Five: Wound Up
“You’re gonna break it!!” Sasuke shouted at the blonde who was unloading the china dishes. “Those are expensive!!!”
“I’m not gonna break it!” Naruto shouted back. “If you’re so friggin’ concerned about the thing, then YOU unload then from the truck!!”
“YOU were the one who said you didn’t want me to hire movers, so YOU get to unload all of it!”
“Fucking. . . Well, at least there isn’t a lot of furniture.” Naruto grumbled. “Are you going to take it inside or what?”
“I’m getting there!” Sasuke yelled, annoyed at the blonde and wishing the day was already over. It seemed that Kakashi was determined to either make sure that Sasuke was serious about dating Naruto, or was going to make Sasuke suffer because of his choice because Sasuke received a call the next afternoon from Jiraiya saying that Naruto had permission to stay at the Uchiha mansion on the condition that Naruto has his own separate bedroom far away from Sasuke’s. That was all peachy, but it required Sasuke to move Naruto out of Jiraiya’s shack and then move his own belongings into the Main house. Sasuke also had to up his maid’s salary since it was a longer drive for her than the house Sasuke owned and which Itachi was currently living in. On top of all that, Naruto insisted that he help, since he couldn’t pay for the suit, and that he wasn’t going to hire movers and do the physical labor himself. . . and Naruto wasn’t the most gentle of people. . .
“Hurry up! The stack’s getting too high!!” Naruto yelled, seeing that the boxes he was plopping on the ground were piling.
“I’ll take it.” a deep voice said from the side of the truck. Naruto saw a long haired brunette boy walk by and pick up a box.
“Oi, who are you?”
“I’m Neji, Sasuke’s friend.”
“He didn’t tell me anyone was supposed to help.”
“He doesn’t know, that’s why. I came here to surprise Sasuke.” he said, smirking. “You’re Naruto?”
“Aa,” the blonde replied.
“Thanks for doing this for him. Sasuke’s too proud to say it, but he’s grateful.” Neji said, turning to put the box of books in the house. Naruto was a bit startled. That jerk had friends??
“OI! What are you doing here?!” Sasuke said, nearly having a heart attack when he saw Neji coming through the door.
“I came to help. Is that a problem?”
“No, I just didn’t think you were into physical labor.” Sasuke said.
“Well, I actually did expect you to hire movers.”
“I would have if that idiot insisted that he work the truck. He said it was payment for the suit.”
“Saa na,” Neji said, looking over his shoulder. “He seems nice.”
“But he’s such an idiot.” Neji shrugged to the best of his ability and set the box down next to the door.
“I’ll take the boxes here. You can decide where they need to go.”
“What made you come so suddenly?” Sasuke asked Neji, putting down some ocha for all three of them. “I thought I told you we’d be fine.”
“Sure, but an extra pair of hands are always a good thing.” Neji said, smiling behind his tea cup. “I think you did need it too.”
“Only because Naruto was as good as a rock.” Sasuke said, drinking as well. Naruto glared and didn’t touch his tea. He would rather drink plain old water than nasty, flavorless tea.
“I unloaded the entire truck, thank you.”
“Yeah, and didn’t bother to put any of it away.” Sasuke spat back. “You were a slug after that.” Naruto puffed and left the table to throw away his tea. Who drinks that high-class shit anyway?
“So, what’s the whole story about the blonde kid?” Neji asked. Sasuke glared at Neji. He was a couple years older than Sasuke and thoroughly enjoyed poking fun at that fact. (1) “You said you couldn’t tell me the whole thing where you were.”
“You know that it’s fake, though.” Sasuke pressed. He wanted that clear above all else.
“Haa,” the Hyuuga said, looking at Naruto from the dinner table. It seemed he wasn’t going to be coming back anytime soon, avoiding the two other boys. “How did you get him to agree?”
“He’s not exactly straight.” Sasuke said.
“Really?”
“Salt and pepper.”
“Saa na,” Neji said, smirking. “Has he asked for anything in particular?” Sasuke glared.
“No, he doesn’t work like that.”
“He must be getting some benefits out of this.” Neji pushed. “Are you paying him?”
“No,” Sasuke sighed. “He gets the comfort of me not being totally on his case for at least three months.”
“Why are you two at each other’s throats, anyway?” he asked, still looking at the blonde. “He seems friendly and sincere.”
“Those are his only good qualities.” Sasuke said. “He pesters you and never shuts up. He can’t do anything right and I swear he’s incompetent outside of his work. He makes a great stocker and clerk, but I don’t think that he can sustain himself otherwise.”
“You so sure?”
“Yes.” Sasuke said, almost exasperated. “Buying his suit was proof enough.”
“Of his incompetence?”
“You wouldn’t believe.”
“You told me he’s not from a high class family,” Neji said, thinking. “Perhaps it’s just you know things about our society that he doesn’t. You had to buy him a suit in the first place, and considering where you work. . .”
“How do you know where I work?” Sasuke cut in. He was sure he hadn’t seen Neji ever in the shop and the subject of jobs didn’t come up often. Sasuke would have remembered if he had told Neji about the sex shop.
“A little blonde bird told me.” Neji said, sipping his tea.
“Ino–”
“Don’t blame her. She was rather drunk and wanted Tenten to go with her to this shop she knew of so that she could help her seduce me.”
“Still,” Sasuke said, glaring. “You two were the only ones there?”
“And Hinata.”
“Fuck.”
“That’s what you did to Ino.” Neji muttered. Sasuke gave his friend the famous Uchiha glare, able to put the fear of god into anyone. . . except Neji.
“You won’t tell anyone about this, will you?” Neji smirked and calmly stood up.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Tenten wishes she could just forget it, and Hinata wouldn’t dare tell anyone for fear of offending you.”
“Good.”
“Nevertheless,” Neji said, walking toward the sink. “I think you’re looking at Naruto too harshly. He’s doing you a favor. The least you could do is not kill him.” Sasuke sighed and downed his tea in one gulp.
“I doubt it.” Neji shook his head and walked into the kitchen where Naruto was trying to find something else to drink.
“So, Naruto,” Neji began, putting his cup into the sink. “How long have you known Sasuke?”
“Since he started working.” Naruto answered, kind of surprised that this guy wasn’t as stuck up as Sasuke seemed to be. “I guess about a year.”
“And it seems you got off on a bad start.”
“He called me an usurakontachi.” Naruto said.
“Why was that?”
“I was last in my high school graduating class.” Naruto answered honestly. “I had some issues to take care of, and my school work kinda went down the toilet.”
“But you graduated?”
“Barely.”
“And you’re in college, are you not?”
“Community college for now. I’ll be transferring to the state university in a year.”
“It’s less money going that route, too, I’m sure.”
“Yeah. Ero-sennin isn’t exactly frivolous with his money.”
“Well, it seems you’ve just had some hard times, but you’re over coming them.”
“I guess. You make me sound all noble.” Naruto said, scratching the back of his head.
“What’s your major?”
“Education. I want to be a grade school teacher.” Neji smiled.
“Teaching is hard, and the pay isn’t that great.”
“Yeah,” Naruto said. “But I don’t think the money should really matter.” Neji nodded.
“So, Sasuke called you a dead-last when he found out your graduating status. Then what?” Naruto blinked in confusion. “There must have been something else for you two to be butting heads like you are.”
“He’s a stuck up brat. He doesn’t know what it’s like to work hard day after day with hardly any sleep.” Naruto said, glaring at the boy in the other room. “I know he’s smarter than I am, and I’m pretty sure he’s not that bad of a guy, but he treats me like I’m a moron! Okay, so I don’t get everything right the first time. I’ll learn! Life is meant to be sort of stumbled through!” Neji had to laugh a little at that. “What?”
“You two are very much the opposites of one another. Sasuke gets things done right the first time always, and does it with precision and efficiency. That’s a result of his upbringing.” Neji explained. “I admit I have a lot of that in myself as well, but I was shown later on how to let things go. Sasuke hasn’t been shown that yet, and he won’t get that from me. I’m his best friend, but I’m not his teacher.”
“So he’ll always be the pigheaded prat he is?”
“Maybe, maybe not.” Neji said, shrugging. “The right person needs to come along and teach him.’
“That’d have to be one patient person.”
“Who knows?” the brunette said, thinking that maybe patience didn’t necessarily make the best teacher all the time. “It was nice meeting you, Naruto-kun. Unfortunately, I have some odds and ends that need to be attended to soon.”
“No problem. Thanks for helping us move in!” Naruto said, shaking Neji’s hand. “I don’t know about Sasuke, but I think we ought to have a house warming party once everything’s in place.”
“For the both of you?” Neji inquired.
“Nah, for him. I’m only a temporary resident, right?” the blonde said. Neji nodded. Perhaps Sasuke was right: there was nothing going on between them and Naruto wanted it that way. “Well, I guess we’ll see you then!”
“Yes, ja na.”
“Ja!”
TBC...
**-**-**
Notes:
(1): In Japan, and sometimes it carries over into Japanese-American communities, there is a big thing about age difference. If you went to school, anyone older than you would be your sempai, and you would use that to address them. You treat them with respect almost as much as a elderly person. On the flip side, those who are younger than you are kohai who treat you with respect as you are their sempai. Since Neji is older than both Sasuke and Naruto, he likes to point out that they must respect him and he can call them “kids” (essentially kohai) as much as he wants. ^^;;;
Aa: Yeah, it’s a shorter, crude version of Haa or Unn.
A/N: In case you didn't read my chapter notes, here it is again:
T__T I'm saddened.
THIS story ad 1098 views the last time I checked (about two seconds ago), while my other, better stories have views in the 700 range.
Think of the better stories! Read my better stories!! TT___TT
Please, please, please, please, PLEASE!!!!!!! Read something else of mine!! I'm greatly depressed at the lack of view and reviews I've had with my better work, particularly with "Ghost Writer". THIS story has 26 reviews in the first four chapters, while "Ghost Writer" has 27 reviews TOTAL!! (With something like 14 chapters)
That's just sad.
- Yumi
[Reviews - 94]Chapter or Story
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Chapter notes: Disclaimer in Summary.
T__T I'm saddened.
THIS story ad 1098 views the last time I checked (about two seconds ago), while my other, better stories have views in the 700 range.
Think of the better stories! Read my better stories!! TT___TT
- Yumi