[fic] Screw Destiny 2
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.
Rating: T for now.
Summary: Naruto hated bastards with the passion of a thousand suns. Too bad that his new partner is a combination of all that. NaruSasu, AU.
Notes: I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint because I'm nervous as hell sharing this. It's got more dialogue driven than you'd expect me to write usually, but it serves a purpose. Again, I hope this doesn't disappoint.
“Ugh,” Naruto groaned loudly, raising his head lazily from the pillow and staring around the room with a half-dazed expression. He was dizzy, as if he had spent the entire night partying and drinking too much of the good ole' friend, vodka.
This, however, wasn't the case. Naruto was still dressed in his jeans and t-shirt. He could feel the sweat literally sticking, latched onto his body; it was positively disgusting and provided him with visual imagery that was puke-worthy.
Damn, so he had fallen asleep with his clothes on again. A decidedly bad habit, this was. At least, so Sakura would have said or rather screamed at him had she been present. But she, thankfully, wasn't here to send him colliding against a wall.
Naruto didn't give a damn about the way he smelled - for all he cared he could stink like a skunk. Nor did he care whether he slept in his clothes, his briefs or in a potato sack - that made no difference to him at all. It was just that Sakura did mind and, in order to appease her, Naruto obeyed her. She exerted that kind of influence over him: he was definitely whipped.
In the process of waking up, the events of the previous day came crashing back to Naruto, like cool water splattering over his head. So, he was really at home and this meant --- fuck, this meant that he had to go to work today. Of course, Naruto thought grimly, it wasn't as if he could get another day off, just to recuperate from the shock of being in Tokyo again. That would have been a bloody dream come true.
Furthermore, it meant, as he logically concluded, that he was going to be late - again. Looking out of the window confirmed so much and Naruto swore: it was already bright outside. Evidently, he had forgotten to set the alarm clock.
Fantastic.
“Shit,” Naruto muttered. He only had ten minutes to get dressed, gobble down some quickly prepared meal and rush out of the apartment. Even then, he wouldn't make it: he knew it as certainly as he knew that it snowed in winter.
Still, it just wasn't right to show up late. Sure, his mentor Kakashi had always shown up late, whatever the occasion, but he wasn't a role model. Hell, but if he could get away with it, so could Naruto.
Naruto would have shown up even later, if he hadn't been familiar with the surroundings. He had a penchant for getting lost and even though he had spent all of his life in Toyko, Naruto still considered it to be outlandish. He was strange in that way. Yet, he still managed to find the way to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, located in the Kasumigaseki part of central Tokyo.
No one greeted him when stepped into the elevator, which was filled with several men and women, all very prim and proper looking. Some were dressed in civil, others in uniform and, what was most striking of all, they all shared that look of morose seriousness and practicality. Only Naruto with the grin on his face and orange jacket stood out. He still hadn't learnt the proper dress code appropriate for a man in his profession. Still, those who knew him didn't care: they had gotten used to him by now. Shikamaru, the first person to catch a glimpse of Naruto after the vacation, was one of them.
“You're late, Uzumaki,” the bored voice of Shikamaru drawled. Naruto threw him a dirty and accusatory look, but then broke into a smile. Whether the other man wanted to admit it or not, this was a greeting and a definite hint that he had been missed. And yes, this was nice to know that. Naruto had been lonely for too long, to not appreciate this.
“Same for you. Didn't want to get up in the morning again?” Naruto asked, not without a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He knew to what kind of extent Shika loathed getting up in the morning. Other than watching clouds, the man considered everything to be a bother.
Indeed, Shikamaru Nara was commonly known as one of the laziest cops this side of Tokyo; it was a wonder that he hadn't been sacked yet. Then again, it was a wonder that the same hadn't happened to Naruto either. He definitely wasn't a picture perfect cop, but their department wasn't known for its normalcy.
“It was too much of a hassle.”
Naruto repressed a laugh, knowing that his friend wouldn't have appreciated it.
“You haven't changed at all since high school.”
“You haven't either.”
“And that makes me cool.”
“She'll fry your ass,” Shikamaru replied, changing the subject rather abruptly; the other had been too troublesome for his tastes.
“Well, nothing I'm no used to,” Naruto answered, but not worried in the least. “Besides, I have a very sexy ass.”
“Whatever.”
“You're so frigid, man.”
Shikamaru's subsequent sigh and frown clearly indicated that he considered this - their discussion and all - to quote his own words, rather troublesome. However, he wasn't going to punch Naruto's face nor do anything hurtful: Shikarmaru was, if anything, a person who didn't really go for close combat.
“And you're a dead man. Tsunade is going to rip you apart, limb for limb.”
Initially, the not so comforting description of his superior doing this sent chills of terror down his spine. No point in denying that: Tsunade was a very intimidating woman with a lecher for a husband. This, along with her combustible temper, wasn't a good combination. Fiery-tempered women and ass-groping, voyeuristic perverts were an explosive and dangerous match.
Yet, the longer he thought, the more his surroundings caught his attention; he couldn't focus too long on Tsunade and the impending terror awaiting him. He had missed this too much - missed the bustle of paper, the annoyed voices and bad jokes; this was as much a part of him like his nose, ear or thumb.
“Come on, Nara. Don't be so downcast. Smile, smile.”
Of course, it didn't matter that those words of encouragement were more directed at himself than his grumpy git of a friend. As much as he knew that Tsuande wasn't going to really kill him, he couldn't suppress the lump of unease forming in his throat. He sensed that something bad was awaiting him - and no, this wasn't woman's instinct.
There , of course, was no frying of asses or harming of other body parts, but Tsunade was nearly bursting with fury. Her entire body language - from the nostrils flapping and closing rapidly, her tightly pressed against each other lips and stern look - indicated that she was bristling, nearly overcome with indignation. She didn't like it when one kept her waiting.
“Naruto, you stupid brat, how dare you show up an hour late?”
The office itself seemed to shiver under her thundering voice; the desk trembled a little and the light bulb above their heads flickered on and off - or so it seemed to Naruto.
“Well, you see, I ... err was on my way to work, but then ran into a black cat and this meant that I had to take the other--”
As always, Naruto found Kakashi's wisdom to be of invaluable help and a life saver; there was no way she would punish him now. Nobody could resist Kakashi's charm, not even her.
“Don't give me any of this bullshit,” Tsunade growled, but her face didn't reveal any anger, only slight annoyance. “Geez, you're becoming more like that wretched Kakashi each day.”
“Well, he was my mentor. Still is.”
“No wonder you're such a troublemaker, Uzumaki.”
Naruto knew that she didn't mean it; he knew that, in spite of her harsh words, Tsunade was incredibly fond of him. In return, he respected and admired her in return, even though she was one of the scariest women he had ever crossed paths with. Then again, he dealt with Sakura on a daily basis and she wasn't necessarily soft-spoken either. She was a bit too fond of using her fist - and it was a very strong one at that. Naruto could sing a song about it.
“So, what's new? Has anythin' special happened while I was gone?”
Certainly, there was no better means of starting of a discussion. Naruto was going to act like his usual oblivious and cheery self.
“Yes, in fact, a lot. Sit down, this might take a while.”
The office was an oppressively small one and, as the windows were never opened, it was extremely stuffy. But Naruto wasn't going to linger on that and, sitting down the proffered chair, said:
“Come on, spill the beans.”
“You see, Kiba was on that investigating case, dealing with the gangs and so forth.”
“Yeah, yeah...”
This was getting boring. Couldn't she come to the point already?
“He got wounded badly.”
Naruto remained silent, even though he really didn't trust his ears. He knew that being a policeman wasn't sugar and candy, knew that one's life was constantly in danger; however, this was outrageous - it was crazy.
“He's fine, Tsunade? He's ... going to be be all right?”
“Yes and no. He's going to survive, but for the time being, he's paralysed.”
Naruto's face blanched visibly and he felt like someone had given him a good one in a fist fight. This couldn't be, not Kiba. Naruto, not trusting his words, asked stupefied:
“Para-lysed?”
“As in, he's bound in a wheelchair for the time being. It'll take a while for him to walk again.”
“Shit...what this does mean for me...? He's my partner.”
And a damn good one too.
“That you'll get a partner. Luckily, we've just got a transfer from Kyoto. “
The chilly tone in her voice startled Naruto, but when he looked into her face, he knew that she was equally affected. She just had to act strong, for their sake.
“God, this mean I gotta work with some stranger? Hell no! “
“Naruto, think clearly about what you say. You don't have the right to complain. You're lucky you still have that job.
Not this route again. I don't feel guilty for what I did.
“You know as well as I do that the bastard deserved what he got.”
“I don't deny that. But you're a policeman, not an avenger. “
This time, Naruto did lower his eyes and inspected the stains of the floor with new found, never been there before interest. She was right about that one.
“Look, I'm not telling you to make friends with the guy, just try to accept him. He's probably not as bad as you think he'll be.”
“Ok. So, where is he? I'll shake his hand and invite over for a drink.”
“He'll come tomorrow.”
“Why that?”
“He'll have to get used to the place.”
“Not fair man. I should also get a day more off.”
“Shut up and finish the paperwork you've neglected, Naruto.”
A cop's life was hardly nice and Naruto's existence was not an exception: he often returned world-weary and drained to the marrow to his apartment, cursing everything on this damnable planet. On such days, the only thing left for him to do was either switch on the television, flick through some mindless channels and try to forget. Or he would go out and drown himself in the promise of quick, painless comfort of no strings attached sex.
Yet, Naruto was perhaps luckier than some of his colleagues because he had Sakura in his life - and Sakura managed to make everything halfway endurable. Nothing could escape her notice and Naruto didn't even try to hide the newest events in his life from her: she would have figured it out, anyway.
“So, you've got a new partner?”
Naruto nodded while he sat cross-legged on the sofa with that thick, heavy book placed on his lap. Sakura had come over for a sleepover, or better said, to cram for her latest exam. Somehow, she always thought that Naruto was a great asset in helping her study. Whatever.
“Haven't met him yet. I guess it'll be one of those overzealous newbies. You know, the sort who wants to get everything done right.”
“Sucks. You and new Kiba were a good team.”
“Apart from his abnormal love for his mutt, yes. I'll drop by the hospital tomorrow. The guy deserves to know I've not forgotten about him.”
“He knows that you won't forget about him. Who could ever forget you?”
Naruto didn't want to admit, but he was worried and disappointed. He had looked forward to having rows with Kiba again.
“Hey, don't be that upset.”
“It just ... it's unfair. You know, he's engaged to Hinata and all, was saving all his money to buy that house and now...it's --”
Naruto stopped, not able to deal with the images assaulting him right now: it wasn't fair. Not at all.
“Don't make it worse. You're not going to make it any better by pitying him.”
Sakura looked at him seriously, for once not trying to lighten the mood; she respected him too much to joke around now. Still, she changed the topic by directing Naruto's attention to the book again.
“Help me memorise this crap instead.”
Naruto, opening the first page of the book very unwillingly, skimmed through it and rolled his eyes. He hated doing this; whatever was jotted down here bored him to tears.
“So, the Morbus Bechterv is- ah shit. I don't get any of this stuff. How am I supposed to ask you questions about it?”
“Just see if I have it right, please. You have the text in front of you.”
“Still, I can't...it's like a totally new language. I'm not a genius like you, Sakura-chan. I won't be of any help whatsoever.”
Sakura chuckled.
“I'm not a genius, silly. Just because I study medicine doesn't make me a super intelligent, even less a genius.”
Naruto looked her dubiously, but decided to drop the subject. As much as he was inclined to disagree, he knew that a part of Sakura was very modest and, as such, couldn't stomach compliments very well. Or, at least, wouldn't agree on it until it was proven. In other words, Sakura wouldn't rest, unless she passed her examinations with flying colours.
“Tell me, is he never jealous?”
“Jealous? Lee? No, he trusts me.”
“I mean-- jealous of us? Doesn't he feel a teeny bit suspicious that we have sleepovers and all?”
“Nah. Besides, we're not an item. He knows that”
“Then he's not normal. I mean, come on. I'd be paranoid as hell if my girlfriend slept at another's guy house.”
“See, that's what I like about Lee. He's not paranoid. He knows that you'd never betray his trust. “
“I'm glad you're happy, Sakura. Hell, you deserve it.”
Deep down, Naruto knew that Lee was the best thing that could have happened to her and, for that, he liked the guy as well.
“So do you, especially -”
The flash of warning on Naruto's face made her stop; she knew that any allusion to his past wasn't appreciated by him.
“Naruto, I'm sorry. I just want you to ... I don't know. Think less about work and so. You should...”
“Don't give me that talk about love and relationships again. I'm not into that.”
“I just mean, maybe your new partner will be really nice,” Sakura tried again, insisting on having Naruto hear her out. He sighed in return: she was too fussy over him.
“Or he'll just be an asshole, like the one I met on the train.”
“You still haven't banished him from your mind, then?”
“I have...I just thought how I'd hate to have work with someone like him.”
Damn, part of Naruto still regretted that he hadn't kicked that bastard's ass: he would have liked to have seen that asshole begging for mercy and make him pay. No one called him a coward.
So today is the big day. I'll meet the person who'll be my buddy in crime. Or something like that. Hey, maybe it will be a nice, full-breasted female with a fetish for whips. That'd be ho-- too good to be true.
He sighed mournfully while he waited in front of the office, blaming his libido and those silly novels for his sexually-over active imagination; he shouldn't have wolfed down so many of these porn novels in his youth. Now, it was making him see sex everywhere. Footsteps roused him from his thoughts of self-pity and Naruto, rather quick on the uptake, looked up from the ground and prepared to greet his new par...
“Wait, what the fuck are you doing here?” Naruto nearly shouted before he bethought himself: there was no point in acting like a drama queen. Perhaps, he was still asleep.
After all, this had to be a nightmare, a product of a way too hyper brain; Naruto hoped that he was still in bed, sweating profusely and twisting like one gone mad. Whatever it was, this couldn't be real because no one could be that unlucky. Standing in front of him was the same asshole he had met on the train; the unnaturally beautiful man with his trademark smirk and “you're nothing compared to me” look.
“I work here,” the man stated straightforwardly, as if it was a matter of course.
“No, you don't. We've got a no bastard policy here.”
Oh yes, the Criminal Investigation Bureau was well-known for its cheerful staff; there was no need to sour the cosy atmosphere of friendless by adding a rude ruffian to their numbers.
“I thought it was the no idiots rule. Which you obviously are.”
While Naruto fumed inside, the man, whose name he still didn't know, looked at him as if he were a large, pesky rat crawling over the floor with sickening leisure. This enraged him furthermore.
Why that...fucking, revolting piece of swine. That ass-licking fucker. I'll prove him that I'm not affected by this. I don't give a damn about him. I'll keep my cool.
Unluckily, Naruto's resolutions didn't hold; he bit his lips, shook and his hands were clenched, as if he were ready to pounce on the guy, scratch his eyes out and do other barbaric rituals.
“What is with you and insulting me? You don't even know who I am, damnit.”
“I don't need to. You're an idiot, that's all.”
Who was this person? Naruto didn't understand what the hell was going on until something in his mind went click and the figurative light bulbs were switched on:
“Are you the cop who's transferred from Kyoto, perchance?”
Please don't be. I could stand anything but this.
“Yeah. I am. What's it to you, idiot?”
Crap.
“Well, then...it looks like we're gonna have to stick together for a while.”
“Meaning?”
“We're partners, shit face. “
For the first time since he had met that prat, Naruto felt like he had the upper hand: it was incredibly amusing to watch that stoic mask break underneath his gaze.
“You're kidding me. I'm not --”
“No, I'm not. Unfortunately.”
“You're pulling my leg, moron. There's no way I'd work with someone like you.”
“You'll have to.”
“I don't believe you.”
Yeah, Naruto was screwed and there was no way getting around it. Naruto was very well aware of the dilemma in his position. If he caused a ruckus now and complained like a kid, he wouldn't only risk getting suspended yet again, but might end up in the gutter for good. That would have been understandably bad: he wasn't loaded and it was easier to lose one's apartment here than one's pants. So, repressing his fist as well as his loud-mouth, Naruto forced himself to smile and say:
“Let's put the behind us, okay? I'll start off by introducing myself: I'm Naruto Uz-”
“Naruto Uzumaki? Then, you're really my partner. Shit.”
“Wait a sec. How do you know what my name is?”
And what does he mean by “shit"? I'm not shit. Fucktard.
“And I thought I'd seen of you on the train. Now I'll have to deal with you.”
“Just tell me your name, bastard,” Naruto said through gritted teeth.
“Sasuke Uchiha. Learn to use it, dead-last.”
What kind of name was Sasuke Uchiha? It sounded very much like an aristocrat's name and Naruto, expecting Sasuke to come out with with something like “refer to me as Uchiha-sama” couldn't shake off the laughter building up inside of him. Before Sasuke could react, however, another voice attracted their attention. Which was probably for the better. Tsunade had finally come out of the office.
“So, I see you've met. Naruto, get acquainted with him and be nice,” she ordered Naruto, placing an emphasis on “nice”.
That damned old hag. She's really scary.
“Right.”
By getting acquainted, which was an hideously outdated expression according to Naruto, Tsunade had merely meant the following:
“Show him around."
“So this is where were you work. It's a mess.”
Sasuke eyed his future working place with noticeable contempt and it wasn't unwarranted. The desk was littered with stacks of papers, Naruto's ever-growing collection of pens, racing car magazines and rubbers. In short, it looked like a dumping place for Naruto's random possessions.
“Get rid of the crap.”
Naruto was exasperated: no one ordered him around like that. He wasn't any slave of Sasuke's and would never be.
“Look, if you don't like it, milady, you can go some place else. This is my desk and I'll keep it the way I like.”
“Not as long as I have a say in it. Don't forget: I'm your-”
“Shuddup. I got it. Look clean the desk up, toss into the dumpster and leave me be.”
He didn't give a fuck whether his entire junk was removed or not; Naruto wasn't going to his panties in a knit because of this.
“Hey, should I help you?”
“No. Leave your grubby fingers to yourself. You'll only make everything worse.”
Oh yes, this was definitely the start of something bad. Possibly life-threatening. The more time Naruto spent in Sasuke's company, the angrier and more determined to fight back he got - he had never felt that challenged by anyone. So, Naruto being Naruto, felt compelled to pick up the unspoken challenge and prove Sasuke that he wasn't a dog with no bite.
Rating: T for now.
Summary: Naruto hated bastards with the passion of a thousand suns. Too bad that his new partner is a combination of all that. NaruSasu, AU.
Notes: I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint because I'm nervous as hell sharing this. It's got more dialogue driven than you'd expect me to write usually, but it serves a purpose. Again, I hope this doesn't disappoint.
“Ugh,” Naruto groaned loudly, raising his head lazily from the pillow and staring around the room with a half-dazed expression. He was dizzy, as if he had spent the entire night partying and drinking too much of the good ole' friend, vodka.
This, however, wasn't the case. Naruto was still dressed in his jeans and t-shirt. He could feel the sweat literally sticking, latched onto his body; it was positively disgusting and provided him with visual imagery that was puke-worthy.
Damn, so he had fallen asleep with his clothes on again. A decidedly bad habit, this was. At least, so Sakura would have said or rather screamed at him had she been present. But she, thankfully, wasn't here to send him colliding against a wall.
Naruto didn't give a damn about the way he smelled - for all he cared he could stink like a skunk. Nor did he care whether he slept in his clothes, his briefs or in a potato sack - that made no difference to him at all. It was just that Sakura did mind and, in order to appease her, Naruto obeyed her. She exerted that kind of influence over him: he was definitely whipped.
In the process of waking up, the events of the previous day came crashing back to Naruto, like cool water splattering over his head. So, he was really at home and this meant --- fuck, this meant that he had to go to work today. Of course, Naruto thought grimly, it wasn't as if he could get another day off, just to recuperate from the shock of being in Tokyo again. That would have been a bloody dream come true.
Furthermore, it meant, as he logically concluded, that he was going to be late - again. Looking out of the window confirmed so much and Naruto swore: it was already bright outside. Evidently, he had forgotten to set the alarm clock.
Fantastic.
“Shit,” Naruto muttered. He only had ten minutes to get dressed, gobble down some quickly prepared meal and rush out of the apartment. Even then, he wouldn't make it: he knew it as certainly as he knew that it snowed in winter.
Still, it just wasn't right to show up late. Sure, his mentor Kakashi had always shown up late, whatever the occasion, but he wasn't a role model. Hell, but if he could get away with it, so could Naruto.
Naruto would have shown up even later, if he hadn't been familiar with the surroundings. He had a penchant for getting lost and even though he had spent all of his life in Toyko, Naruto still considered it to be outlandish. He was strange in that way. Yet, he still managed to find the way to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, located in the Kasumigaseki part of central Tokyo.
No one greeted him when stepped into the elevator, which was filled with several men and women, all very prim and proper looking. Some were dressed in civil, others in uniform and, what was most striking of all, they all shared that look of morose seriousness and practicality. Only Naruto with the grin on his face and orange jacket stood out. He still hadn't learnt the proper dress code appropriate for a man in his profession. Still, those who knew him didn't care: they had gotten used to him by now. Shikamaru, the first person to catch a glimpse of Naruto after the vacation, was one of them.
“You're late, Uzumaki,” the bored voice of Shikamaru drawled. Naruto threw him a dirty and accusatory look, but then broke into a smile. Whether the other man wanted to admit it or not, this was a greeting and a definite hint that he had been missed. And yes, this was nice to know that. Naruto had been lonely for too long, to not appreciate this.
“Same for you. Didn't want to get up in the morning again?” Naruto asked, not without a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He knew to what kind of extent Shika loathed getting up in the morning. Other than watching clouds, the man considered everything to be a bother.
Indeed, Shikamaru Nara was commonly known as one of the laziest cops this side of Tokyo; it was a wonder that he hadn't been sacked yet. Then again, it was a wonder that the same hadn't happened to Naruto either. He definitely wasn't a picture perfect cop, but their department wasn't known for its normalcy.
“It was too much of a hassle.”
Naruto repressed a laugh, knowing that his friend wouldn't have appreciated it.
“You haven't changed at all since high school.”
“You haven't either.”
“And that makes me cool.”
“She'll fry your ass,” Shikamaru replied, changing the subject rather abruptly; the other had been too troublesome for his tastes.
“Well, nothing I'm no used to,” Naruto answered, but not worried in the least. “Besides, I have a very sexy ass.”
“Whatever.”
“You're so frigid, man.”
Shikamaru's subsequent sigh and frown clearly indicated that he considered this - their discussion and all - to quote his own words, rather troublesome. However, he wasn't going to punch Naruto's face nor do anything hurtful: Shikarmaru was, if anything, a person who didn't really go for close combat.
“And you're a dead man. Tsunade is going to rip you apart, limb for limb.”
Initially, the not so comforting description of his superior doing this sent chills of terror down his spine. No point in denying that: Tsunade was a very intimidating woman with a lecher for a husband. This, along with her combustible temper, wasn't a good combination. Fiery-tempered women and ass-groping, voyeuristic perverts were an explosive and dangerous match.
Yet, the longer he thought, the more his surroundings caught his attention; he couldn't focus too long on Tsunade and the impending terror awaiting him. He had missed this too much - missed the bustle of paper, the annoyed voices and bad jokes; this was as much a part of him like his nose, ear or thumb.
“Come on, Nara. Don't be so downcast. Smile, smile.”
Of course, it didn't matter that those words of encouragement were more directed at himself than his grumpy git of a friend. As much as he knew that Tsuande wasn't going to really kill him, he couldn't suppress the lump of unease forming in his throat. He sensed that something bad was awaiting him - and no, this wasn't woman's instinct.
There , of course, was no frying of asses or harming of other body parts, but Tsunade was nearly bursting with fury. Her entire body language - from the nostrils flapping and closing rapidly, her tightly pressed against each other lips and stern look - indicated that she was bristling, nearly overcome with indignation. She didn't like it when one kept her waiting.
“Naruto, you stupid brat, how dare you show up an hour late?”
The office itself seemed to shiver under her thundering voice; the desk trembled a little and the light bulb above their heads flickered on and off - or so it seemed to Naruto.
“Well, you see, I ... err was on my way to work, but then ran into a black cat and this meant that I had to take the other--”
As always, Naruto found Kakashi's wisdom to be of invaluable help and a life saver; there was no way she would punish him now. Nobody could resist Kakashi's charm, not even her.
“Don't give me any of this bullshit,” Tsunade growled, but her face didn't reveal any anger, only slight annoyance. “Geez, you're becoming more like that wretched Kakashi each day.”
“Well, he was my mentor. Still is.”
“No wonder you're such a troublemaker, Uzumaki.”
Naruto knew that she didn't mean it; he knew that, in spite of her harsh words, Tsunade was incredibly fond of him. In return, he respected and admired her in return, even though she was one of the scariest women he had ever crossed paths with. Then again, he dealt with Sakura on a daily basis and she wasn't necessarily soft-spoken either. She was a bit too fond of using her fist - and it was a very strong one at that. Naruto could sing a song about it.
“So, what's new? Has anythin' special happened while I was gone?”
Certainly, there was no better means of starting of a discussion. Naruto was going to act like his usual oblivious and cheery self.
“Yes, in fact, a lot. Sit down, this might take a while.”
The office was an oppressively small one and, as the windows were never opened, it was extremely stuffy. But Naruto wasn't going to linger on that and, sitting down the proffered chair, said:
“Come on, spill the beans.”
“You see, Kiba was on that investigating case, dealing with the gangs and so forth.”
“Yeah, yeah...”
This was getting boring. Couldn't she come to the point already?
“He got wounded badly.”
Naruto remained silent, even though he really didn't trust his ears. He knew that being a policeman wasn't sugar and candy, knew that one's life was constantly in danger; however, this was outrageous - it was crazy.
“He's fine, Tsunade? He's ... going to be be all right?”
“Yes and no. He's going to survive, but for the time being, he's paralysed.”
Naruto's face blanched visibly and he felt like someone had given him a good one in a fist fight. This couldn't be, not Kiba. Naruto, not trusting his words, asked stupefied:
“Para-lysed?”
“As in, he's bound in a wheelchair for the time being. It'll take a while for him to walk again.”
“Shit...what this does mean for me...? He's my partner.”
And a damn good one too.
“That you'll get a partner. Luckily, we've just got a transfer from Kyoto. “
The chilly tone in her voice startled Naruto, but when he looked into her face, he knew that she was equally affected. She just had to act strong, for their sake.
“God, this mean I gotta work with some stranger? Hell no! “
“Naruto, think clearly about what you say. You don't have the right to complain. You're lucky you still have that job.
Not this route again. I don't feel guilty for what I did.
“You know as well as I do that the bastard deserved what he got.”
“I don't deny that. But you're a policeman, not an avenger. “
This time, Naruto did lower his eyes and inspected the stains of the floor with new found, never been there before interest. She was right about that one.
“Look, I'm not telling you to make friends with the guy, just try to accept him. He's probably not as bad as you think he'll be.”
“Ok. So, where is he? I'll shake his hand and invite over for a drink.”
“He'll come tomorrow.”
“Why that?”
“He'll have to get used to the place.”
“Not fair man. I should also get a day more off.”
“Shut up and finish the paperwork you've neglected, Naruto.”
A cop's life was hardly nice and Naruto's existence was not an exception: he often returned world-weary and drained to the marrow to his apartment, cursing everything on this damnable planet. On such days, the only thing left for him to do was either switch on the television, flick through some mindless channels and try to forget. Or he would go out and drown himself in the promise of quick, painless comfort of no strings attached sex.
Yet, Naruto was perhaps luckier than some of his colleagues because he had Sakura in his life - and Sakura managed to make everything halfway endurable. Nothing could escape her notice and Naruto didn't even try to hide the newest events in his life from her: she would have figured it out, anyway.
“So, you've got a new partner?”
Naruto nodded while he sat cross-legged on the sofa with that thick, heavy book placed on his lap. Sakura had come over for a sleepover, or better said, to cram for her latest exam. Somehow, she always thought that Naruto was a great asset in helping her study. Whatever.
“Haven't met him yet. I guess it'll be one of those overzealous newbies. You know, the sort who wants to get everything done right.”
“Sucks. You and new Kiba were a good team.”
“Apart from his abnormal love for his mutt, yes. I'll drop by the hospital tomorrow. The guy deserves to know I've not forgotten about him.”
“He knows that you won't forget about him. Who could ever forget you?”
Naruto didn't want to admit, but he was worried and disappointed. He had looked forward to having rows with Kiba again.
“Hey, don't be that upset.”
“It just ... it's unfair. You know, he's engaged to Hinata and all, was saving all his money to buy that house and now...it's --”
Naruto stopped, not able to deal with the images assaulting him right now: it wasn't fair. Not at all.
“Don't make it worse. You're not going to make it any better by pitying him.”
Sakura looked at him seriously, for once not trying to lighten the mood; she respected him too much to joke around now. Still, she changed the topic by directing Naruto's attention to the book again.
“Help me memorise this crap instead.”
Naruto, opening the first page of the book very unwillingly, skimmed through it and rolled his eyes. He hated doing this; whatever was jotted down here bored him to tears.
“So, the Morbus Bechterv is- ah shit. I don't get any of this stuff. How am I supposed to ask you questions about it?”
“Just see if I have it right, please. You have the text in front of you.”
“Still, I can't...it's like a totally new language. I'm not a genius like you, Sakura-chan. I won't be of any help whatsoever.”
Sakura chuckled.
“I'm not a genius, silly. Just because I study medicine doesn't make me a super intelligent, even less a genius.”
Naruto looked her dubiously, but decided to drop the subject. As much as he was inclined to disagree, he knew that a part of Sakura was very modest and, as such, couldn't stomach compliments very well. Or, at least, wouldn't agree on it until it was proven. In other words, Sakura wouldn't rest, unless she passed her examinations with flying colours.
“Tell me, is he never jealous?”
“Jealous? Lee? No, he trusts me.”
“I mean-- jealous of us? Doesn't he feel a teeny bit suspicious that we have sleepovers and all?”
“Nah. Besides, we're not an item. He knows that”
“Then he's not normal. I mean, come on. I'd be paranoid as hell if my girlfriend slept at another's guy house.”
“See, that's what I like about Lee. He's not paranoid. He knows that you'd never betray his trust. “
“I'm glad you're happy, Sakura. Hell, you deserve it.”
Deep down, Naruto knew that Lee was the best thing that could have happened to her and, for that, he liked the guy as well.
“So do you, especially -”
The flash of warning on Naruto's face made her stop; she knew that any allusion to his past wasn't appreciated by him.
“Naruto, I'm sorry. I just want you to ... I don't know. Think less about work and so. You should...”
“Don't give me that talk about love and relationships again. I'm not into that.”
“I just mean, maybe your new partner will be really nice,” Sakura tried again, insisting on having Naruto hear her out. He sighed in return: she was too fussy over him.
“Or he'll just be an asshole, like the one I met on the train.”
“You still haven't banished him from your mind, then?”
“I have...I just thought how I'd hate to have work with someone like him.”
Damn, part of Naruto still regretted that he hadn't kicked that bastard's ass: he would have liked to have seen that asshole begging for mercy and make him pay. No one called him a coward.
So today is the big day. I'll meet the person who'll be my buddy in crime. Or something like that. Hey, maybe it will be a nice, full-breasted female with a fetish for whips. That'd be ho-- too good to be true.
He sighed mournfully while he waited in front of the office, blaming his libido and those silly novels for his sexually-over active imagination; he shouldn't have wolfed down so many of these porn novels in his youth. Now, it was making him see sex everywhere. Footsteps roused him from his thoughts of self-pity and Naruto, rather quick on the uptake, looked up from the ground and prepared to greet his new par...
“Wait, what the fuck are you doing here?” Naruto nearly shouted before he bethought himself: there was no point in acting like a drama queen. Perhaps, he was still asleep.
After all, this had to be a nightmare, a product of a way too hyper brain; Naruto hoped that he was still in bed, sweating profusely and twisting like one gone mad. Whatever it was, this couldn't be real because no one could be that unlucky. Standing in front of him was the same asshole he had met on the train; the unnaturally beautiful man with his trademark smirk and “you're nothing compared to me” look.
“I work here,” the man stated straightforwardly, as if it was a matter of course.
“No, you don't. We've got a no bastard policy here.”
Oh yes, the Criminal Investigation Bureau was well-known for its cheerful staff; there was no need to sour the cosy atmosphere of friendless by adding a rude ruffian to their numbers.
“I thought it was the no idiots rule. Which you obviously are.”
While Naruto fumed inside, the man, whose name he still didn't know, looked at him as if he were a large, pesky rat crawling over the floor with sickening leisure. This enraged him furthermore.
Why that...fucking, revolting piece of swine. That ass-licking fucker. I'll prove him that I'm not affected by this. I don't give a damn about him. I'll keep my cool.
Unluckily, Naruto's resolutions didn't hold; he bit his lips, shook and his hands were clenched, as if he were ready to pounce on the guy, scratch his eyes out and do other barbaric rituals.
“What is with you and insulting me? You don't even know who I am, damnit.”
“I don't need to. You're an idiot, that's all.”
Who was this person? Naruto didn't understand what the hell was going on until something in his mind went click and the figurative light bulbs were switched on:
“Are you the cop who's transferred from Kyoto, perchance?”
Please don't be. I could stand anything but this.
“Yeah. I am. What's it to you, idiot?”
Crap.
“Well, then...it looks like we're gonna have to stick together for a while.”
“Meaning?”
“We're partners, shit face. “
For the first time since he had met that prat, Naruto felt like he had the upper hand: it was incredibly amusing to watch that stoic mask break underneath his gaze.
“You're kidding me. I'm not --”
“No, I'm not. Unfortunately.”
“You're pulling my leg, moron. There's no way I'd work with someone like you.”
“You'll have to.”
“I don't believe you.”
Yeah, Naruto was screwed and there was no way getting around it. Naruto was very well aware of the dilemma in his position. If he caused a ruckus now and complained like a kid, he wouldn't only risk getting suspended yet again, but might end up in the gutter for good. That would have been understandably bad: he wasn't loaded and it was easier to lose one's apartment here than one's pants. So, repressing his fist as well as his loud-mouth, Naruto forced himself to smile and say:
“Let's put the behind us, okay? I'll start off by introducing myself: I'm Naruto Uz-”
“Naruto Uzumaki? Then, you're really my partner. Shit.”
“Wait a sec. How do you know what my name is?”
And what does he mean by “shit"? I'm not shit. Fucktard.
“And I thought I'd seen of you on the train. Now I'll have to deal with you.”
“Just tell me your name, bastard,” Naruto said through gritted teeth.
“Sasuke Uchiha. Learn to use it, dead-last.”
What kind of name was Sasuke Uchiha? It sounded very much like an aristocrat's name and Naruto, expecting Sasuke to come out with with something like “refer to me as Uchiha-sama” couldn't shake off the laughter building up inside of him. Before Sasuke could react, however, another voice attracted their attention. Which was probably for the better. Tsunade had finally come out of the office.
“So, I see you've met. Naruto, get acquainted with him and be nice,” she ordered Naruto, placing an emphasis on “nice”.
That damned old hag. She's really scary.
“Right.”
By getting acquainted, which was an hideously outdated expression according to Naruto, Tsunade had merely meant the following:
“Show him around."
“So this is where were you work. It's a mess.”
Sasuke eyed his future working place with noticeable contempt and it wasn't unwarranted. The desk was littered with stacks of papers, Naruto's ever-growing collection of pens, racing car magazines and rubbers. In short, it looked like a dumping place for Naruto's random possessions.
“Get rid of the crap.”
Naruto was exasperated: no one ordered him around like that. He wasn't any slave of Sasuke's and would never be.
“Look, if you don't like it, milady, you can go some place else. This is my desk and I'll keep it the way I like.”
“Not as long as I have a say in it. Don't forget: I'm your-”
“Shuddup. I got it. Look clean the desk up, toss into the dumpster and leave me be.”
He didn't give a fuck whether his entire junk was removed or not; Naruto wasn't going to his panties in a knit because of this.
“Hey, should I help you?”
“No. Leave your grubby fingers to yourself. You'll only make everything worse.”
Oh yes, this was definitely the start of something bad. Possibly life-threatening. The more time Naruto spent in Sasuke's company, the angrier and more determined to fight back he got - he had never felt that challenged by anyone. So, Naruto being Naruto, felt compelled to pick up the unspoken challenge and prove Sasuke that he wasn't a dog with no bite.