Today…was a very unusual day in the main office of Uchiha Corporation. More specifically, it was unusual for the ones who were part of Sasuke's staff. Not many had the privilege of working under such an influential person, especially considering the high standards Sasuke demanded, as well as his sharp criticisms and strong temper. As a consequence, the few that could withstand Sasuke's personality succeeded in having a durable working relationship with the Uchiha's VP. Today wasn't the usual chaotic day with the brunet snarling orders and pointing out every tiny error, as such a fact counted as a normal occurrence for them. Today was unusual for the lack of his cynicism and sharp words, as it appeared that he was…in a good mood? The whole staff shivered in fear from this very idea, it sounded too surreal.
However, if anyone were more attentive to Sasuke, they would notice those changes happening in more a gradual manner, only to be heightened to become visible this day. Most of them didn't exactly take their time to reflect upon it, the only exception was Sasuke's secretary, Karin. The red-haired woman had worked the longest time under Sasuke's direction, therefore she could detect his mood changes and was the only employee who knew that the brunet was homosexual and aided in guarding this secret. (One of the main reasons that Sasuke hadn't fired her and Karin gave up on her pursuits, even though she still occasionally admired his handsome features.)
So obviously, it wasn't difficult for her to connect the dots once she noticed the one name written on his agenda for a meeting today. Uzumaki Naruto; one of the chief architects of the rebuilding of Mitsukoshi; which was currently under construction after being demolished a few days ago. For some odd reason, whenever Karin asked if she could add other meetings on this day, Sasuke simply rejected them stating that he was occupied, leaving the schedule mostly free.
"Uchiha-sama, your meeting with Uzumaki Naruto-sama will start shortly. Should I ask everyone to move the documents and your laptop to the meeting room now?" She said as she adjusted her glasses.
She observed the onyx eyes that till now were focused on the monitor, glancing momentarily towards her before settling back in front of him, a flicker of a smirk twitching on his lips.
"Fine, let's go." He picked up a book from his table and calmly went to the appointed room, Karin following behind.
Once he entered, he picked a random chair and comfortably sat down, opening the book, as Karin noticed that it was a classic Japanese text. The secretary looked mildly confused over the scene:
"Um…Uchiha-sama…?"
A black eyebrow was lifted, questioning her, as he thumbed another page. Karin however, didn't dare to ask regarding it, other employees were also entering and organizing the room for the meeting. Once they were done, Karin noted that five minutes had already passed the scheduled time:
"Uzumaki-sama is late. Should I ask someone to call him regarding it?"
Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly, reading his book. "He'll arrive after twenty minutes; make sure to authorize his entrance as swiftly as possible. Also, ensure that there will be someone who will help carry his belongings and plans." He briefly paused in contemplation and then added. "Wait, make sure that Juugo helps him carry those things. He'll probably refuse if it's a woman offering it." He said with a roll of eyes, before refocusing back.
With a bewildered expression, Karin nodded curtly, though her curiosity was piqued enough to wait personally for his arrival at the entrance hall. Just who was this Uzumaki Naruto that not only didn't suffer Sasuke's wrath for arriving this late but also succeeded in changing Sasuke's usual snappish behavior?
After exactly twenty minutes as her boss had predicted, one young blond man arrived in front of the majestic door, carrying several rolled papers and folders in his hands as he haphazardly walked inside and placed them on the reception desk. The receptionist and that man started chatting amicably when Karin cut them off.
"Are you perhaps Uzumaki Naruto-sama?"
Blue eyes blinked confused until he answered. "Yes, I am. And you are…?"
Karin gave him a long look, the blond appeared to be the opposite of Sasuke, energetic and vivacious; this type usually unnerved Sasuke the most, as he considered it to be too annoying. Mentally shrugging, Karin adjusted her glasses and spoke. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke-sama's secretary, Miyuki Karin."
"Oh, pleased to meet you." Naruto shook her hand, widening a bright grin.
"As Uchiha-sama requested, I'm here to personally receive you so there won't be any need for you to follow the usual security procedures."
Naruto looked surprised. "He asked you to do that…?" Once he absorbed the information, his grin softened into a smile, this change startled Karin a little. It was warm…the warmth that was infectious, expelling the darkness out of your heart.
She was starting to comprehend how this man could influence her boss.
"Well, please follow me; Uchiha-sama is already inside the meeting room." Karin was almost tempted to ask if they needed any lube or condom and was inwardly relieved that the room was soundproofed…depending on the loudness of the noise though. "Juugo, help him carry his plans." A tall and taciturn man nodded and stepped forward, picking them up from the desk.
Naruto frowned. Wait a minute.
Sasuke glanced at his watch, just one more minute. Calmly turning another page, he could even sense the blond approaching – he was close. He imagined broad steps walking through the long corridors while either carrying that huge amount of papers that were threatening to fall from his arms or begrudgingly allowing Sasuke's assistant to carry them while he apologized for the inconvenience. Somehow the brunet believed that the first option was the most possible scenario so he stood up, positioning himself next to the closed door and already hearing the oh-so-familiar voice:
"No, really, I can carry all of them by myself! You don't have to worry about it at all—"With a roll of eyes, Sasuke opened the door. "—wha—?" Naruto widened his eyes when he saw deadpanned onyx ones.
Picking up half the stack of plans, the Uchiha said nonchalantly. "That's all for now, you can return to your previous tasks. Thank you for your help." He said to Karin and Juugo.
Karin looked reluctant to go as she opened her mouth to ask something, though Juugo closed the door once Naruto was inside the room.
"You're late." Sasuke spoke, placing the papers on the table.
"Don't you ever get tired saying this all the time?" Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think that instead of complaining, you could put your mouth to better use?" He said with an added wag of eyebrows.
"How about I say you should stop saying nonsense and do your work." Sasuke answered promptly.
"…what kind of work do you—"
"Open the plans and update the construction reports? I can't believe that your brain can't process such a simple command dumbass." The brunet smirked.
Naruto narrowed his blue eyes. "You're really no fun."
"And thanks to your tardiness, I've wasted idle time waiting for you."
"Bah, bullshit, you were in your office, you could've done whatever you wanted while you were waiting for me. Don't put the blame on me, you bastard." Naruto snorted, opening and turning on his laptop. "So if you weren't doing your work while you were waiting, what exactly were you doing instead? Brooding? Downloading porn?" He batted eyelashes mockingly. "Thinking about lil ol' me?"
"Neither of those options idiot." Sasuke growled.
"Ah, so you were reading a book." Naruto noticed the object lying on the table and picked it up. "Of all the things I imagined, you had to choose the most boring one." He glanced at the contents. "Hey, I think I know this title, the legend behind the three Sacred Treasures right? My father used to buy some books of Japanese mythology for me when I was a kid."
"It's a dissertation, not the story itself. The writer incorporates some facts from Japan's history with those legends, also making comparisons with the folklore from other nations." Sasuke explained.
"Oh…wow. You really enjoy studying about the Japanese culture." Naruto voiced in mild awe. "If you like it so much, why didn't you choose to study and get a degree in this area? Sarutobi-jiichan mentioned that you had a graduate degree in Administration."
"Doesn't the fact that I'm the VP at Uchiha Corporation tell you anything?" Sasuke rebutted, unable to curb the acid sarcasm from his tone.
"I would think that since it's a Corporation, which means that this company is not under a sole proprietorship, that you would not exactly be obligated to follow your father's legacy right?" Naruto responded.
"We do have our board of directors and some stockholders. However, this Corporation still has a strong attachment to patriarchal traditions, that's why not only are most of the directors part of the Uchiha Clan but also my father was nominated as the head from this board. Everyone is expecting me to do the same in the near future." Sasuke muttered, his eyes staring down. "Although we have incorporated and adapted some modern concepts to adjust better with the global community, our core is still rooted in Japanese beliefs."
Naruto paused to contemplate until he blurted out. "So? Just ditch this boring shit and go do something you really like."
Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows in mild disbelief. "Have you completely lost your mind or didn't you comprehend anything that I have explained just now?"
"I did understand what you just have said you bastard!" The blond protested. "I'm just saying that I don't see the point of you obeying those annoying outdated traditions just to make some old cronies happy. Isn't that the whole point why this company is incorporating modern concepts? I say that you should revolutionize by giving them the middle finger and do as you please!"
"It's not that simple you moron. Being the VP for such an important company means that everyone is watching your decisions, if I ever screw up it'll influence the stock market and there will be thousands of jobs at stake. Now that I'm already in, it's no longer possible for me to get out."
"…you know that there's an interesting metaphor of already in and getting o—"Naruto said excitedly.
"We're talking about a serious subject and I can't believe that you still find the mood to spout your moronic innuendos dumbass." Sasuke growled with a menacing glare.
"Can't you just take a joke sometimes? Jeez, if it wasn't for the fact that I already tapped your ass before, I would fully believe that you had an icicle permanently lodged there." The blond said with a careless shrug, unbeknownst to the growing murderous aura surrounding him. "So you're saying that now you're chained to the responsibilities, that's why you can't quit your current career? I'm sure you'll able to find a solution to hold down those responsibilities, while also finding some space in your life to do the things that you like."
Sasuke rubbed his eyebrows exasperated. "I have already given enough reasons why I can't, and yet you usuratonkachi keep being so stubborn. I can't divide my time like that when—"
"What? Are you saying that Mister Sasuke Uchiha is incapable of achieving whatever goals he's set?" Naruto quirked a challenging grin. "And here I thought that you could surpass anything that stands in your way. Pft, you're really a chicken wuss."
Sasuke at that very moment was glaring daggers at amused blue eyes. "You should know by now that the only reason my hands haven't automatically reached out to choke your neck is because I still need you alive for Mitsukoshi's construction. Just you wait the moment it's done, I promise it'll be extra bloody."
Naruto placed his cheek in the palm of his hand and languidly cocked his head with a smirk. "Hmm that option doesn't sound so interesting to me. I can guarantee that my plans involving you in the future are waaay more entertaining and pleasurable for both of us."
Sasuke rolled his eyes with a sigh.
"By the way, haven't you gotten tired of thinking of excuses? Either if it's about traditions or responsibilities, you always prefer hiding behind those rather than pursue anything that would give you happiness. I'm sure that if you were determined enough, you would find the solution one way or another." The blond frowned. "Or maybe you don't like—"
"I can guarantee that my fascination with the Japanese culture has been around since I was an infant dumbass." Sasuke answered rapidly through greeted teeth.
"Then, I don't know why you're not pursuing it. In the end, responsibilities or not, outside interferences or anything…the only thing that is stopping you going any further is you."
"How can you say this speech so confidently when you don't have a clue yourself how to 'solve' my problem?"
"I'm optimistic? Seriously, my father used to have financial problems, I couldn't go to a good public school and I couldn't enroll in a college together with other guys my age because I didn't have the money to pay for it."
"So are you saying that in comparison to my pathetic problems, yours were considerably more difficult to overcome and surpass?"
"No, I'm saying that even though everything was going against me I managed to succeed and here I am now, working on the job of my dreams and participating in important projects. So, I'm sure you'll also succeed with your case." Naruto said in a matter-of-fact tone. "After all, I used to be called a loser in the past…I'm sure someone who's not a loser like you will be able to fulfill your ambition easier than me."
Sasuke gazed at him as he contemplated those considerate statements and the emotions illuminating Naruto's eyes, though somehow he couldn't keep up staring for too long. "…you're also not a loser…usuratonkachi."
There was a mischievous grin lifting Naruto's lips. "What was that?"
The brunet crossed his arms. "Fishing for compliments idiot?"
"Hey, after all the effort that I went through to change your stubborn mind, I deserve some praise, ya know." The blond felt his stomach growling and he groaned. "But now I'm fucking hungry. Can we go eat lunch right now?"
"You do realize that we haven't gotten any work done yet?"
"So? We can finish it later. You think I can really concentrate on our tasks while I feel that there's a black hole in my stomach? Nu-uh." Naruto stretched his arms wide and stood up. "It's Ramen-time!"
"We're obviously not going to eat that dumbass."
"What? Why!"
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Taking Naruto to eat kushiage proved to be an entertaining experience as Sasuke realized that the blond was a glutton (which made him wonder how he managed to maintain his fit body when his diet consisted of unhealthy choices of food). Japanese people dislike anything in excess, meaning that the amount of ingredients is always measured to be sufficient if you eat moderately. However, Naruto inhaled it in one mouthful, humming contentedly as he savored the flavor, only to pout forlornly when he was finished so quickly. He, again, fried two sticks with the same ingredients and stuffed them both at once, his cheeks puffing out while trying to accommodate everything inside his mouth.
Sasuke shook his head, watching amusedly at this display of the usuratonkachi's childish side. He couldn't get tired observing the blond's antics; there was something fascinating about him that drew Sasuke in.
Surprisingly enough, between bickering and chatting, Naruto managed to update the entire report regarding Mitsukoshi's initial construction and all the data and other information was stored on a flash drive for Sasuke. Therefore, the brunet thought it was unnecessary to continue the meeting if their tasks were complete for the day.
"That means we're going on a date?" Naruto beamed brightly.
"You think I would waste my time idly following you around to visit absurd places like those Otaku stores, temple of vaginas or whatever else is going through your pea brain now?" Sasuke responded in a complete disinterest.
"Of course not! I guarantee that this time you'll be interested in going with me."
The brunet made a skeptical grunt.
"Plus, it's going to be my last day to properly explore Tokyo before I start supervising Mitsukoshi's construction. If you would go with me, my life would be complete. Be a kind soul and help me fulfill this humble wish. I assure you that this experience will be very worthwhile." Naruto emphasized pulling out his best puppy dog eyes.
However, as it appeared that the Uchiha's heart was made of stone, there was only a raise of a black eyebrow before he snorted and exited the restaurant.
"What? Hey! You're seriously not going to abandon a disoriented tourist in the middle of this gigantic metropolis?" Naruto whined, following behind.
"Well you can ask any other victim to be your tourist guide, not me. But in any case if such strategy doesn't work out, I'm sure if you cry enough in the middle of the streets, someone will pity you poor lost child and help you out."
"Bastard." Naruto grumbled. "But it has to be you, now that you're here and have invaded my life." He said dramatically.
Sasuke had an urge to rub his face with his hand. "Usuratonkachi. Are those lame attempts of flirting some sort of new idea created just to annoy me or are you really trying but failing miserably?"
Naruto huffed angrily. "I'm not failing that miserably you ass, and yeah, I'm interested in you."
The sincerity caught him off-guard as the brunet rebutted. "Really? But you were the one who suggested the whole 'Friends' thing."
"Welllll…but I changed my mind, I guess. Is that a crime now?" Naruto responded defiantly.
"…hn." Sasuke grunted, slightly uncomfortable now that he was put in an awkward situation between them. "So what changed your mind, may I ask?"
"And why would you want to know that you arrogant asshole?" Naruto glowered.
Sasuke smirked as a challenge, daring Naruto to continue. Peeved that somehow the tables had turned, the blond snorted and shrugged.
"Yeah well, I dunno. That's something I've been asking myself lately too. I mean, you don't have anything redeemable, you're too conceited, too prideful, too grumpy and are an icy bastard."
"Isn't that the nicest thing I've heard in my life...?" Sasuke said with a piercing glare.
Feeling that he should amend his previous words regarding Sasuke, Naruto said. "Well…but if you really want to hear niceties, I'll admit that you've got the nicest ass I have ever seen…!" He thought about something and added"…In a while."
"Nice ass?"Sasuke shouted.
"Well, it is the truth—"The blond tried (but failed) with his diplomatic skills.
"In a while?"The brunet raised his voice even further.
"What I really wanted to say is that you've got the best ass I've seen till now but then I'd make you sound like you're a girl."Naruto cupped his chin with his hands, pensive, and then said. "Are you saying that you'd prefer if I told you that you've got the sexiest ass I have ever seen in my whole life?"
One of his eyebrows twitched, Sasuke was itching to kill that moronic blond on the spot though unfortunately there weren't any sharp objects nearby. He swore that if he kept this up, his brain would be permanently damaged from hearing this kind of ridiculousness. "I've had enough. Go explore Tokyo by yourself or go look for another unlucky victim to suffer your incessant blabbering."
"Whaaaaaat!" Naruto whined. "But tonight I wanted to go to a restaurant called Ichiraku Ramen inspired by the Ramen stand from the legend of Naruto Uzumaki—"
"Uzumaki Naruto." Sasuke automatically corrected.
"Whatever! So, wouldn't it be poetic if two guys who had their names inspired by the protagonist of this story and his side kick—"
"Best friend you idiot."
"Same thing. They would eat in their favorite Ramen stand just as written in the story! It's going to be an unforgettable experience!"
Sasuke snorted. "Usuratonkachi. Even if I do have some spare time in my schedule, only someone insane would be willing to go with whatever crazy itinerary you have in mind today. So I pass."
And thus the Uchiha commenced the battle. 1 X 0
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So you do have some spare time, don't you?"
"I never said that moron." Sasuke harrumphed.
"You didn't deny it either. Also, till now I didn't hear you mention that you have another meeting or anything like that and it's been a while since you were checking your cell phone. You always check whenever you have to meet someone later." Naruto grinned impishly.
"Hn. Just because I don't have any other meeting later doesn't mean I'm not busy with work in the office." Sasuke answered. "I have plenty of other tasks to do, organizing my schedule, reading reports, organizing our branch companies and so on."
"Oh really? For someone who claims to be very busy, you surely were taking your time waiting for me while reading a book." Naruto rebutted.
The blondie scored! 1 X 1
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "It was just a quick rest before I had to get back and concentrate on my work, this way I can avoid having too much stress."
"Uh huh. Said the crazy workaholic. Don't deny it, I've received some of your e-mails at 3a.m." Naruto said, then beamed. "That's why that once you go out with me, I can assure you that I can make your wildest dreams come—"
"The day that I'll ever accept going out with you through your lame attempts at flirting is the day when cows will fly and pigs will dance. So no matter if I'm busy or free, have meetings or not…you're definitely the last option on Earth I'd take to go on a date." Sasuke smirked victoriously. "I may reconsider if you manage to have a brain transplant."
Harsh…but still an easy advantage of 2 X 1. Satisfied with the results, the brunet walked towards his car, ignoring the snarl echoing behind him.
The blond fumed for a few more seconds until an evil light bulb went off and he said nonchalantly, examining his nails. "Well…since my first choice of company is unavailable, I guess some reporter from a local newspaper would be very interested to chat with me in regards to some interesting aspects from your past."
Sasuke stopped turning the key in mid-action.
2 X…?
The brunet threw a vicious glare at Naruto. "You wouldn't dare."
"Maybe…maybe not…wanna bet?" Naruto widened his wicked grin.
"As if anyone would even believe in whatever ludicrous words you would spout out." Sasuke sneered.
"Hm…but at least I would give them some sort of doubt so they would feel compelled to investigate more later. And 'that night' for someone really drunk, you were pretty descriptive about your memories. You had your first sexual experience on a camping trip by trading blow jobs with an upperclassman—?" Naruto slowly raised his head in a mocking pensive expression.
"Get the fuck inside the car you dumbass." Sasuke growled, opening the door.
GOAL~~~~~~
Naruto immediately perked up and opened the passenger's door with a cheeky beam. "I knew you wanted to go on a date with me Sasu-chan!"
The Uchiha settled on his seat less than gracefully, in obvious discontent with the current situation. Figuring that the moody bastard would probably think of a way to throw him out of the car some way or another, Naruto calmly fastened his seat belt and lifted an indulgent smile.
"So I think the best way to start the trip is by going to the outskirts of Sumida River, first I was thinking we could go to Tokyo Bay. Can we also stop somewhere to buy coffee too? Oh, and I'm going to open the window if you wouldn't mind. The air is very refreshing this afternoon." The blond sighed contentedly as the breeze was blowing his golden strands of hair.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sasuke exhaling a barely controlled annoyed huff as he sped up the car. Naruto chuckled, the bastard was definitely imagining multiple ways to murder him and dump his body in the river. Grinning to himself, he continued to appreciate the landscape passing by. He would never have thought that an angry Sasuke could be so endearing.
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"I have to admit that I'm mildly surprised that you would be interested in going to Sumida river." Sasuke said while he parked his car, his rage now simmered down.
"Well, it's quite an interesting place to admire and study in terms of landscape architecture, considering that all those small islands are artificially created." Naruto responded. "Why wouldn't I be interested in seeing it?"
"Hn. Matsuo Basho, the writer from Oku no Hosomichi used to live here." Sasuke answered with a satisfied smirk.
Naruto glowered. "Oh, the book that you forced me to read as inspiration for Mitsukoshi's primary sketches? Yeah, I remember that really damn well."
"You didn't read it, Sarutobi-san helped you out." Sasuke snorted haughtily.
"He may have helped a little, but I wrote most of the notes and came up with the idea. God, you were such a prick."
"And you were an irritating usuratonkachi. Well, you still are."
"Aren't you lucky that I'm in such a good mood you asshole, or else I would punch the daylights outta your pretty face." Naruto grumbled.
Sasuke smirked in response, pointing to one of the islands. "Actually, there's only one natural island, called Sarushima, it's inhabited though. Other islands were constructed as some sort of solution for the garbage disposal from the city, which is a good example of sustainable recycling." He explained.
Impressed, the blond approached to take some photos until he noticed that there was a beach in front of him. Grinning, he started to remove his shoes and socks, rolling the hems from his pants.
"What are you doing usuratonkachi?" Sasuke walked with crossed arms, staring as Naruto shoved his suit haphazardly inside his backpack and also rolled the sleeves of his shirt up.
"We're on a beach! You have to go bare foot!"
Sasuke made a sardonic chortle. "And feel the sand burning your skin? No thanks."
Sheesh. Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. "Ok, but at least you have to feel the chilly water on your feet then."
"No...Japanese people really don't have this kind of habit. We can feel the waves perfectly with our shoes on."
"What? Are you crazy?" Naruto rebutted with a disbelieving tone. "C'mon, it's the beach! Look at the radiant sun, the sparkling sea, the natural sand. You have to properly enjoy 'em!"
"It's the beginning of spring so it's still cold, this is a river, not the sea and the sand is actually made from recycled trash. Just give it up you dumbass." Sasuke deadpanned, placing his hands in his pockets.
Naruto scowled at the picture of dispassion displayed in front of him. Sasuke was still wearing a suit, his skin as pale as ever and in complete contrast with the scenario around him. Something had to be done to change all this.
Onyx eyes narrowed in suspicion when he saw a dangerous glint from the whiskered face as Naruto sauntered menacingly towards him.
"Dumbass, don't you even dare do what I think you're going—"The brunet couldn't finish his sentence because Naruto grabbed both of his kneecaps and pulled until he fell haphazardly to the ground.
The blond grabbed the first shoe with the full intent of removing it from his foot until Sasuke kicked close to the tanned cheek. "Hey! Careful you bastard!" He continued with his attempts to dislodge the shoe; however, Sasuke stubbornly tried to retract his legs.
"Then stop doing that you idiot!" Sasuke straightened his spine (his ass was still stinging like hell from the fall) and used his hand to pry Naruto's fingers away from his shoe.
Rolling his eyes, Naruto quickly maneuvered the other shoe and removed it smoothly. "You should stop being such an icy asshole." Jeez, that bastard can't seem to appreciate his efforts to make him savor some joys of life. His fingers picked the tip of Sasuke's grey sock though the brunet kept kicking forward.
"You should stop with your moronic ideas." Figuring that this craziness wouldn't ever end if Naruto's hands were near his feet, Sasuke decided to shove Naruto away with his arms.
But this only resulted in making the struggle more heated, as neither were holding back their strength and were equally determined to reach their goals. Naruto continued to attempt to remove a sock or shoe and Sasuke was either kicking or pushing the blond away from him. After some grunts, groans and protests, they managed to tangle their limbs with Naruto's face close to Sasuke's.
Both young men widened their eyes in astonishment, not expecting this sudden change of events. Naruto was the first one to adjust though as he pressed his body closer to Sasuke's, the heated skin could be felt through the thin layer of fabric. Sasuke found himself unable to move, his eyes capturing frame by frame Naruto's approaching face until his vision centered solely on brilliant cerulean irises, lowered eyelids covering a little of that vibrant hue.
His breath hitched when dried lips lightly brushed upon his, Naruto automatically wet his lips as his tongue slid over Sasuke's briefly, but it was enough to cause an electric sensation on his skin. The brunet could feel each huff of air coming from Naruto's mouth until the blond closed and quirked his lips into a sexy smirk, whispering:
"Don't you want to kiss me now?"
It was a veiled challenge, Sasuke knew it, and it took every ounce of his self control to resist this temptation and eliminate the last hurdle by kissing the idiotic blond into oblivion. Sasuke impatiently pushed away to widen their distance but any words of dismissal simply died in his throat. Naruto appeared to sense his hesitancy as he leaned back to leave a comfortable space between them, even though Sasuke's body was screaming in frustration and his mouth was still tingling from the previous sensation.
Suddenly, Naruto's head ducked down and alarm bells were ringing in Sasuke's head. Is he…? His analytical mind was devising plans on how to escape that sweet torture even if his cock twitched in interest (and betrayal).
"Hah!" An exuberant shout broke the tension out of nowhere and Sasuke looked upwards, noticing that the blond had grabbed his socks with one hand and his shoe with the other. "Now you're ready to have some fun on the beach. C'mon, let's go." Naruto said as he stood up.
Sasuke rolled his eyes, the sudden change of mood made it easier for him to organize his feelings. "Do I really have to…?"
"Jeez, it wouldn't kill you would it? Let's dip our feet, it's so relaxing!" Naruto said kicking the water a little bit.
Sasuke conceded at last, wiping out the excess of sand and feeling the chilly water reach to his tiptoes. It was refreshing and it did give him an invigorating sensation…not that he would ever admit this to the usuratonkachi.
"So after this, I also wanted to go to the Asahi building." Naruto said after some time.
"Typical, a beer company."
"Shut up bastard, I don't want to visit that, I wanted to see the poo statue!"
The what? "What are you talking about you dumbass." Sasuke crossed his arms impatiently.
"That statue that is all golden and curved and is placed at the entrance of Asahi. It either looks like some weird spermatozoid or a poo. Well, sincerely I think it's more similar to a poo because—"
"It's not a poo you moron, it's a statue symbolizing their flame."
"…but calling it the poo statue is so much funnier." Naruto rebutted.
"As expected coming from a usuratonkachi like you."
"Whatever, so…we going?" Naruto said as he retrieved his socks and shoes.
"…no. As a matter of fact, that's enough for today."
"What?" The blond complained. "Can't be, you're not afraid that I would spread the word about your enrollment inside the rainbow colored world?"
"No. Not exactly." As much as Sasuke was peeved that the blond used this idea to win the contest of bickering between them, he understood Naruto well. "Go on, have fun and spread whatever you want with any reporter." The brunet said confidently. "But in the end, I know you won't do such thing. I've realized, it's not in your nature. So that means that you're only bluffing."
"How can you be so sure? I can find the name of one reporter on the internet and spill all your beans in a matter of seconds." Naruto grumbled.
The brunet just hitched a smirk daring Naruto to go on, finally fishing the car keys out of his pocket and turning off the alarm. "Go ahead and do it if you can. Well, I'll see you in NY usuratonkachi. Have fun exploring the outskirts of Sumida river alone."
All of a sudden, Sasuke's cell phone rang.
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At first, Sasuke thought that it was probably his secretary asking his current location as he was supposed to be inside their office working. However, he saw his father's name displayed on the screen instead and that bewildered him. As far as he knew, there wasn't any significant issue in regards to Uchiha Corporation that they should discuss today. He gingerly pressed the button to receive the call:
"Sasuke…we've found him." The frantic relief was barely restrained from Fugaku's tone.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes confused, unable to decipher this short sentence. "Father, you have found who?"
"Itachi."
And with only one word, his whole world had turned upside down. He felt as if a hand was slowly encasing around his heart and also cutting the air supply to his lungs, his head started throbbing with an insistent buzz. Sasuke could only dumbly recite that name again, that person that had always haunted his family and himself.
"Itachi…he—what?"
"We found his whereabouts in Somalia. One of our agents caught some clues about a Japanese man living there and once they found him; your brother was willing to contact them. As soon as Itachi is done with his business in that country, he is going to take the first flight and come home to Japan." As Fugaku kept explaining the situation, the burbling happiness was becoming more and more discernible. However, as Sasuke kept listening, the feeling of dread kept growing and lodging in his heart.
He could barely mutter back any intelligible response.
Naruto stared at Sasuke's reactions by his side. At first, he didn't pay attention to the conversation since it was probably something business related and it'd be rude listening to it, but once he saw Sasuke's shoulders tensing and a strained tone in his voice, the blond approached, mildly alarmed.
"Fourteen years…for fourteen years he's been missing and we haven't found any information regarding him or even one photo. Now finally…our son is coming back."
Sasuke painfully closed his eyes, feeling a cold sweat running down his spine. His hands were trembling, so he closed them tightly into fists.
"Your mother is also so excited about this…she's asking for you to go home now, I agree with this idea. There're also other details that we found out about your big brother—"
At last, his mouth was moving on its own accord and Sasuke spilled forth whatever was going on in his mind. "I can't."
"…I can cancel whatever meeting you have to—"
"I really can't." The youngest Uchiha growled. "I—" He was suddenly aware of the other presence standing next to him, confused by the fact that Naruto hadn't gone away to continue his tour. "I have to—Uzumaki-san is now in Tokyo and I'm helping him visit some interesting landmarks. Today is the last day of his vacation."
Fugaku paused in apparent bewilderment until he answered. "Well, fine, you can ask one of our staff or hire a tourist guide in this case, this way you're free from this task."
"No. I don't—he personally asked me for this, since I live in Tokyo."
"Dismiss him then, apologize for this inconvenience! How can you give a bigger priority to someone else when your brother is finally returning after so long…"
"I don't care!" Sasuke shouted in a sudden outburst. "I have to go now - I'll go home once I'm done."
"Sasuke, why are you—"The brunet could detect that familiar disapproving tone that Fugaku always used on him so he blurted out:
"I'm sorry… I'm busy so I have to hang up. Goodbye." He frantically pressed the button, his breath erratic. Sasuke sensed Naruto next to him so the brunet threw the most venomous glare at him. "What?"
Naruto shifted his legs awkwardly, muttering. "So did your father demand anything bad or absurd of you?"
Sasuke frowned, staring at his cell phone. "Yes…but fortunately, I could dismiss it."
"Uh yeah…using the excuse that you had to help me out and be my tourist guide. I heard that part." Naruto quirked an uncomfortable smile, feeling powerless to help the situation.
"Yes…so? Aren't you glad that the tables turned in your favor?" Sasuke replied sarcastically.
"Hmm…but you just rejected me quite heartlessly when I suggested going for some sightseeing…I can't see why I should help you out covering up an excuse to avoid obeying your father." Naruto said airily. He stared at Sasuke, who at this moment had a complicated expression ranging between anger and frustration, so he quickly changed tactics with an easy smile. "But I can't deny that you're a decent tourist guide. So, let's go."
Naruto saw and was relieved, when Sasuke's features visibly relaxed and the brunet slowly returned to his standard nonchalant expression.
"Hn. But if I'm really going to be your tourist guide, then I get to decide where we're going to visit."
"Oh? Where?" Naruto asked curious despite himself.
"The Uchiha Clan's private shrine."
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The shrine was actually located in a nearby town, outside of Tokyo, so it took some time to arrive. Naruto stared impressed at the gigantic wooden Shinto gate, a long path made of stones lying beyond as verdant forest surrounded them. Once they started walking, the place gave a peaceful sensation, the serene quietude being in huge contrast with the frenetic lifestyle of urban life.
There were security guards standing in strategic places, though once Sasuke passed through they would bow politely.
"I thought that most shrines were public." Naruto commented.
"This one is different. We're not praising some Shinto god or Buddhist saint, we're simply honoring our ancestors by creating this place."
They arrived at the main building and much to Naruto's dismay, there was a loooooong staircase to climb to the temple. Sasuke didn't mind this fact though as he had always thought that climbing those stairs was some method to purify your mind away from negative feelings and he had always escaped to this place whenever those emotions would overwhelm him in the past.
"Um…so…do we have an elevator somewhere?" Naruto asked, glancing sideways.
"Of course not, there's only one way to get to the top, which are those stairs." Then, Sasuke smirked. "Or are you saying that Uzumaki Naruto-san can't accomplish such a small feat as climbing those kiddy stairs?"
The blond scowled. "Fine then! Just a little bit of a workout won't defeat me! Just you wait till I arrive before you in the end then!"
Unfortunately both took a while to reach the main temple, as the lengthy staircase proved to be endless. Once they arrived there, they took some time to catch their breath as Naruto stared at the temple.
Surprisingly, it wasn't grandiose and it didn't emit an overwhelming aura, it was a normal sized temple with clean designs and few details here and there. Sasuke united his palms in a prayer.
"This shrine is personally my favorite place. It gives me some feeling of peace and calms me down no matter how sad or distressed I was before I entered." He confessed.
Naruto nodded in agreement, also praying. "It does give those sorts of vibes."
"I assume that I'll need that…now that they have found my older brother healthy and alive." Sasuke muttered almost inaudibly.
Blue eyes widened astonished in response and Naruto blurted out. "Wow, that's great isn't it? It's been so long since you've seen him; fortunately in the end he's still alive!"
"…I suppose." Sasuke whispered.
"I bet your whole family must be very relieved now. After all, he's your brother, you're probably feeling content now right?" Naruto asked, searching for any sort of concurrence on Sasuke's face. However, he received none.
If this was supposed to be some sort of positive news…why am I unable to see happiness reach your eyes?
"And once he's back, I'm sure that there will be a lot to talk about and amend, but I hope that everything will go back the way it used to be bef—"
"No." Sasuke suddenly interrupted. "I don't want him to wreck my life again, I don't want him to return and simply change everything in my life on his whim. I don't want him back."
Naruto paused, only to speak hesitantly. "But he's your brother…?"
"So what. He created more damage than anyone I have ever met in my life - I don't want him near me, I don't want him to suddenly materialize in front of us and receive absolute forgiveness and adoration from my p—" Sasuke clamped his mouth shut, in attempt to block any further resentful words spilling to his tongue. "Besides, I hardly doubt he was found by our investigators' work. He's a genius and has managed to hide from everyone for fourteen long years, I'm sure he has the ability to cover any trace of his presence from the world if he wants. He must have left those clues on purpose, he…he wouldn't commit such a slip."
"So are you afraid for whatever obscure plans he has once he's back here? Are you afraid of his influence on the family…?"
"Yes." Sasuke confirmed, his shoulders hunched and fists tightly balled. No…that's not all… "He'll come back, ready to receive my father's praise and respect so gratuitously when I have always failed to achieve it - because in the end, I'm just the second unworthy son. I'm not a genius; I'm not worthy to have his attention."
"What? No Sasuke…but your father does care about you, he also recognize you as his son." Naruto shook his head, placing both hands on Sasuke's shoulder but the brunet swatted them away.
"So maybe he does care about me but he would never…he'd never…" Sasuke felt a lump slowly emerging in his throat and he swallowed dryly. "It was never enough. I have never…achieved enough. I can't be the best, because this seat was always occupied by Itachi, if he hadn't disappeared…then I would have remained completely insignificant."
His eyes were practically burning, fogging his vision…Sasuke gritted his teeth with an angry huff, blinking rapidly to clear them.
"There would always be some sort of comparison…he would always haunt me wherever I went, he was always—always greater than me. Then, just the idea of seeing him return—just like that. Because he suddenly wanted it and now the rightful heir is back, then I—I—"His vision was becoming misty again, so he furiously wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
"No wait, Sasuke." Naruto gently enveloped the wrist with his fingers and spoke. "Sasuke…if you really want to cry, you don't have to restrain yourself."
Sasuke scoffed disdainfully, removing his hands from the tanned fingers. "I'm not crying, I'm not going to cry. Why the hell would I want to cry?"
"Because…" Naruto sighed, remembering old memories that still plagued him sometimes. "Because you've built up those negative emotions for so long, and you have to let them go, or else they will haunt you for the rest of your life." He said, trying to approach and comfort Sasuke.
"I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to do something so…weak and cowardly like that." Sasuke took some steps backwards. A few tears leaked from his eyes and he quickly wiped them away, breathing heavily.
"Sasuke, you have to cry. You have to stop accumulating all this resentment, this fear. You have to expel this sadness before it consumes you entirely. And you…you want to cry, don't you?" He added softly.
"No!" Sasuke screamed in denial, his guard up. "Doing something weak like that, I'm not going to be someone weak like that. I'm not going to allow anything to overwhelm me, because I'm not the type of immature person…who would foolishly depend on emotions and cry…because I was too weak."
A tense silence stretched between them, as the brunet glared defiantly towards Naruto, his stomach churning from the possibility of seeing pity in his eyes, something that he didn't want to happen, not from Naruto.
However, with an unreadable expression, the blond simply shifted closer, raising his arms with each step. For a wild moment, Sasuke thought that Naruto was going to kiss him and his body was ready to repel it completely—
But those arms simply curled around his neck, pushing his face forward and placing it on Naruto's shoulder, the hands sliding over his back in soothing motions. This simple action made Sasuke's legs lose their strength, slowly bending until they were both sitting on the ground.
Naruto moved until Sasuke's head was settled on Naruto's warm chest, the latter placed both arms and his chin above the dark head and whispered slowly.
"You see…there's no one here in this whole shrine. This is a private location; all the security are placed far away from here. If you're weak or strong, that doesn't really matter now, no one is here to see you or judge you." He tightened his arms around Sasuke's neck and shoulders and continued. "No one is going to see whatever you're going to do now -no one is going to hear whatever you want to say. That's why…it's ok. It's ok…"
As the words slowly sunk in and Naruto's scent was giving him another form of solace, he felt one tear sliding down his pale cheek and dropping to his leg. Then, others were falling one after another, until it poured down, cleansing his soul.
They stood in that position for a couple of more minutes, Naruto could feel the occasional hiccups vibrating in his body, as he patted the dark hair. He waited until it subsided, disentangling his arms when Sasuke raised his head, his eyes a little bit reddened as a result.
He couldn't resist when his hands moved to cup the pale cheek, his thumb wiping some stray tears as he caressed the smooth skin. Sasuke's eyes gradually returned to their usual clarity as he stared at Naruto, one pale hand resting on Naruto's shoulder. It moved to the junction between neck and shoulder, sliding upwards until it settled on the nape, lightly playing with the golden strands with his fingers.
"…Naruto…" Sasuke whispered.
It felt natural when his body began to automatically tilt forward, Sasuke's eyelids felt heavy as Naruto's breath fanned his face. He tightened his hold on the blond's neck to keep it steady as his mouth slowly descended, reveling in the thrill as cerulean eyes were also closing, the tanned face angled a little bit. However, the moment he felt Naruto's hand moving to comb his hair Sasuke's eyes snapped open, moving backwards:
"No."
The blond blinked wide, a little bit dazed and completely befuddled.
"No…Naruto, I—we can't—" Sasuke felt his stomach drop when, once gaining full comprehension, the blue eyes narrowed in obvious hurt and rejection, Naruto immediately straightened up, turned around and ran towards the exit.
Sasuke also stood up quickly, trying to catch up to Naruto, as he said, "Wait, Naruto—I'm sorry but I—wait." One of his hands succeeded in reaching one shoulder—
But the blond violently shoved it away, turning around. "Sasuke, you let me go right now or I won't waste one fucking second punching through your thick skull." He snarled.
Whatever excuse he was trying to come up with slipped away as his hand lowered, watching Naruto walk down the stairs and disappear from his field of vision, his heart hammered so painfully that it forced Sasuke to admit one painful truth:
He had definitely done something wrong this time.
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"There you go, giving a deer to another deer Shika." Naruto placed the small statue in Shikamaru's hand as the latter placed it on his desk with a roll of eyes.
"So I take it you went to Toudaiji then?"
"Yep, but all of those deer are absolutely crazy. They would eat anything that it's front of them, you have to be careful or else they would end up eating your map." Naruto complained.
"Hmm. What really surprises me is that you chose to go to those popular tourist spots instead of choosing the unusual ones." Shikamaru said, still so occupied with drawing a plan on the computer that he didn't see Naruto's eyes darkening a little before erasing it with a grin.
"Yeah, I thought that I should go to at least one of those right? Since it's really interesting to study the techniques they used to apply centuries before."
Since Shikamaru was busy, it didn't take long for other employees to surround Naruto asking questions, some happily receiving the souvenirs the blond bought for them as he also updated Sarutobi on the relevant trip details.
"Oh yes. Did you like Ichiraku's Ramen in the end? That restaurant is unfortunately more famous for its name rather than quality, so I was unsure if I should recommend you going there. But you sounded so excited about it…" Sarutobi said.
"Don't worry about it Sarutobi-san. Whenever there's something related to Ramen, I'm sure that even the worst Ramen in the world is like the nectar from the Japanese gods as Naruto has always eloquently explained." Shikamaru explained with a snort.
"Well…but seriously, was the taste decent enough?" The old man asked.
Everyone stopped talking, expecting Naruto's answer but those blue eyes were set on a faraway place, remembering something. The blond suddenly realized where he was and he settled with a scratch at the back of his head.
"Hah…well, can you believe it Sarutobi-jiichan? I got busy and didn't have the time to taste it, unfortunately."
"Really? Well, you can try it out later, sometime." Sarutobi answered.
"Yeah…yeah, maybe." Naruto grinned wide, changing the subject as he described Tokyo's bay landscape.
However, Shikamaru could no longer pay attention to the conversation because only one thought was stamped inside his brain.
Naruto was lying.
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When Shikamaru commented that Naruto was a terrible liar, he really meant it. It was easy to corner him and then extract the answers from him, when his feelings were exposed like an open book.
However, Shikamaru also knew that Naruto was more than goofy smiles and stubborn determination. The blond also had an uncomfortable past that he'd rather keep to himself than share with anyone, for whatever reasons and Shikamaru respected that.
But in a few instances, Naruto could lie well; when he was hurt on the inside and didn't want to burden other people around him. Actually, regarding this subtlety even he, who had been Naruto's friend since middle school and was an observant person, took a long while to notice it, seeing that even though the blond laughed it off whenever someone degraded him, he was more hurt than he let on.
So obviously whenever he did that Shikamaru knew that whatever was happening to his friend was a grave matter, he intended to ask what had been troubling Naruto lately. He was mildly surprised when he went to smoke in the Emergency Exit and the blond was there sprawled on the ground, staring at the clouds.
"I thought cloud watching was my hobby." Shikamaru said when he sat next to his friend.
Naruto shrugged. "Nah…it's fun to do it every once in a while, just to focus your thoughts."
"What kind of thoughts? Having some kind of problem lately?"
"Yeah…Yeah…nothing bad, actually. Just…" Naruto didn't finish the sentence.
"Is it related to Sasuke Uchiha?" Shikamaru asked, noticing the instant stiffening of his friend's shoulders.
"Uh—yeah. But it's nothing tragic, really." Naruto laughed awkwardly. "He rejected me, that's all."
"That's all? That's all. So, have you finally changed your mind and given up this pursuit I hope?"
"Maybe…maybe. It's just that…lately I've been wracking my brain as to why he would do such a thing, why he would shove me away when I could feel—"Naruto sighed tiredly. "Maybe since he's gay and famous, he can't have any public relationship, or maybe it's something related to his father or brother, maybe…maybe I was wrong and he didn't feel the same way so maybe…it was just a spur of the moment and everything was wrong…then I kept thinking on those maybes and I can't find a solution."
Comprehension dawning on his brain, Shikamaru stared with some sort of sympathy towards his blond friend. He said. "That's why the best way to do it is to forget about it, forget about this chase. He's not worthy. Also, like I've said, you get too emotionally attached."
"I'm not. I'm fine - I'm sure."
"If you're so sure, then why do you look so sad since you've been back from Tokyo?"
"I'm just feeling a little bit down, but that doesn't mean anything." Naruto defended back.
"Why do you keep making excuses for Sasuke Uchiha's sake? When he was the one who rejected your advances?" Shikamaru criticized.
"It's not that easy." Naruto said, shaking his head. Then, he looked guilty. "Sasuke also has some problems—"
"You called him Sasuke." Shikamaru suddenly interrupted.
The blond widened his eyes and he grimaced.
"Wait, you're really calling him Sasuke?" Shikamaru raised his voice, startled. "You have always followed the policy of this company; you wouldn't ever call any of our clients by their first name. You never broke this regulation before, even though there were some clients that you were interested in romantically or they were a friend of yours. But with Uchiha you're making an exception. And you really think that you didn't overstep any boundaries? You are getting too emotionally attached to him!"
"Okay! So maybe I am—a little bit!" Naruto protested, throwing his arms in the air in frustration. "So why is this so important? I'm just getting more involved than normal, that's all!"
"His rejection is so important to you, and now you're hurting, when you promised that you wouldn't fall for him!" Shikamaru rebutted.
"I—I…" Naruto placed both hands on his face and massaged it gingerly, groaning loudly. "That doesn't matter much! I was just surprised, once I find some sort of ground, I'll—"
"For how long are you going to insist on denying this situation?" Shikamaru shouted. "He has already gotten under your skin, you have become too sensitive to his presence, that's why he's capable of hurting you so easily without even trying too hard!"
Naruto closed his mouth, unable to come up with any other excuse. His hands were resting on his thighs, his face still contorted, pensive.
Shikamaru sighed deeply, wondering if it was really going to be ok to attempt to destroy those blooming feelings. With one hand on his shoulder, he shook him lightly, gaining Naruto's attention to his words.
"But even if you've gotten involved with him…even through those problems…in the end your attraction is only based on the fact that you both made a mistake at the wrong time. You don't really know him; you don't really understand his personality. It's just physical attraction; once you see his flaws everything will fall apart. And you're just doing this because it's the first time you're attracted to a guy. It's something different, something new. Once this whole novelty wears off, you'll be left with nothing but disillusionment. You don't really like Sasuke Uchiha."
Blue eyes widened slowly as his brain attempted to absorb this concept, his head hanging low.
Shikamaru threw the last bomb, with one last forewarning. "So you better stop all this…before it's too late."
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Report 11: Premonition
AN: Don't kill Shikamaru. Seriously, don't. He has a good reason why he's doing this as Naruto's friend that will later be explained in the next chapter. So see! You guys kept complaining about chapter 9's cliffhanger, this one is worse! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
EDIT: Huh...there was a review from Shane that compelled me to answer her. (unfortunately she didn't had a ff . net account) Well, Naruto wasn't taking advantage on Sasuke since Sasuke was the one who initiated the kiss and later changed his mind. If anything, Sasuke who took advantage on Naruto. :P Well, thanks for your review.
As usual, information about Kushiage: (remove the spaces the parts that weren't underlined)
www . youtube .com/watch?v=DllrwVGWdp4
Sumida River:
en . wikipedia .org/wiki/Sumida_River
And Tokyo Bay, the sight is pretty in my opinion. It's kinda different.
en . wikipedia .org/wiki/Tokyo_Bay
The 'poo statue':
en . wikipedia .org/wiki/Asahi_Beer_Hall
Although the Uchiha shrine is a fictional place, I based in a real shrine (in which I completely forgot the name about it so…sorry.) It's also in a neighboring town from Tokyo, I thought it was pretty even though it was in a humble size in comparison to other temples I went.
pics . livejournal .com/fourangers/pic/0079aphx
pics . livejournal .com/fourangers/pic/0079b10d
And lastly about Japanese people not removing their shoes whenever they're on the beach. Although they are changing lately, but mostly they still won't remove it if they aren't wearing bathing suits. It's really weird seeing a bunch of kids running on the beach but still wearing shoes and clothes, it's like they can't have 100% fun right? But yeah, it's more common than you think. (ew gross, soaked socks and shoes)
Come to think about it, I remember the time when I went to Tokyo Bay and I also wanted to remove my shoes but my tourist guide went all "Uh…do you really have to?" but unlike Naruto, I got discouraged and gave up. :lmao