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A small crack in perfection	By : eternalshiva Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female > Naruto/Hinata Views: 3166 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
A small crack in Perfection
By eternalshiva
Disclaimer �
I do not own Naruto or any of its affiliated characters nor do I make monies off this Fanfiction, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Also, just for today, I do not own Alice, Chesire Cat or The Mad Hatter � They belong to the twisted mind of Lewis Caroll.
AN � Arg! I'm on a Nodame Cantabile kick lately . And wow, has it seriously been three months already? What have I been doing? *memory fills with classical music and the finds Chiaki and Nodame in the Hentai Forest...* Regardless! Check out my profile for the Dattebayo Challenge hosted on Perpetual159's NaruHina Fanfic Collection.
Thank you, Jolly Green and Perpetual159, for the beta � I appreciate it very much.
WARNING: Dattebayo silliness. This is my submission for the Dattebayo challenge.
Chapter 11
The proof is in the pudding
'Mad Hatter, are you really mad?' she thought while her finger lightly caressed the words on the page. The dents of the printed ink bubbled unevenly under the skin of her index finger and they felt sticky between the creases of the finger prints. Despite the tactile flattery, the question still lingered � was the Mad Hatter truly insane or just a very cynical and deeply insightful philosopher?
She sighed, her mind wandering off the whimsical question. Who really knew what mental state the Hatter was supposed to have? His existence was very much illogical. She flicked another page and quickly read through the passages, hunting for something specific.
'Ah, here we go.,' she mused as she settled deeper into the ottoman, now back to its rightful place much to Naruto's dismay. The Cheshire Cat appears, throwing the O.C.D. Mad Hatter into a frenzied and even more disorganised chaos. The whole place is turned right side up, but the cat couldn't care less. It was a creature of chaos and a misfit through and through. Hinata smiled despite herself; the cat reminded her of Naruto. It was unpredictable, on several levels, and had no intention on excusing itself for messing up even the best laid plans. Well, in truth, as cumbersome and irritating the cat was, his purpose was the most important in this story.
Just as the author intended, Hinata imagined.
The more she thought about it, the more she realised why Naruto reminded her of the Cheshire Cat. Just like Alice's thorn in her side, Naruto created a torrent of instability that infiltrated her life. Adding to that, she wasn't accustomed to the way he moved everything around. It was almost forceful, shoving everything around until it was rearranged to his liking.
That almost made her angry. Not necessarily at him, but more towards herself. It was her, if anything, that allowed him to take over and, even more so, she was helpless to stop his invasion when he looked at her with that smile. She had absolutely no control over herself or the situation when Naruto Uzumaki strolled into her personal space.
His energy, his confidence, naturally overtook everything he touched. He was so sure of who he was and where he was going, it infected her through and through. Not only did it pique her curious side, it was devastatingly attractive. She admired the fact there was rarely any doubt in his words, not a single inkling of fear in anything he did. It did something to her deep inside; it made dangerous things tick.
'It's that smile,' she confirmed within herself. That smile was like that of the cat - full of promises, tricks and vague ambiguity that warned her to steer clear, but that she just couldn't stay away from. She realised in the past week that his chaos and her loss of control was something she had been craving for a long time.
Her life, since her accident, had always been under careful and tight control. Her purpose was always clear and she never questioned it. Despite the careful control she exuded over her little world, she overlooked the possibility of someone willing to break her. Naruto had made himself comfortable despite her objections, crawled under her skin and embedded himself in the back of her skull. The man that interrupted her peace and obliterated her sense of order, causing forcing her world to spin off its axis and crumble in the span of a week.
She wasn't sure how to defend herself against Naruto's affection without being swallowed by it. But did she really need to defend herself? Wasn't this something she wanted?
One more question to add to her lengthy list.
She carefully flipped another page; her eyes caressed the words as she skipped paragraphs. A soft smile played on her lips when she found one particular passage she favoured: "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" Hinata whispered the question to no one in particular. She cleared her throat, taking on a deeper octave as she relayed the cat's innocent answer, "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
That particular passage had more than one meaning, everyone knew that, but it was the first time she felt it touched her, as though it would open a door deep within herself that she had never been entirely ready to open. Pressing her lips together, she tried to ignore the heated feeling deep inside her gut, but she couldn't help repeating the words inside her head.
Where did she want to go in this little journey with Naruto? Did she truly want to follow his chaos?
She let out a strange shaky contemplative sigh. Indeed, lately, she wanted to explore the new path she had wandered on, to explore it with him. She wanted to know, more than anything, where it would lead to - even if it was terrifying.
Where would this path lead, exactly?
Yet another question that stumped her. The fear of the unknown was something she wasn't really used to considering everything in her life had been planned from the get-go. It was frustrating her more than she was willing to admit. She dismissed the questions and focused once more on the story.
The protagonist of this twisted fairy-tale has wandered away and is now lost in the strange woods of Wonderland. Hinata could picture Alice, standing on the path, in the dark shadows of the forest � frightened as she comes face to face with the stark reality that she is alone. But not for long, of course. The mysterious cat appears only to confuse the gentle Alice further.
Hinata could almost feel the increased frustration of the young woman as the cat went a round-about way to answer her. The young lady was futilely trying to make sense of an illogical world and her struggle amused the cat to no end. Hinata could relate to Alice's frustrations; like the Cheshire cat, Naruto seemed amused by her struggle in shedding her former self.
Well, not necessarily amused, but far too interested.
She looked up from the page and focused on the window as she continued the lines she had memorised so long ago and whispered again as Alice: "I don't much care where." Hinata paused in her private rendering of Alice in Wonderland, her fingers pressed against the pages, and clenched the book close to her face. Pressing the open pages to her lips, she narrowed her eye as she thought about Alice's answer.
Until recently, she couldn't really remember what her life had been like. It was... well, it was safe, for the lack of a better word. Everything was planned, plotted out for her to step into her father's shoes. Her life wasn't filled with the struggles or worries of everyday people; it had been designed to be completely glitch-free. If she ever had to concern herself with anything, it was with conserving the consistency of her father's quiet approval.
But all that had changed recently with this sickness her father was afflicted with. The very core of his existence was threatened by something he couldn't control and as if that had been the final push for him to realise how wrong he'd been all these years, he'd apologised for his efforts in preventing the return of her former self.
She couldn't quite make out what the meaning behind his begging for her forgiveness when it became obvious that he had no intention of allowing her to be anything other than what he wanted to mould. Not only was he only mildly remorseful, he was now more than just a little determined that she follow in his footsteps; like he willed that the leadership of the company will fall to her without any question.
Despite his claim that she was free to choose, it was still just as her father had carefully planned, for several years.
She couldn't help but feel slightly resentful towards her father's efficiency. Had this happened two weeks ago, before she had laid eyes on the clown-faced Naruto at the phone kiosk, she would have accepted it for what it was - the passing of an era to the younger generation, an heir who was worthy of its crown.
She puffed her cheeks rebelliously; the notion left a sour taste in her mouth. 'This sounds like I'm inheriting a Clan from the old days, certainly not a business.'
Their family had a long and proud history within the City of Konoha, something she couldn't exactly dismiss with her need to break free from the chains of her family's traditions. Up until now, she hadn't cared where she ended up or how she got there � in all honesty, she had no interest in looking elsewhere.
Was that really what she wanted to do, though? Was it her own feelings to want to take over the Hyuuga Corporation and continue on with its mission, or was that just something her father had implanted in her subconscious while grooming her for the leader position?
She wasn't so sure anymore.
"Then it doesn't much matter which way you go," the sly cat replied to the confused and bewildered Alice.
"... so long as I get SOMEWHERE." The heiress put the book down on her lap and let her head rest against the back of the ottoman, staring out of the window again. The rest of the passage played out in her mind, like an old record.
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the cat, "if only you walk long enough."
Hinata agreed with the cat at this point, but she also agreed to an extent with the young woman. Alice was trapped in strange and unfamiliar surroundings. So, truthfully, getting somewhere, anywhere really, is better than the darkness and uncertainty of the forest.
Hinata paused in her reading, pursing her lips in thought. Getting anywhere just to get away from the maze seemed to suggest, to Hinata, that Alice was desperate to escape the unknown. The Cheshire would continue on, telling her that in either direction there were mad people, so it didn't matter where she went. Alice would refuse, stating she did not want to be amongst the mad.
Hinata let out a soft laugh and shook her head. She had to admire Alice's determination, but she failed to see the cat's point. In reality, everyone is mad to some extent. Hinata bit her lip slightly, thinking on her father and how she had ended up in his tangled web.
'Yes... everyone is justifiably mad for the right reasons.'
In the end, Alice would learn that it wasn't the destination that mattered, but how you got there and what you learned on the journey. The cat was far too clever for Alice... as was Naruto for her. Hinata put the book down again on her lap and frowned.
Had she been walking aimlessly, trying to get to a place she had no desire to go to?
Was that why she was still sitting here, at home? Was she so unsure of herself and what she wanted that she was resorting to hiding from her responsibilities? No... no. It wasn't that... she didn't lack confidence in her ability to do her job.
So what was it? Was it because her planned destination was now unwanted?
"No," she said out loud, surprising herself. She settled further into her seat, sighing. It wasn't a question of it being unwanted, she realised after a little more thought � it was that it had changed. She still wanted to follow her father's footsteps in the business he built, but she wanted to break out of the mould � she didn't want to be alone any longer.
The walls had definitely cracked, no thanks to her meddling siblings and Naruto. Despite their little plan, she still wanted her journey to continue as it was unfurling, and then maybe, just maybe, Naruto would be willing to come along too.
"Hinata," Naruto's voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she glanced his way as he approached her, "can you take a look at this and tell me if you are you happy with this design?" He wasn't looking at her; his brow was scrunched up in thought over his work. She'd recently discovered that she found it was cute � the pensive Naruto. The way his lips pouted slightly, the hum he made and even the annoying habit of sucking air through the tiny gap between his front teeth was teetering on adorable.
'I must be ill! How is that even cute?' She sighed, which caught his attention. She had to stifle a laugh when he gave her a 'what's the matter' cock of the head before sitting down beside her.
She couldn't help but wonder if he would really want to come along on her journey of self discovery.
Hinata couldn't form the words in her mouth; her tongue felt heavy and uncooperative. She nodded at him when he glanced up from the paper he was unrolling carefully with his long fingers. She let her gaze linger on them, realising something about the man that was attached to them.
They were the physical representation of his journey; the extension of his ideals as an artist within the landscape industry. They were what allowed him to express his ideas, love and dedication with the use of a pencil, a piece of paper and a shovel full of manure. She envied them, those fingers � not because of the hidden talent, but because they were an intimate part of him that she would never truly understand.
Maybe it was childish of her to think like that, but she was utterly jealous of what they touched. She wanted them to be focused on her; her skin, her muscles, the heat of her want for him. She blinked, surprised at her sudden revelation. She regretted the feeling of possessiveness immediately.
The papers lay unusually flat on the coffee table. The draft had a strange type of paper that prevented it from rolling up on its own, like it was thicker than normal drafts. Only the corners furled up, resisting the urge to obey the make-up of its design. Naruto waited for her opinion, watching her carefully from the corner of his eyes. A small amused smile played on his lips as he noted how she intensely watched his hands.
'That... that's kinda hot.' He could feel her gaze against his skin. Naruto felt a set of goosebumps crawling up his arm and he realised rather quickly that his thoughts were dangerously turning towards a road he knew Hinata would reprimand him for. He attempted to quietly clear his throat, forcing the Jiraiya-driven scenarios out of his mind.
'Focus, Uzumaki... Focus on the dattebayo!'
Hinata gave him a strange look. He froze � could she read his mind...? She let out a little snort and turned her gaze to the draft, forcing him to think that she really could read his mind. He cleared his throat again and stared at the paper on the table.
Although Kiba had already fixed most of the minor details, this was more or less the final draft to be graphed by Sai. He heard a small gasp out of her and grinned. This was one of his best works; he had spent a lot of time picking this woman apart � never mind the fact that using and placing all the flowers that she requested in the contract made his design even more difficult.
He had figured out in the end that this should be a garden of healing for the heiress. He knew that she wanted desperately to be forgiven for what happened with her mother and he made sure that it radiated peace and serenity. In the center of the garden there was a small shrine to pay her respect, surrounded by thick foliage and plants. It was isolated, but none the less very colourful. Here she could relax. Its purpose, however, was for her to forgive herself � he was sure she would achieve it there.
"It's going to be beautiful," she said, almost breathless. Naruto watched as her fingers trailed the penciled lines on the thin paper. He found it strangely alluring, how the delicate digits caressed the paper. He cleared his throat slightly, trying to ignore the impulse to grab her fingers and kiss the tips.
"Of course it is," he replied, "who do you think thought this up?" She had the urge to roll her eyes at the cocky tone in his voice. She should have known better, but she secretly enjoyed that self-assured aspect of his personality.
"Well, I'm satisfied with this." She barely had the words out before she noticed a gleam in his eyes, the air suddenly felt thick and electric.
She gulped.
"Oh?"
She had a bad feeling.
"Was it that easy to satisfy you?" His voice was thick with a tone she'd never heard before. He leaned in, quickly closing the space between them and rubbed the tip of his nose by her ear lobe, very lightly. She felt goosbumps crawl up from the base of her back and she pushed down a shudder of pleasure. She could feel his gaze travel down her neck and without really thinking she took in a deeper breath, forcing her breasts to press against the material of her blouse.
He hummed in approval.
She was speechless at the obvious lewd stare and her unconscious reaction to it.
"Wh-wha-what?" She tried to regain some dignity by feigning innocence, but the damned stutter was back in full force and Naruto grinned like a cat. He'd completely caught her off guard again.
'She... she's so cute,' he thought, quite pleased with himself.
"You heard me," he purred out, a whispered promise that made her toes curl. She barely had time to blink as the information processed itself at a snail's pace inside her head and in an instant, he was inside her space. His warm lips brushed against hers like feathers and she kept staring at him dumbfounded.
Taking advantage of the situation, Naruto demanded entrance to her slightly agape mouth and she obediently let him in. This seemed to snap her out of it and she mumbled something. He ignored her muffled pleas since there was no resistance coming from her petite fists. In fact, they had bunched up the front of his shirt and were pulling him towards her. Once he was leaned snugly against her, she let go of his shirt, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and sighed while her fingers deeply tangled themselves in his hair within seconds.
He grinned against her lips and delved deeper into the kiss, relishing the fact that all he could taste was Hinata.
* * *
The persistent beeping of his laptop woke him from his light slumber; he rubbed his eyes and squinted against the light sneaking in through the closed bedroom curtains. He stirred, but he felt heavy under the duvet - his left arm numb from something heavy against it. He peeked from one eye and perked a brow while suppressing a grin.
There, tightly wound around him like a lost child, was his wife. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the forehead, appreciating her happy sigh. The beep caught his attention again and he glared in its direction.
He shifted slowly from his comfortable position against the blonde and eyed the object that was dangerously close to disturbing the sleeping lioness. He felt a bead of sweat form on his temple as he carefully and stealthily untangled himself from her loving grasp.
It's not that he necessarily feared his wife, more like he feared Temari's temper when she didn't get all her shut eye. His feet hit the carpet quietly and he spared a look over his shoulder to confirm she was still asleep. She stirred and her hand sought out his warmth, but her fingers found the band of his boxer's elastic. She pulled, making him freeze. She then let out a small groan that dangerously sounded like a giggle and the sharp snap of the elastic broke the patterned beeping of the computer. He grumbled, irritated with her hidden prankster nature.
'Troublesome woman!'
He somehow managed to escape her without any repercussions and he sighed almost in relief as he quickly made his way to his desk to pick up the laptop. Glancing over his shoulder once more to ensure that his wife had settled back into a deep sleep, Shikamaru picked up the computer and made his way into the living room.
Once settled, his fingers became a blur as he sifted through the data on the screen. The techs at White Snake were accessing Naruto's servers again from a new set of proxies; right where Shikamaru wanted them. He started a dump of all the data into a separate file so that he could peruse the incident at his leisure and began to track everything his opponent did.
After several seconds, he realized that all of the processes occurring on the server were too much for one tech to be causing. Regardless of how good Shikamaru was, he couldn't reliably track multiple attacks and come up with a way of breaking their security at the same time.
He needed help.
He immediately scratched Temari's name off the list; she was hell to deal with when woken early. He thought to call Kiba, but quickly thought better of it knowing that the dog owner was probably at one of Naruto's work sites. That left him with two options. Looking at the clock, Shikamaru did some quick subtractions and decided his brother-in-law in Japan had probably had enough rest... unless, of course, he'd been out at the clubs the night before.
'Troublesome 'wingman' bullshit,' he thought.
No time like the present to find out. The pineapple haired man picked up his cell phone from the coffee table and hit the speed dial. There was a long pause on the line before it began to ring. On the second ring, a tired voice picked up the line.
"Yeah," was the simple greeting.
"Kankuro, I need you to jump onto Shadow server and help me with the incoming feed from port..." he trailed off and checked his screen to make sure he got the right digits, "eighty-two sixty-six." There was a two-second pause on the line before Shikamaru heard a sigh from the other man.
* * *
This certainly beats the lunch plans he had with Kiba.
Hinata let out a sigh under him as he kissed the length of her neck. Her fingers were tangled deeply in his hair and he groaned when she called his name very quietly against his ear � his fingers had meticulously unbuttoned most of her blouse without any objection from the heiress. He certainly hadn't expected such good fortune, but he wasn't about to refuse her offer.
He greedily licked at the pale white skin, sucked lightly on her pulse point and discovered it was a very sensitive spot as she squirmed under him and let out an effeminate moan. Hinata felt him grin against her neck; she was embarrassed she had reacted that way, but soon forgot about it when he found another sensitive area on her collar bone.
"Ah!" she gasped and there, the feel of his lips stretching into another grin against her skin.
"Hmm who knew you were so sensitive," he mumbled between hot breaths. She couldn't answer so she merely mewed strangely. He looked up from where he was diligently recording the taste of her skin and caught her heated gaze. Her blush was steadily building and she looked ravishing. He reached around and pulled at the elastic of her bun and freed the indigo hair from its restrictive prison. She bit at her lip, refusing to let him see the goosebumps that had raced across the back of her neck and perked her nipples. He'd seen it - he raised a brow and he had another infuriating smirk on his face.
'He's definitely just like the damned cat.'
She ignored him, her arms tightening around his shoulders and she let one set of fingers dance across the length of his back. He closed his eyes and for the first time, she was witness to a lustful Naruto. His cheeks were tinged with a light pink and his brow knitted lightly as she explored the muscle hidden under the black dress shirt. She let herself scratch down the length of his back to see how he'd react. Even though it was light and he was still dressed, it felt like hot iron. He hissed at the burn, arching his back, which caused her to blink in curiosity.
"Careful, Hinata," he groaned with restraint and sought out her lips. He bit her lower lip and she moaned into his mouth when he swallowed them and tasted her again. At first she thought she'd hurt him, but soon realized she'd discovered one of his weaknesses.
This time it was him that felt her lips pull back into a grin.
She opened her mouth to say something witty, but before she could say anything, he settled between her legs and pushed against her heated sex � she was still wearing her pajama pants, but he could feel the heat of her arousal through them. It was her turn to hiss. Her fingers found the edge of his pants and she pulled out his tucked-in shirt. He leaned his forehead against the arm of the ottoman and held his lust in check. Her nails dug down at the skin of his back and he marched into her again, forcing out a groan from him. Right then, she felt a tingle between her legs that made her hitch her breath.
Her sex was starting to heat up, almost pulsing; she moaned his name as he pushed against her again. He whispered her name and she lost track of what happened next; that tingle again, this time it pulsed.
"Ooh," she hitched her breath again, her eyes closed tightly. She squirmed as Naruto licked from her collar bone to the mounds of her breasts and bit at the edge of her bra, snapping them lightly against the breast. She giggled, but it didn't last long as he thrust his hips against her again. The tingle came back, stronger, and she gasped.
"For fuck's sakes!" Naruto grumbled under his breath. He sat up quickly and mumbled more profanities under his breath. He untangled himself from his lover's fingers and cursed at the throbbing hard-on in his pants. Hinata gasped in surprise as she tried to process why her boyfriend had suddenly disappeared. Hinata was confused from the sudden disappearance of her lover.
"What� why did you stop? " she was breathless, flushed and utterly turned on. Naruto reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his cell phone that was vibrating quite violently.
"Sorry� it won't stop ringing and it's coming from the emergency line." Hinata frowned, and then clued in. She turned beet red realizing that the phone was responsible for the persistent tingle she was feeling between her legs.
'Oh� oh god!' She couldn't believe it; the cell-phone was now the vibrator phone and she was mortified. Naruto gave her a strange look before he flipped the phone open and openly glared at it.
"What, Kiba. What in god's name do you want?" he roared to the phone, openly irritated with the inconsiderate, persistent calls from his business partner.
Hinata thought she was going to pass out. She was positive there wasn't a hole big enough in this world that could swallow her and bury her mounting embarrassment.
* * *
On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Kankuro slowly got out of his bed with a sigh while being careful not to disturb the small figure lying next to him. He kept his voice low as he got himself dressed. "Sounds big, Shika. Shadow server's not supposed to exist, ya' know."
The amused voice of his sister's husband came back through the headset. "What the enemy doesn't know just might kill them." The muscular brunette had to hold back a snort of laughter at the truth of that statement. Sparing the girl in bed one final glance, he closed the bedroom door and made his way to his computer room.
The high powered desktop was already on, so he had only to type in his password once he was settled into the chair. After the desktop came up, Kankuro quickly brought up his command prompt and opened a connection to the highly secret server sitting at Nara Corporate Solutions on the other side of the world. After another quick login, the server prompted him for a connection.
"Eight, two, six, six, right?" he queried.
"Right. Give me your read on what you see once you get in," ordered the lazy entrepreneur. What Kankuro saw was no surprise to him. The data on-screen looked like a straightforward case of corporate espionage at first glance, but Shikamaru never called him for something so simple.
'Time to play the Puppet Master.' After flipping on the coffee maker next to his monitor, Kankuro went to work.
"I've got it man," he said as his fingers got down to the serious business of creating a program to crack the enemy system on his second monitor while sifting through the data on the main one with his eyes. "It looks like someone's sticking their finger into a pie that ain't theirs..." he switched to another window and scrolled down the page, "more like several pies."
"Yeah, I've already got this feed dumping so we can go over it later. We're pretty sure we know what these guys are up to, but we need more proof," Shikamaru explained over the line. Kankuro reached over and replaced the coffee urn with his mug before continuing.
"So we're letting them slowly tighten their own noose?" he asked with a sadistic grin. Noting that his mug was almost full, he quickly switched the mug for the urn again. "Sounds fun."
Kankuro could hear the lazy man's smile as he spoke. "Once we have the information we need, we can hand it over to the police... and the judge isn't going to care how we got the information once it's in his hands. "So... you think you can get me into this system, Kankuro?" he asked.
Kankuro heard a sliver of hesitation in his friend's voice, but decided to ignore it for the time being. Instead, he opened yet another command prompt and started making small attacks on the system in question; things like spam and whatnot that wouldn't trip a big response from the automated security systems that were bound to be there.
What he saw looked promising. He carefully prodded all over to try and find a weakness. After several more seconds passed, he found what he was looking for... and so much more.
Computer programming is an art form more than it is a hard science. Just like there were a finite number of commands at one's disposal, so were there only so many colors for an artist to paint with... and just like every painter had a unique style, so, too, does every programmer. It was how one used those resources that made the art.
"I don't think it'll be an issue, Shika," he replied with a smile. Apparently the smile carried over the phone, because Shikamaru immediately gave a relieved sigh. "We need to bring in an expert though. I just dunno if she's still willing to do this for you after you up and 'quit' the game when you married Temari."
"Oh? You seriously think we need to bring her in?" came the worried response from the earpiece.
Even though he knew it wouldn't be seen, Kankuro nodded his head and pointed at the imaginary Shika in front of him. "Yeah, she's perfect for this. She can be in and out of their system so fast, they'll never know she was there," he reasoned as he spun his chair to face the doorway. "From what she's told me, her boss lets her keep in practice� unlike a certain lazy bastard that has no similar excuse," he jabbed with an evil grin before taking a sip of his drink.
Back on his side of the Pacific, Shikamaru sighed and connected the call to conference.
"Ok, let me call Ino."
* * *
Pretty Woman rang crudely from the cell-phone on Sakura's coffee table; the two women eyed the small turquoise contraption and debated on what to do. Sakura was the first one to decide by ignoring the phone and focusing on the television. Ino grabbed the strap with her toes and flicked the phone towards herself, flipping it open with one hand.
"Oh, what the hell�" she groaned. Sakura glanced her way, pink eyebrow raised in question at her distress. Ino ignored the third degree from her friend and pressed the talk button.
"What do you want?" The disdain in her voice was evident and Sakura instantly knew who was at the end of the line. There was only one man on this planet that could instantly irritate her � Shikamaru. She couldn't help but snicker openly at the other woman who shot her a glare that could kill.
Sakura instantly stilled, stopped chewing, dropped one of the chopsticks and gulped. Ino was a frightening woman at times and she could sense that this was one of these moments.
"What?"
Sakura could hear the male voice stutter at the other end of the line; the words weren't very clear, but she got the gist of it. He was asking something impossible again, by the way Ino's knuckles were cracking. The blonde stood up from the couch and walked out towards the kitchen.
"I said," Shikamaru pressed his finger against the bridge of his nose, irritated. This woman really got under his skin, "I'm in a tight spot and I need your help with something that is going to set fire to Konoha and destroy Naruto."
"Bullshit," Ino said very sweetly, enough to make Kankuro gulp nervously. The sound was loud enough to make her aware of him on the line, "Well, well � if it isn't my old pal The Puppet Master."
"Yo." The line crackled with the strange echo that told her he was still in Japan.
"Must be serious if you brought in the cavalry," she commented dryly as she leaned against the counter, crossing her arms. She peeked around the door frame and spied Sakura completely engrossed with Wheel of Fortune.
"Yeah, it seems that there's someone stirring up shit with the Konoha government and trying to make our dear leader look like a sack of shit." Shikamaru leaned back against his chair and looked up at the ceiling.
"Someone's trying to make Tsunade look bad?" Ino almost laughed, "Who could possibly-"
"White Snake." Kankuro cut her off. The two words sent a chill down her spine.
"Ok," she took a calming breath, "Ok, you got my attention."
* * *
"Sorry� I have to go to a lunch meeting with a new client." Naruto sighed dramatically. He pressed the palm of both his hands against the temple of his head and completely seemed dejected.
"I-I-It's fine, Naruto." Hinata was trying to sit up with a little bit of dignity she managed to scrape off the couch. He turned his head slightly towards her, catching a glimpse of her dishevelled state and he pressed his lips together.
'That's really dangerous.'
There was a strangled sound coming from her lover and she glanced his way. Her eyes widened a fraction before she saw him move as though he'd teleported himself from one area of space to the next.
"Na-Na-Naruto!" she squealed under the fresh attack of kisses, his busy fingers found the edge of her bra once again and she laughed, his hair tickling her nose.
"Where were we?" he mumbled while his lips sought the flesh of her breasts. His finger tips brushed the material and he heard her suck in a small breath,
"Ahh, I think we were right about-"
The phone vibrated again, sending a jolt of irritation through both Hinata and Naruto. He didn't bother getting up off his lover and simply flipped the phone open and let his most angry growl spit through his teeth.
"I'm fucking coming, quit blue-balling me. Shit!"
Hinata debated between reprimanding Naruto's colourful language or agreeing whole-heartedly with Naruto's reaction to Kiba's annoying interruptions.
* * *
"Sakura, I have to hit the office, I'll be back in a while." Before her friend could question why she was leaving, Ino had already slammed the door of her apartment shut and was three quarters the way down the stairs.
In Ino's world, there was only one unforgivable sin: threatening or harming her friends. White Snake had just crossed that line. If what Shikamaru had said was true, then it wasn't just Naruto or Tsunade that was about to be dragged through the mud, Hyuuga corporations had their hands dirty in this mess as well.
The drive from Sakura's to the office was thankfully quick and her mind had gone into overdrive the second she sat in her car and turned the key to make the engine rumble with life. There was a few things about Yamanaka Ino that even Sakura wasn't aware of � her past was something she didn't really reveal to anyone considering it was a heavily involved with criminal activity, no thanks to Shikamaru.
She stepped out of her car and quickly made her way through the Employee Only stairway. Her eyes lingered on the company's name as she pulled the door open, making her smirk.
'The 'All-Seeing Eyes' of the Hyuuga indeed,' she mused.
Her mind wandered to a memory as she climbed the stairs, it was something she would never forget. The previous President of the company had truly taken the motto to heart. She could still remember her first day at Hyuuga Corp. Walking into that huge office and sitting across the desk from the imposing figure of the white-eyed man. What had floored her was being told, point blank, that he was well aware of her past indiscretions before asking what she intended to do as a member of his company.
She remembered staring open-mouthed at the man for almost a full minute before she was able to find her voice to answer. Ino had profusely reassured Hiashi that those days were behind her, only to be thrown for another loop when he carefully hinted at the notion that she was not to retire.
She greeted the few workers that passed her as she made her way to her office. She reached over and pulled her keys from her purse before reaching the door, she quickly glanced around before letting herself in. There, in the corner of the small space stood an unassuming wooden light stand � it didn't attract attention and it was decrepit looking enough that no one would even think of taking it out of her office. Office Supply Rats were the worst.
Sparing a glance towards the doorway, she quickly unlocked the cabinet underneath the stand, opened the door, and turned on the computer hidden within before closing and locking the compartment again. The blond kept her usual cheery expression in place as she casually closed her door and returned to her desk. Seated once more, Ino's expression turned serious as she reached under her desk and depressed a hidden button, causing her computer monitor to change to the white-text-on-black-background command line of the hidden computer.
She quickly, yet reluctantly, connected to her ex-partner's server and began her infiltration of White Snake's systems. Shikamaru had given her very simple, straightforward instructions: Get in, find out when they were planning to start their attack on Tsunade or Naruto, and get the hell out. If for some reason she was discovered, she was to completely screw up their terminals and keep them shut down while the Puppet Master and Lazy Ass swiped all the data.
It was easy as pie, as some would say, for the legendary hacker Mind Switch.
As she ran into the heavy security measures of the server, she let her subconscious take over the hack. She used the template that Shikamaru had provided to wiggle her way past the security algorithms in place while noting any variations she found for future reference. Ino shook her head as she returned to the past in her mind. Hiashi apparently knew of her and her 'teammates' and hoped to get all three to help him protect his network. Information had been repeatedly leaked to their competitors and he wanted it plugged.
Kankuro and Shikamaru had opted out of helping, but she and Chouji still pulled it off on their her own without alerting anyone that they were even looking. It had taken her almost six months to track down the source, but she'd caught the five idiots responsible and earned the Co-editor position. After that, it had only been a matter of time before she proved her skill to everyone and earned herself the position of Editor.
A position that, thankfully, rated its own private office.
Yes, life was good. So good, in fact, that she almost didn't realize that she'd infiltrated successfully into one of the unused terminals attached to the enemy mainframe. After doing a small jig in her chair, she switched back over to her work computer and sent her team a colourful 'Mission Complete' with her own personal flourishes.
* * *
Shikamaru's inbox chime caught his attention.
"...sending you the notes on them right..." Shikamaru heard the click of a mouse over the line, "now."
The lazy tech just shook his head at the time lag between the phones before opening the e-mail. "Got it right here." He opened the folder and read the names of the files inside: Spider Spit, Death Flute, the Kon Siamese Twins, Bulldozer, and Bones.
"So who are they?"
Shikamaru could hear the sound of Kankuro typing rapidly over the phone as he responded. "They're a group of hackers that go by the name of 'Sound Five.' Well, really 'Sound Four' now that Bones is dead." Even more typing and a few clicks could be heard as he continued.
Shikamaru browsed through the data he'd been sent and gave a long, low whistle. The 'notes' that Kankuro's contact in the Internet Crimes Task Force had so kindly shared with them contained detailed graphs, saved chat conversations, a color coded map with confirmed and suspected attacks, photographs and criminal records on each member of the group. Shikamaru zoomed in on one of the culprits and instantly recognised her from that morning � she was the loud mouth that was threatening Kiba in the lobby. So it really was them. He shook his head in disbelief. If half of what was in these files was true, then Kankuro's contact had just handed him White Snake on a platter right out of the starting gate.
That made Shikamaru a very happy man.
Another chime caught his attention � Ino had good news for him, too; she was in and she hadn't been detected from what she could tell. She had taken over the enemy system as flawlessly as ever. The Ino avatar at the bottom of the message flipping two birds was ignored by both men as standard procedure.
"Fuck she's fast," Kankuro praised at the other end of the phone while Shikamaru nodded in agreement. Ino was very dangerous. Shikamaru hung up his phone and engrossed himself in the data he'd been sent.
* * *
To say that Kiba was uncomfortable was putting it mildly.
There was no real way to properly express his strong dislike of the man that stood before him. There were several factors - it was the fact that the meeting room was small, overcrowded, and full of stinks and sticky substances that he didn't care to identify. Its claustrophobic darkness accented with the vials of dark inks wasn't helping with his discomfort any either... but without a doubt, Sai was the focal point or the unpleasantness.
Now, the reason he was standing here, instead of Naruto as originally planned, was somewhat of a mystery to him. Naruto had been late for a meeting between himself and a new client, so he had persistently tried to get in touch with the man via the cell phone to no avail. So he used the emergency number, only to be deafened by a highly irate Naruto.
'Son of a bitch, I had it unbuttoned!' The muttering was like a curse when he had Kiba in his car. The evil glare he kept sending his way had him really openly repenting for whatever he had done wrong.
So, Naruto had the brilliant idea to send him here as a punishment.
He really hated him.
Truly, with a great passion rivalled only by the love for his dog.
Naruto's assistant fidgeted, his memory surrounding Sai over several years was enough to traumatise any sane heterosexual male. Any psychologist would certainly get their money's worth of problems if they ever managed to get this ghost out of the office and into the sun; although he could potentially burst into flames once the rays touched his skin.
Not that he was insinuating that Sai was a vampire... No, no... he wasn't suggesting that the man was a source of evil or the un-dead by any means. It was more like he was one of the Dungeon and Dragon twerps who never outgrew the phase in High School and still played it twenty-four seven in their parent's basements.
He certainly carried the look � small black beady eyes, ghastly pale white skin, hair so black you didn't know if it was clean or dirty... at least he didn't smell. Kiba scrunched up his face in disgust as he recalled the first time Naruto introduced him to the private staff member.
Why Naruto still asked this man to work for him was beyond any plausible sane rationality he could justify. So, he had stopped trying to decipher Naruto's lack of logic years ago.
"What can I do for you?" Sai's voice sent chills down his back; his eyes were focused below the belt, making Kiba fidget again.
"I have all the drafts from Naruto, he wants them done up as soon as possible so he can start designing." He squinted his eyes, trying to ignore the sudden drop of comfort in the room.
"I'll get them ready." Sai leaned over his desk, grabbed the rolled up drafts from Kiba and smirked, letting his gaze linger uncomfortably on the man standing before him. He couldn't resist.
"If you want them today, all you got to do is let me draw your pe-"
"Fuck no." Kiba almost twitched violently before twirling on the ball of his feet and quickly walked out the door, ignoring Sai's chuckle.
* * *
Kabuto had some excellent news, according to the message just e-mailed to him.
Orochimaru grinned, licked his lips in anticipation as he waited for his assistants to arrive for a meeting that would change the little fantasy work Tsunade had achieved. Soon, she would be brought down by her own weaknesses and he would be there to pick up all the pieces that fell to the ground, claiming what was rightfully his.
It didn't hurt, either, that his nemesis's son in the landscaping business was going to be brought down in a glorious blaze of fire that would destroy the name Uzumaki to the core of its existence.
"Yessss, a glorious day indeed." He muttered before he heard a soft knock at his door.
* * *
R & R � TBC
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A small crack in perfection