-XXX-

SASUKE

Naruto was spitting soup from his favourite miso ramen based with extra pork in all directions, looking at me from behind his blonde hair, which was already getting in his eyes. "I understand that this sucks. But what do you want me to do about it?"

"I want a new job. This is what you're supposed to do; find me one."

He burst out laughing, for which I smacked him like a little kid. "Hey!" He shouted with a noodle to his mouth. Naruto put the bowl down and wiped his mouth on his hoodie. Yes, the idiot came in a hoodie... "Didn't we have this conversation already?" He asked and I raised my eyebrows in incomprehension. "With your resume, I can find you any job you can think of. Just not here in Otogakure. Your reputation has sort of preceded you." Naruto chuckled, as if perhaps he had said something funny. But I admit that the idiot is partially right.

"When you finally decide to move, it'll be a piece of cake. I'll find you a place in Sunagakure, Kumogakure or Kirigakure. Only the best deals. Business is also good in Konoha." He remarked smartly, and I snorted sourly. "I don't want to move anywhere. I like Otogakure."

"Is something keeping you here? Or someone?" He elbowed me with a sneer and started laughing. As if Naruto didn't know me after all these years. This was a ridiculous teasing of me.

Despite Naruto's chuckling, I considered his question. What's keeping me here? Actually, I didn't even know why I was clinging to this place like a tick. It was as if this job and this city gave me strength, confidence and pushed me forward. This city had something to it, too. It was quiet, no crowds, nice nature, I lived in a quiet neighborhood near a pond, the food was good... I never complained.

It was clear to me that I should slowly change my job, and in fact it would be the most reasonable thing to do if I wanted to start looking for a better job where my talents would be appreciated, but somehow I didn't feel like it.

"No, nothing in particular. I just want to stay here. Why shouldn't I get a job at the Namikaze Group, perhaps?" I thought about it and mentioned the only company in the region that could compete with ROOT Inc.

"At my dad's company?!" Naruto blurted out in shock when I asked him about a position in a company that was very close to his heart since his father Namikaze Minato ran it. "Are you crazy? Only the best of the best work there. In the advertising industry, you have to be tough and decisive..." Naruto muttered, a little disappointed that his company still wasn't on such a world-class level.

"Just wait! One day I'll run the biggest company in the world making all kinds of ramen!" Naruto's eyes flashed as he declared his lifelong dream with a thumbs up. We weren't talking about food right now, though Naruto somehow steered our conversation towards that every time.

"Back to the Namikaze Group, you idiot. They'd be shitting themselves with joy if I worked for them. My resume says it all."

"Just like your personality." Naruto cleared his throat and looked at me.

"He's your old man. You can put in a good word for me."

"That's not how it works there... Their leadership is strict. They just don't take my word for it. And truth be told? With your reputation, it's hard to vouch for you..." Naruto grimaced, as if recalling a distant memory that reinforced his point. The society may not like me very much, but that shouldn't affect my work results after all. I'm one of the best. I never met Naruto's father in person. Yes, we met occasionally at Naruto's home, but not at his parents' house. Truthfully, I didn't know if Naruto had talked to his father about me, but knowing that idiot, I got a little worried about all the things he might have told him about me...

"What's really the problem?" I asked, becoming slightly irritated.

Naruto waved at the waiter to refill the glasses we had already drunk when we arrived, before replying. "Your reputation and name speaks for itself. You know most companies talk about you like you're an arrogant asshole?" He shrugged. "For obvious reasons..."

I didn't care what people said about me.

"Namizake Group is a family-owned company. Unlike ROOT Inc., my dad's company follows two rules. Family and unity. They value their image terribly, they don't want any problems or scandals, and their demands on staff and clients are insane..." A chill ran down Naruto's spine as he spoke this, pouring the contents of the glass in front of him.

"No scandals? Coming from you, aren't you dating your father's secretary?" I smirked as soon as Naruto started blushing and throwing his hands out in front of him in defense.

"Hey, teme! Leave Hinata out of this!" He barked in exasperation, but at the thought of his girlfriend he started grinning like a schoolgirl, just like he always did when he talked about that girl. "You'd have to adapt to their style of behavior..."

I knew that Namikaze Group were much pickier in their choice of employees and clients, but I could adjust to that in my work. ROOT Inc. was willing to work with anyone who offered enough money. Danzo hated Namikaze Group. Quitting ROOT Inc. and going to Namikaze Group would have pissed that old man off so much it might have given him a heart attack. I cringed at the thought.

"Working within their guidelines is not a problem for me." I waited until the waiter served us new drinks and left. I glanced at Naruto, who seemed relaxed, pleased with himself, and unbothered by my dilemma. He stretched out his long legs, crossed them casually, and began to sway once. Then he reached for his glass.

"Namikaze Group is a family-run company and runs its business that way. They only employ people with the same values. And they certainly wouldn't find your… ehm... personal life, acceptable." I raised my eyebrows since I didn't understand what the loser meant.

"I'm not going to describe your whole life here, but to put it simply... You're a weirdo."

And that's supposed to help me understand why they wouldn't hire me?! "What?"

"Your reputation is well known to all. You are a tyrant at work and a monk in your personal life. You have no friends, not counting myself. You don't go out with people and no one likes you. What did you expect? That everyone would want to be pals with you?" It annoyed me to no end that this idiot was right, but what can I do now that my career is apparently accompanied by this reputation?

"We can say I've changed." I objected.

"You don't understand, do you? Dad's company is family-oriented. My girlfriend works for him. I know how things work there. I've honestly never seen a place like that."

"Tell me more about it." I prodded Naruto, thinking about how much of a family business this could be.

"Dad employed Mom and all the relatives. Remember cousin Karin?" I vaguely remembered the red-haired girl with glasses who had chased me on social media for years because she had a crush on my profile picture. I shivered at the mention of that woman. "So she became a market research manager, for example. It's just something the whole family is into."

Minato Namikaze wanted Naruto to take over his business someday, but from what I remember, Naruto wanted to make his own name. He didn't want the world to know him by his father's name, so he started his own business. His company, Kurama Inc. was doing very well in the food business, something I would never admit out loud to that idiot.

"They have various picnics and dinners for all the employees and their families. My dad pays them well and looks after them nicely too. His clients are always awfully happy. Getting the opportunity to work at Namikaze Group is quite difficult because no one is leaving." Naruto explained, and I suddenly understood that this company was a completely different world from what I had known until now.

I thought about what Naruto had just told me. It was no secret in the community that Namikaze Group valued family the most, and the employees were no less important to them. Danzo hated Minato, just like everything he represented in the business world. According to Danzo, man was a wolf and a snake and one had to behave accordingly. Eat or be eaten.

Then I'm screwed...

Naruto looked at me, hesitated for a moment, and then looked somewhere over my shoulder. "But I happen to know that one of their top managers will be leaving."

I leaned forward and rested my elbows on the table, because I was very interested in this piece of information. "Why?"

"His wife Kurenai is pregnant so he decided to spend some time with his family and stay at home."

"So it's just a temporary position?" I asked Naruto, who shook his head. "That's how my dad is anyway. He gave him an indefinite leave of absence, with all the benefits, and told him that once his daughter Mirei is born and goes to kindergarten, he'll give him a less stressful position so he can be home more often. Thus, his original position will be vacant."

"Your father shared all of this with you?"

"Hinata shared all of this with me. As his personal assistant, she knows more than my dad." Naruto smiled fondly, while I was already firmly decided on what I was going to do.

"Then he'll need a replacement for the vacant position. Set up a job interview for me there."

Naruto stared at me, shocked that the prospect of a new job at his father's company still hadn't left my mind. "You didn't listen to me? Dad would never hire someone like you." Naruto said, slightly irritated and tired.

"He'll hire me if I can convince him I'm not what people say I am."

Naruto started laughing hysterically. "And how are you going to do that? You're going to start supporting shelters with abandoned cats? Take care of orphans? Or start cooking food for the homeless?"

"Leave that to me." I said determinedly and drank the glass of scotch in front of me on the ex.

"You're pretty confident, man..." Naruto said ironically, but I knew he wouldn't doubt my determination in a million years. "I don't know how you're going to do it, but I'll at least try to get you that job interview." Naruto said in all seriousness, and I only now noticed the six empty bowls of ramen lined up in the stack next to us.

I nodded, silently thanking him for helping me. My mind was already racing. How can I convince an honest, almost saintly man that I'm different than what's being rumored in business circles? That was the question worth all the money in the world.

All I had to do was find the answer.

-XXX-

End of Chapter 2