I do not own Naruto.
Living poor could really suck sometimes. Especially when your parents used to have a decent amount of income and you were living in an area surrounded by rich people.
And especially when you're parents just got through a nasty divorce and you just got out of a custody hearing deciding which parents you could live with. Even with the best lawyer in Konoha, my Mom ended up getting me because she had the Uchiha clan backing her up. Well, part of it. The other half of them despised us, because we weren't completely Uchiha. What else sucked was that if you were being set up to get married to one of the biggest pricks in the clan, by said clan, when you're twelve. Sure, that may not be caused by living poor, but it could be caused by it indirectly. If we weren't poor from the divorce, we wouldn't be living in the compound, and you wouldn't have anything to do with the guy.
So anyways, getting back to the point, living poor really sucks.
Ayano walked the main street in the compound on her way to the main part of the village to look for a job. She gave up her daycare job to get Mikoto off her back. and ff she was going to continue living in the compound, they were going to need more money. Of course she was completely fine with moving, but her Mom had grown attached the the clan by some miraculous reason, and she wanted to keep living there. Said that they were 'finally getting involved with the clan.' Yea, right. Half the people that looked at her on the street were glaring.
She glanced at the bakery on the main street. Gingerbread wafted to her nose, and she inhaled deeply. Dang, that smelled good! She kept walking, shooting a regrettable glance back at the shop.
Of course outside the compound people were more friendly. Familiar shop owners and villagers smiled and waved. She had asked the shop owners if they had any positions available, but the same reply from all of them was a shake of the head. She had checked all the stores within two's hours walking distance of her house, but if she wanted to get a full eight hours of sleep, she couldn't go any further. So with a sigh, she turned around to walk back home, promising to try again the next day. It was already dark, and her mother would be expecting her home soon.
She passed by the bakery again, peeping inside the open door and catching a glimpse of one of the owners. He was an old man, around maybe his late forties, and he seemed in a hurry. He was carrying a large bag. His wife was nowhere to be seen, and Ayano guessed she could have been in the kitchen. A call from that area confirmed her guesses.
"Don't forget, we have the Tsubame's order to finish!" a female called.
"I'll hurry," the man replied. Ayano stepped out of the way before she was run over.
"Um," she stopped him for moment. "You're doing deliveries, right? Do you need an help?" The man stopped and looked at her for a moment.
"I think you just saved my life, little one," he smiled. "Do you know where the Soriyoku restaurant is?" Ayano nodded her head. "They ordered some pastry two days ago, do you think you could deliver it to them?"
"Yes, sir," she replied. The man sighed in relief.
"Thank you so much. I'm Teyaki," he introduced.
"Ayano," she replied. Teyaki handed her the bag.
"Just have them sign this slip and return it." He pointed to said slip taped to the box in the bag. "You're the new one?" he asked. She nodded again. "Well, then, welcome the compound. And truly, thank you so much!" He rushed back into the store to finish whatever order he was working on. Ayano hurried on her way to the Soriyoku restaurant. She knew where it was; she had asked there for a job that day. So she had no problem finding it. She dropped off the delivery and they signed the slip, and she made her way back to the compound. She walked into the bakery and saw noone in the front of the store, but heard noises from the back. She made her way to the kitchen and peered in. It was pretty messy, proving they were really busy, and the cleanest areas were the ones the two chefs were working in.
"Um, Teyaki-san?" she asked. Said man looked up from a batch of dough he was kneading. The woman was mixing together some fruity goop.
"Oh, you're back!" he exclaimed. The woman looked up. "That was much faster than I thought!"
"They signed it," she stated, holding up the slip. Teyaki dusted his hands off and walked to take it.
"Thank you, again, so much," he told her with a smile. The woman stopped what she was doing and walked over.
"You're the one that helped us?" Ayano nodded. The woman smiled. "I'm Uruchi. I'm sure my husband has thanked you, but I'll thank you again. We have orders piled on top of orders lately, what with Tanabata coming up soon. I hope we haven't kept you from anything?"
"No, ma'am," Ayano replied.
"Well, then here, as payment." Uruchi went to a basket that had bread slices sitting in it, and pulled out a dark brown slice. Ayano was about the reject the offer, but her mouth couldn't help but water at the sight of the gingerbread. Uruchi laughed.
"You're not going to find a bakery as good as this one," she boasted pridefully as she handed Ayano the piece of bread, who thanked her and nibbled on it. "You wouldn't happen to be looking for a job, wouldn't you?" Ayano looked up from her snack.
"I am." Uruchi grinned.
"Would you like to be a delivery girl?" Ayano blinked in surprise.
"...How far do the orders go?" she asked.
"From various parts of the village," Teyaki replied. "Usually it's around here, though, because they don't want the orders to be cold." Ayano thought for a minute.
"I'm up for it, but I'll have to ask my mom first," she told them.
"Fine with us," Uruchi said. "Tell us tomorrow?" Ayano nodded and left, leaving them to their work. She started at a swift jog to her house. The sky was dark now, and she felt a shiver escape her. She was glad to bwalk through the door into her warm house, pleased she didnt' get lost this time. She found her mother in the living room, reading a book.
"Found a job!" she exclaimed, grinning, and holding up the gingerbread in victory. Mari grinned.
"Where?" she asked, setting her book aside.
"Over at Teyaki-san and Uruchi-san's bakery," the younger replied. "Im doing deliveries around the village for them. I had to tell them I'd check it with you, though."
"Im fine with it," Mari nodded enthusiastically. "You have an ungodly amount of stamina, so I'm sure you won't get tired."
"I have the right to blame dango," she giggled.
"That stuff gets you too hyper," Mari accused. Ayano stuck out her tongue before running up the stairs to take a shower.
-xXx-
Her first order was to the place Uruchi had mentioned the day before. She didn't have to go far to find the Tsubame's, they were in one of the houses right outside the compound. When she knocked on the door, she was greeted by a young purple-haired girl around five. Ayano was going to ask for her mother, but the girl cut her off.
"Today's my birthday!" she said energetically. Ayano grinned.
"Congradulations," she told her. "How old are you?" The girl held up her fingers and counted them, then thrust them up.
"Five!" she exclaimed, though she was holding up seven. Ayano laughed.
"Awesome."
"Who is it, Nitsuki?" an older woman's voice called before walking into the front hallway. Ayano held up a bag.
"Delivery?" she questioned. The woman walked to the door and gently moved her daughter out of the way.
"Thank you," she told her, smiling, as she signed the slip.
"Have a good day," Ayano told her. She smiled back down at the girl. "And happy birthday." The mother laughed and thanked her, and Ayano was back on her way to the bakery, where another order was already waiting for her.
"We are getting so much more done!" Uruchi sighed happily as Ayano placed the slip on the counter and picked up the next order. "That one is in the compound this time. It's over at the main house in the center. You know where it is?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Okay." She glanced over at the counter. "Oh! And this is for Sasuke-chan." Aw, crap, Ayano thought to herself. Hopefully, Itachi wouldn't be there. Sure, she liked his brother, but she was trying to avoid him as much as possible. That's why she was looking for jobs outside of the compound.
Uruchi pulled out a small box and placed it in the bag. "The slip's in there. And this should be the last order for the day, so you can take off after that." Ayano blinked in suprise.
"That's it?" she asked. Wow. She had only delivered three orders, counting this one. Uruchi smiled.
"Some clients prefer their orders on specific days, so we make them fresh the day before we deliver them."
"Ohh." Uruchi turned and went back to the kitchen, so Ayano made her way towards Mikoto's house. It was rather easy to find, seeing as how it was the largest house in the compound and right in the middle of it. And if you just took a left at the end of the main road you'd find it.
Mikoto was the one who answered the door when she knocked, and Ayano was grateful. Fugaku scared her, and she hated Itachi. Sasuke, she could deal with, but he was too young to sign the slip.
"Ayano-chan?" Mikoto asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?" Ayano regretfully held up the bag.
"You had an order from Teyaki-san's bakery?" she asked. Mikoto blinked at the package.
"I did," she confirmed. "You work there, now?"
"I started today." She took out the slip for her too sign. "Uruchi-san said the small box was for Sasuke-san." Mikoto smiled.
"Yes, she would do something like that." She signed the slip. "Uruchi-san makes the best banana bread. I'm going to have to order it more often." Crap.
"You wouldn't want to get sick, though," Ayano laughed, inwardly gritting her teeth. She did not want to be coming here more often. Mikoto laughed as well.
"Thank you for delivering this," she told her. "Sasuke will be glad."
"You're welcome," Ayano replied, desperate to get away. "Have a good day."
"You too!" Ayano turned around and quickly walked away, hoping that Mikoto would think she had more work to do or something.
Well, she knew who would be ordering from the bakery more often.
-xXx-
She was right. Uruchi told her that there was another order from Mikoto due the next day. For Itachi's birthday. Could she have picked this job at any worse timing? Her feet were dragging as she made he way home, and when she walked in the door, her mother, who was cooking in the kitchen, looked at her oddly.
"Tired?" she asked.
"Yep," Ayano lied. Mari glanced at the clock.
"You're home early," she noted.
"Only had two deliveries today," Ayano mumbled. Mari blinked in surprise.
"Only two? I don't think you've been eating you're healthy amount of dango."
"I have," Ayano insisted. "I just didn't sleep good."
"Hmm..." Mari hummed, twisting the spoon. Ayano stared at her for a moment.
"What are you thinking?" she asked suspiciously, narrowig her eyes at her mother. She knew it wasn't good, and she was sure it had something to do with Itachi.
"Itachi-san's birthday is coming up," she stated. Ayano groaned. Yep, she was right.
"And we're going over to his house to have a celebratory dinner," she guessed flatly.
"Yep," her mom replied cheerfully. Ayano's mood worsened, and she grabbed some dango out of the fridge before heading upstairs to read. She was really hoping She had a crapload of deliveries to do tomorrow.
Okay, my opinion of the latest Naruto chapter? Sasuke has finally gone crazy! Poor Karin, she was annoying with her fantasies and embarrassing moans she made when she got bit, but hey, she was useful. Sasuke needs to get beat up by Itachi miraculously, and then Naruto, and then Sakura, and everyone down the chain of been-wronged-by-Sasuke-in-some-way people.
Review!
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