborn. Neji really hoped their children will have his personality, either way he will go bald in no time.
"…Ten Ten…I think you and Anko Mitarashi are distant relatives."
Beeep Beeep Beeepp
"Itachi?" Ten Ten was fast in coming closer to his fiancé to listen to the conversation. Whatever their team leader wanted to tell them was urgent, if he didn't wait for them to arrive home.
"Where are you guys?"
"Tokyo Hospital. They treated Naruto and Ten Ten."
"Are you all right?"
"We will be fine."
"I am glad to hear it. You guys scared the hell out of me."
"We underestimated them. It was our fault."
"No need to place the blame on anyone now. We are dealing with it. Only…there is a small problem that has just occurred."
That piqued Neji`s interest. Another problem? Is there even an end to that, or someone there just don't want them to rest at all. And they had just lost the GPS signal of their suspect, what else was there to be worried about? "What kind of problem?"
"One of the assassins that you guys managed to incapacitate and was taken in the police's custody has been found dead in his cell. It appears that his body had spontaneous human combustion."
Neji really thought he was going to faint. That was a huge problem.
...
Author`s Note: Sorry, but I am saving Naruto`s reaction for later:)