Naruto Mini Stories

Title: The Artist and the Business Man

Fandom: Naruto

Part: 8

Pairing: Kankuro/Naruto

Word Count: 1,446

AN: Stick a fork in me and call me done. Cause I am. I’m tired. I’m out of it and there’s not frickin’ hot water for a shower! *cries* Anyways, chapter 8. After this one, only 3 more to go. Hurrah.

Review: Angel: *chuckles* Thank you. I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. With mini stories, if I can't fully create a full plot, I can usually get out a smaller plot, which means that they tend to stay rather short. They're full stories, just short little novellettes instead of novel length. Either way, I actually do want to work around a full story with the background and future of this story.

But we'll have to see how it goes in the long run. :D

*~*~*~*

Staring at the blond head that was bent over several books about art history, taking notes on a yellow legal pad with his bottom lip caught between white teeth, Neji shifted on his feet. He was haunted by the memories of bright smiles that had once been aimed at him when they were younger, and the hurt looks of bitter betrayal, both of which had disappeared over their college careers. And so to know he had caused both, one for good reasons and the other for idiotic reasons, haunted him.

Especially after what Gaara had told him had happened during the time that Naruto was gone.

Running a hand through his long hair, he finally walked up to Naruto’s desk, sitting down into a chair as icy blue eyes looked up at him before turning his eyes back down again. The two sat in silence, Neji trying to figure out just what to say as Naruto tried to ignore him, not succeeding very well.

“What do you want, Hyuuga?” Naruto finally asked, sounding upset about his research time being interrupted.

“Why didn’t you ever tell us what was going on?” Neji finally asked, Naruto looked up, gazing at him for a moment before sighing and sitting back in his chair, his pen dropping down onto his legal pad.

“How about you call Uchiha and Gaara, and have them come over so I can do this in one full sweep and not have to go over this two more times,” Naruto stated, tapping a finger on the desk. Neji nodded and pulled out his phone, making the calls and getting his friends to come to the library. As soon as Sasuke and Gaara had taken their own seats, he said, “Hyuuga here asked me something and I wanted to get all of the questions out of the way. So go ahead, Hyuuga, ask me again.”

“Why didn’t you tell us what had happened?” Neji asked as Naruto gave him a level look.

“When did you ever give me a chance to? I tried to call you while I was gone since I had to leave so suddenly but by then you guys weren’t talking with me,” Naruto said, still looking at Neji with cool eyes. “When I came back from dealing with my mother’s estate and her funeral, I was sneered at and called a bastard child, not to mention a gold digger. I learned really fast to just outright avoid you three so I didn’t have to deal with the insults, and later, the physical attacks.”

“Fuck,” Gaara groaned, rubbing at his face. “I told you two that your families liked to jump to to conclusions. Not that I’m any better going along with you guys.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Sasuke grumbled, crossing his arms. “Why did it take so long for you to come back?”

“Probate, actually. I had to wait, at first, for a month until I turned 16 and then another seven for her will to go through,” Naruto stated. “My mom had been saving up money where ever she could and bought some life insurance before she got sick. The money she had saved up and the life insurance covered what her medical insurance didn’t. It did leave me enough to set up in apartment rented to me by Tsunade and to buy a car so I could get around.”

“And you work in a bar now, and create things that are sold in galleries now,” Gaara drawled.

Naruto’s smile was light teasing. “Now. I used to work in a craft store but the bar has a better schedule for me. That’s how I met Kankuro actually. He commissioned something for Hinata.”

“Why haven’t you gone to Minato? Don’t have the proof that you’re his bastard child?” Sasuke sneered.

Naruto pinned him with a dark look as he said, “The so called Mayor didn’t believe that I was his child when I was born, so he had us take blood tests. So yes, I have the six blood tests that state that I am his child. I do not go to him because when my mother got sick, he sent a letter that said he would never help the slut that seduced him.” His smile was bitter. “I think that it was his personal slut who had sent it really, but he sure as hell didn’t stop her from doing so.”

Gaara, Neji, and Sasuke all stared at the man who had at one time been their friend as he played with his pen. Now that they could really think about it, while they had been friends with the young Naruto, they hadn’t ever been over to his house during those last few months, always getting this reason or that reason. And when rumors of someone trying to claim status as Minato’s bastard child had started, Naruto had disappeared.

And they hadn’t let him explain.

“Now I know why Itachi has started to swear at us, not to mention at Minato,” Sasuke grunted, drawing everyone’s gaze.

“Yeah, he picked up my number one day and actually spoke with me after he got me to answer his calls. He got the story and he’s been pretty cool with me for the last few months,” Naurto snorted, shrugging one shoulder. “His lover is actually my boss. Kisame is a really cool guy and a really neat boss, allowing me to make my own hours.”

“So you got real lucky with that,” Neji sighed, rubbing at his bottom lip, eyes staring at Naruto as the younger male started to gather up his books and put away his legal pads and pens. “It seems as if Gaara and Itachi were both right when they said that we were idiots,” he continued. Naruto snorted lightly.

“Should have listened to them, but you didn’t wanna,” Naruto sang as he stood up and grabbed the pile of books. The three friends were quick to follow after him. They waited until after he had checked out his books, shoving them into his bag, and left before continuing the conversation.

“Why did you start fucking Kankuro?” Neji asked, Gaara making a noise of disgust before smacking his friends arm.

“I don’t need to remember that fact, thank you,” he hissed. Neji shrugged as he rubbed at his arm.

“It was actually a whim. I had only met him a few times before you guys had told me to fuck off so when I met him to speak about a commission, it was a bit odd for me but still a paying job. When he came into the bar after his disaster date with Hinata, we got to talking,” he said, heading for his car and unlocking it. “He stayed until the bar closed so I offered to take him home but he said that he wanted to let you guys have the house to yourselves. So I took him him home and things progressed from there.”

“How did you know you’re not just a rebound?” Sasuke snarled. Naruto chuckled as he tossed his bag into the backseat.

“Because Kankuro doesn’t do rebounds. He and Hinata started dating right after his relationship before her ended,” Naruto told him, shrugging one shoulder again. “And I can tell you now, I’ve dated before actually losing my virginity, and I do mean actually dating someone rather nice,” he continued. Slipping into the car, he waved at them before shutting the door and starting it, pulling out of the spot.

“Why did we not know that he had been fucking around?” Neji asked lowly as they watched Naruto’s car disappear down the street.

“Because we were busy trying to make his life miserable, that’s why,” Gaara replied before he turned on his heel and stalked to his car. “Now you two call tell your family that Naruto wants nothing to do with Minato and thinks he’s a bastard while he thinks Minato’s wife is a slut,” he growled.

“Oh goody, such fun,” Sasuke moaned. “On top of that, I get to tell them just who Naruto’s godmother and godfather are, especially since dad wants to do business with Tsunade.”

“Good luck. My uncle hates being proven wrong about someone,” Neji snorted as he slipped into the back seat, Sasuke getting into the passenger seat. Gaara grunted and got into the passenger seat.

“Hey, sometimes when you jump to conclusions, it comes back and bites you hard in the ass. As it is, you can come over after you tell them. Kankuro is staying at Naruto’s place tonight,” Gaara stated as he pulled out of the parking spot and turning towards Neji’s home, the two agreeing to stay.