A/N: This chapter is dedicated to SparkDazzleDuez, DarkAngel2098, Rixclassa, Aslicain Kiant, Katarina Wolffe, and one other reviewer that I can't remember because I accidently deleted the e-mail containing said review, and couldn't find it in the 'junk' pile. GOMEN!
Here's the next chapter!
Chapter 6: Talking it Out
Hiashi started off for the limo. Neji hesitated before following his uncle to the limo. The girl with blue hair looked at us for a few seconds before following.
"Let's go." Naruto growled.
We followed Naruto's lead and followed them to the limo. Halfway there, I regained control of my muscles to a degree and began to walk on my own.
Neji turned and saw us when he neared the limo.
"Why are you following?" He asked.
"You're our friend, Neji." I told him. "Whatever concerns you concerns us as well."
"Well you're not-"
Hiashi was cut off with a slice of the blue haired girl's palm. For someone so cute, she sure held power.
"Neji? Will you let them come?" The girl asked.
Neji stared us down for a few seconds. Then he nodded once before crawling inside the car. Hiashi went in afterwards followed by the girl. We all crawled in afterwards, taking our seats around the dimly lit limo.
Ino couldn't stop looking around with her mouth open.
"Pig!" Sakura hissed. "Quit ogling!"
"Shut up, forehead!" Ino hissed. "Can't you see I'm in heaven?"
I gazed out the window at the buildings rushing by. Eventually we turned into the high end area of Konoha. This was our Hollywood. I couldn't help but gawk now too. It was absolutely amazing! The houses were beautiful, everything was beautiful!
It was perfect. There was no other word for it. I closed my eyes and imagined myself living in one of those houses...sleeping in, swimming in a gargantuan pool in the backyard, living the day away knowing that everyone loved me because I was on television...I was perfect...
But...I opened my eyes and here I was. Tenten. Average. Loser. Meatball head...
"Are you all right, Tennie?" Sakura asked.
I nodded slowly. Now I wish I had never come here where life was so perfect...because I was so not perfect...
.oOo.
My state of depression continued, and by the time we arrived at some huge building it had sunk down to my bones and refused to leave. I felt like crying. Everyone piled out except for me.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up at Neji's pale eyes. He leaned over and my heart leapt.
"Trust me." His hot breath tickled my ear. "It's not what it looks like." Then he was gone. I sat there for a stunned second before crawling out after them.
We walked into that beautiful glass fronted building, craning our heads to see the top. Inside was grander than the outside. There were fountains inside the place. Marble floors, expensive paintings, beautiful plants, they were everywhere.
I tried to hold on to what Neji had told me, but it was so hard! Everything was so amazing! It was perfect no matter how you look at it!
"Neji!" everyone greeted with surprise. "Glad you're back!"
"I'm not back!" Neji growled at them.
They still persisted that he was back. I pitied him. Then again, Neji was a great actor, so they had a right to be hopeful that he was back.
We were lead into an elevator where we ended up on the very top floor. We stepped out onto a balcony.
"Wow!" Ino gasped. "It's amazing!"
Nobody gave any responses other than to admire the view of Konoha's Hollywood before trudging up another set of stairs to the very top of the roof. That wasn't the end of it. Instead of taking our seats around the roof, we walked into a private chamber and sat down on several couches.
To my dismay, Hiashi pulled the curtains so we couldn't see out the full glass walls before sitting down. We sat in silence for a few seconds.
"Neji, why did you leave?" Hiashi asked, breaking the silence.
"I told you why. I wanted to live a normal life for once in a lifetime." Neji replied dully.
Hiashi looked like this wasn't the answer he was looking for.
"You complained about the script...you complained about your part-"
"That movie was the last straw." Neji growled. "I refuse to act in something so...juvenile."
Hiashi pinched his nose. "We're still trying to find your style. You know that. You've been in an action, a fantasy, and a sci-fi. We tried to put you into a comedy romance, and you-"
"You seriously think that movie was funny?" Neji asked incredulously.
Hiashi looked at Neji. "It was labelled as a comedy, so I should think it was a comedy."
"You didn't even read the script before you threw me into the movie, did you?" Neji asked.
Hiashi's ears turned pink. I smirked. Neji got him.
Neji scoffed. "Bastard." He looked at the wall.
"Excuse me?" Hiashi stood up.
"Father!" The blue haired girl cried, standing up as well.
"Sit down, Hinata!" Hiashi barked.
Hinata flinched.
Hiashi turned his fury back on Neji. "You know very well that the movie you were requested in was a parody!"
"You said it was a comedy, but yes I knew it was a parody, and a very bad one at that!"
"You disrespectful little..."
"Father! Please!"
Hiashi pointed his finger at Neji. "You're lucky I even keep you in this industry!"
"Go ahead! Fire me!" Neji stood up. "I want out anyway! I've been nothing but your little money maker for the last ten years! I'll have no more of it!"
Hiashi's hand flew towards Neji. Neji ducked and Hiashi lunged for him.
"STOP IT!" Hinata screamed.
It was futile. Hiashi had seen red and nothing was going to stop him from inflicting pain on Neji.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" A sharp, powerful male voice cut through the air. All heads turned towards the new arrival that was standing in the door. In an instant, I took in the wolf coloured hair, dark onyx eyes, and firm jaw line. I knew instantly that whoever this man was, he was a natural born leader. With just his voice, he stopped the battle in his tracks.
"You stay out of this!" Hiashi barked at the man. "This isn't your fight! Get lost!"
The man defiantly took another step in the door and closed it behind him.
"Are you going to make me?" The man stared menacingly at Hiashi. I shivered when I looked at the man's face. If I was the one this man was glaring at, I would've turned and run.
Hiashi stepped with purposeful strides towards the man who didn't move an inch, even when their noses were less than an inch apart.
"I can get you fired, Uchiha, how would you like that?" Hiashi hissed.
I shot Sasuke a look. Everyone did.
Sasuke gave a curt nod. That's my brother.
"It would be a blessing if you fired me, Hyuuga. I'm sick of you throwing your weight around, and so is everyone else." The Uchiha stated.
Hiashi gave a twisted grin. "Oh? And you don't throw your weight around?"
"I take control when there is no responsible leader." The Uchiha growled.
"You're going to question my discipline?" Hiashi asked.
The Uchiha smirked, though it was more of a grimace. "You call beating your nephew to a bloody pulp discipline?" The Uchiha seemed to lean over Hiashi as his voice lowered to almost nothing. "No wonder he ran away."
Hiashi grabbed the front of the Uchiha's shirt and attempted to ram him against the wall. It took less than a second. The Uchiha's unattended hands whipped up and he slammed his elbows down onto Hiashi's arms, forcing him to let go. With a fierce cry, the Uchiha spun just slightly and his leg came out, the flat of his foot delivering a sharp kick to Hiashi's chest. Hiashi fell backwards onto the ground.
Hiashi pointed up at Itachi. "You! They have a security camera in here! You'll be fired!"
The Uchiha shook his head. "I acted in self defence." He crossed his arms and looked at Neji who was still stunned from the intrusion. "And I'm glad I showed up when I did."
Neji nodded. "Thanks Itachi."
"You're welcome."
"Hello, nii-san."
"Hello, Sasu-SASUKE?" Itachi did a double take.
Sasuke laughed.
Itachi scratched his head with a dumbfounded look on his face. "What the hell is going on here?" He murmured.
"It's a long story." Sasuke said with a shrug.
"I see..." Itachi murmured.
Hiashi stood back up again, his face red with anger.
"Now..." Itachi murmured, not sitting down. "Would you mind telling me what happened before I got here?"
"Mind your own bloody business, Uchiha!" Hiashi spat.
"Shut your bloody mouth, Hyuuga." Itachi said in a monotone.
Hiashi seemed to get redder.
"So, what happened?" Itachi said again.
"He found me and tried to drag me back here by force." Neji gestured to us. "They tried to stop him, and Hinata stopped the battle. We all came back here to try to talk it out, but when I tried to talk it out, Hiashi didn't like my answers-"
"All right. I get it." Itachi stated. "So, why don't we try to talk this issue out again?"
Hiashi shot Neji a look. "Neji, you're coming back."
"No." Neji stated.
"Neji!" Hiashi snarled.
"He doesn't want to go back." Itachi said calmly. "Respect his decision and leave him be."
Hiashi glared at Itachi. Itachi gazed steadily back.
"Stop acting so calm!" Hiashi snarled.
"Stress kills the heart." Itachi murmured. "And working in the movie industry teaches you how to control stress and show patience even when dealing with..." Itachi sighed. "Hopeless...cases."
"Excuse me?"
Itachi looked towards Neji. "Neji, Hiashi wants you back on the set, but I don't care about that. Everybody here wants you back on the set. If you still don't want to come back, fine, but we all want you back here."
"Why?" Neji asked.
"Everybody says you're fun to have around, you're easy to work with, and you don't put up a fuss if something doesn't go your way-"
Hiashi scoffed.
"UNLESS..." Itachi death glared Hiashi. "You have a really big problem with it, and even then you'd be willing to help fix it."
Neji stared at Itachi.
"If you don't believe me, ask around." Itachi raised his hands in surrender.
Neji closed his eyes. The room held its breath. Neji sighed and opened them again.
"I'll come back on three conditions." Neji stated. "One, that he is no longer my agent." Neji pointed at Hiashi.
Hiashi's jaw dropped.
"Two, that I not in that stupid movie he wanted me to be in. I'll pick my own movies from now on."
Hiashi continued to look outraged.
"Three..." Neji closed his eyes again. He opened them. "I still get to stay in the high school I am currently going to."
My heart leapt. He still wanted to stay with us!
"Neji, you can't stop me from being your agent!" Hiashi cried.
Neji narrowed his eyes. "Watch me. You're fired."
Hiashi stood there like an idiot.
Then, Hinata sniggered, followed by a giggle. Soon, the entire room joined in, including me. It was so blunt. It was so easy.
"I think we can manage to get you out of that movie...I read the script to it as well...I couldn't stand it. Romeo and Juliet is boring enough without someone messing up Shakespeare's lines."
Neji laughed.
"I mean, Juliet falling off the balcony?" Itachi stared at Neji while the entire room broke out in uncontrollable laughter (minus Hiashi).
"Okay, that was the best joke out of all of them." Neji laughed. "The rest were terrible."
"Except for the bubble juice poison." Itachi stated.
"What?" Neji frowned. "Okay I didn't read the whole thing."
"Instead of poison, Romeo drinks bubble juice and dies hiccoughing bubbles."
"PWAHAHAHAA!"
There goes Sasuke. I think he just lost his nut. Soon, all of us were killing ourselves laughing (minus Hiashi. He was just glaring) at the sound of Sasuke's laugh.
"Those were the only two good jokes." Itachi stated. "The rest were ridiculous."
"What were they?" Sasuke asked.
"Uh, Mercrutio dies because whoever killed him in the story, I think it was Tybalt, threw a squirrel on him and he got rabies."
I snorted. "They made worms meat out of me." I quoted.
"Except he's foaming at the mouth when he says that." Itachi muttered. "But...that's pretty much all I can tell you. The rest is just too inappropriate to come out of my mouth." He rolled his eyes.
"Still G Rated, nii-san?" Sasuke taunted.
"PG actually." Itachi corrected.
Hiashi was up again, ready to defy. "Neji, I don't give a damn what you think! You're staying without those conditions you created!"
Itachi coughed a couple of times during Hiashi's speech, interrupting him. Itachi clearly had a strong dislike of Hiashi.
.oOo.
Ten minutes later, we left the private room and headed downstairs. As it turned out, everyone in the building had been downstairs watching the whole scene on the television screen, complete with sound. Hiashi was practically thrown out of the office, much to his dismay, and Neji was welcomed back. A random person grabbed Neji by the arm and dragged him off to a room. We all ran after him, lead by Itachi. Itachi knew where he was going, and he knew we wanted to follow Neji, so he just led us.
Sasuke seemed freaked out by his brother's actions. I assumed that practically bouncing down the hall while grinning from ear to ear was highly out of character for Itachi.
Eventually we ended up in an enclosed room where said guy was chattering away and Neji was frowning as he tried to understand the man's speed talking. When we walked in, the man turned towards us.
"Itachi! Good timing!" He cried and ran forwards to grab Itachi and drag him into the picture as well. Note to self: This guy was bonkers.
Now Itachi was frowning as he tried to understand what he was saying.
"Okay, stop." Neji ordered. "I can't understand a word you're saying. All I heard was 'movie' and various other words mostly involving 'the', 'its', and 'and'."
Itachi smirked.
"So please...slow down!" Neji requested.
The man took a few deep breaths and lowered his excitement. Then he turned his head and saw us. His excitement shot up another ten notches as he booked it towards us. He looked us over with a critical eye.
"You're PERFECT!" He exclaimed.
"Okay," Neji grumbled. "Listen: it's time you told us just what the hell you want from us."
The man continued his excited rant.
Itachi put up with it for five seconds. "Speak English!" Itachi cried. "Slow down!"
The man blinked a few times before trying to settle his head. It didn't work. He continued babbling.
"Naruto, translation please." Sasuke stated.
Naruto shrugged and stepped forward. Out of the blue he started babbling in the same 'language' as the other idiot. The man blabbed along.
"He says he wants us to be in a movie..." Naruto stated.
The man kept babbling with excitement.
"About a plane crashing down on a desert island..."
The man paused. Then he shrugged.
"I think that's it."
"So why didn't he just come out and say it?" Itachi asked.
"Too excited." The man said in a clear voice. "I babble when I get excited and nervous at the same time."
Neji buzzed his lips. "New director?"
The man nodded vigorously.
"Have you even put the idea through the admin yet?" Neji asked.
You could see the man's sails deflate.
"No..."
"That's what you need to do before you start casting. You have to put the idea through, get a writer to write the script if its accepted, get it checked again by the admin, then start casting if it's approved, rehearse, film, edit..." Neji trailed off realizing he had long run out of fingers on his one hand and hadn't bothered switching to his other hand.
The new director shrugged. "Ah well. I just got that idea and I thought it would work. Sorry to bother you."
.oOo.
I felt kind of bad leaving the young director to his own devices, but hey, I guess he had to learn. Itachi had to take off for his office upstairs, and Neji only stuck around long enough to leave his phone number with instructions that it was futile to call Monday through Friday, as he would be at school.
After that, we hopped back in the limo where we were left at the park we originally were at.
"Okay..." Ino murmured when the limo drove off. "Does that mean...you're an actor again?"
Neji shrugged. "If I get a part, it'll be part time. I'm still in school."
"Sasuke! Your older brother is awesome!" Naruto cried.
Sasuke chuckled. "I don't think he was in his right mind today...He's normally not that talkative." His brow furrowed. "Or enthusiastic..." Sasuke frowned. "All right, NOW I'm suspicious..."
Sakura giggled. "Why?"
Sasuke continued to hold his frown. "I don't know..."
We laughed.
"I think he was just having a good day at work." Neji murmured.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
Neji shrugged. "Whenever he's having fun with something he grins and laughs like a maniac. Sometimes he even skips. It's kind of frightening, but you get used to it."
Sasuke looked like he was going to faint. "M-My brother...doesn't laugh...and he sure as hell...doesn't skip..."
Neji laughed at him.
Sasuke sat down looking absolutely horrified.
A/N: XD. Itachi OOC moments. I can't help but make Itachi just a little bit insane in the stories I put him in. XD It's just so fun making him...FUN! XD I can't make him monotone and boring no matter how hard I try. I can't make him all business, and I can't make him the way he is in the anime. It's too BORING! :P Bear with Itachi's OOCness? I know Neji's very OOC as well, but I like making him happy as well. As for Sasuke...I like having him overly dramatic. It makes it fun to torture him that way :).
Make the Naruto world a better place: One story at a time
Sorry It took so long to update this. If you looked on my profile you would've seen under the Perfect section, I wrote "Processing Data". Now that I've found my inspiration for this chapter, I can continue this story, post this chapter, and stick to the original description as well. I have a plot for some evilness to occur. If you've read The Fifth Element you'll know what I am capeable of. I am capable of leaving you hanging until the last minute, I can make you cheer for the characters, I can probably make you cry if I tried hard enough. XD. The reviews say all! So why not leave one now? YOU KNOW I LOVE REVIEWS! :D