Inbred

Chapter 19

"Hello?"

"M-May I speak to Naruto-kun, please?"

The boy laughed. "Hinata, I told you before, you don't have to ask for me if you call me on my cellphone."

They'd been seeing each other for a couple of days now and Naruto always looked forward to her calls, she had called him every day since he gave her his number.

"I'm sorry," came the apologetic reply.

He grinned. "Chaa, Hinata. Stop apologizing so much if you didn't do anything wrong."

"I-I'm sorry."

The blond laughed again. Gah! She was too sweet. "How are you, Hinata-chan?" he looked over at the electronic clock on his bedside-table. 8:27 A.M.

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun. How are you?"

'Missing you!'

"I'm good, Actually, I just got up from sleeping," he stretched while stifling a yawn as if to emphasize that point.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Hinata, I told you before you can call me anytime, as long as I have my phone with me I'll answer it." He idly played with the knot on his lounge pants. "So is that old hag treating you well?" he clenched his fists and suddenly felt like punching the old bat. Every time he thought about her he had images of following Hinata home one day and burning the place down.

"Naruto-kun, please don't speak about Hatsumomo-sama (1) like that." He rolled his eyes. He didn't know why Hinata kept defending that hag, all she did was take advantage of the girl and try to keep her under her thumb. Hinata was way too nice for her own good.

"I'm sorry Hinata-chan," it was his turn to apologize. "I promise not to make fun of the old bitch anymore."

She giggled.

"Do you still have that money I gave you, Hinata-chan?" He didn't want to bring this up but it was the third day already and he didn't want her to have to start back working the 'night-shift'. She had taken his advice and split the money up into three days and giving her Matron the impression that she was going to 'work' she spent the nights with Naruto instead.

Hinata nodded but remembering that she was on the phone she told him 'yes'. She was dreading tomorrow as well. She had been grateful for the reprieve and loved spending the nights with Naruto instead of looking for clients but that was soon going to be over, she would just have to put more effort into enjoying their last night together.

"Meet me at our usual place today and I'll give you more."

Hinata was overwhelmed by his compassion towards her and while she DESPERATELY wanted to accept his generous offer she just couldn't bring herself to do so, she didn't want him to think she was taking advantage of him.

"Naruto-kun, I can't-"

"Dammit Hinata," he didn't like swearing in front of her, much less swearing at her but he was going to be damned if he allowed her to go back out there, not if he could do something about it. "Just meet me at the fountain today at four o' clock. I'm giving you the money, you're taking it and that's final."

"Na-Naruto-kun, thank you."

He heard the emotional gratitude and it sounded as if she were trying to hold back tears. He wished he were there to kiss them away.

"So, Hinata-chan," he wanted to shift the mood of the conversation and grinned as he asked the next question. "What are you wearing?"

He loved to tease her. The way she would shift uncomfortably, the way she would blush, the way she would avert her eyes. She was too damn cute.

"Umm...I...it's nothing..."

"Nothing, eh?" he used the most perverted voice he could.

"Naruto-kun, please don't tease me," he heard her giggle and he laughed as well.

They spoke for what seemed like hours but was only a couple of minutes before he heard the recording rudely cut-in and inform them they only had one minute left. Hinata had to make her calls from pay-phones, she didn't want to risk calling him from the brothel. If Hatsumomo found out that she had a regular she would increase Hinata's sales-target.

"Oi, Hinata."

"Hai, Naruto-kun."

"I know you're really shy and everything and I don't want to force you but my friend really wants to meet you." When he heard her hesitation he worked quickly to assuage her. "Don't worry, he's a great guy and I know he'll like you."

Sasuke had begun to get suspicious about the boy's late-night rendezvous, his keen eyes never missed anything and he knew that his friend had finally met up with the mystery-girl he had been obssessing over. He had wanted to meet her and Naruto promised he'd introduce them.

The reason Hinata didn't want to meet Naruto's friend was because she thought it might be Neji. They were at the same party after all.

"Naruto-kun, I really don't think he will..."

"Hinata listen, Sasuke may be a jerk sometimes but he's really just a big ol' teddy-bear. Trust me he won't do anything mean to you and even if he does, I'll kick his ass."

So, his friend wasn't Neji after all, she felt relieved. "O-Okay then, I'd love to meet your friend."

"Great, I'll arrange it sometime," she could hear the excitement in his voice and was happy that he sounded pleased. "So don't forget: fountain today at four o' clock and don't forget to bring your smile."

She giggled. "I won't."

"Take care Hinata-chan."

"Good-bye Naruto-kun."

He clicked the button on his cellphone and watched the screen go blank. Naruto sighed through his nose and put one hand behind his head while the other one rested on his stomach. He thought about Hinata and how much he wanted to help her. He knew he couldn't do anything on his own and he was suddenly glad that Sasuke was interested in meeting her. Sasuke could help her, but Naruto would have to somehow convince the Uchiha to do so since he didn't like to get involved in other people's business, but he really couldn't blame him.

The blond-haired teen got up and made his way into the kitchen. Sasuke was at the table, his empty plate lay in front of him while he read the newspaper. Naruto couldn't help but notice how sophisticated he looked when he wore his reading glasses.

"Morning, dobe." Sasuke greeted but he didn't look up from his paper.

"Morning," Naruto replied as he threw open the fridge door and removed the carton of orange juice to take it straight to his head. Sasuke didn't complain, he did that sometimes too.

Naruto wiped his mouth and recapped the bottle before returning it to the fridge. He took a bowl of instant ramen from the cupboard and popped it into the microwave for three minutes.

"You're gonna get sick from malnourishment, dobe." Sasuke still didn't look up from his paper.

Naruto ignored him pulled up a chair while he waited for his meal. He rested his elbows on the table's surface and placed his chin in his hands. "Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"Can I talk to you?"

He looked up then. "What about?"

"You know, about that girl."

He folded the paper and put it aside and removed his glasses, now giving his friend his full attention. "Ah, yes! It's about time you introduced me to her."

"Yeah, I'm working on it," he said almost nonchalantly. "She has...she's just working out some problems right now."

He leaned against the back of the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "What kind of problems?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nothing," he muttered. "Just some stuff I'm helping her with."

"You're helping her?"

"Yeah."

He knew Naruto had a big heart but, come on, he could not be that naive. He had met a complete stranger and they had only known each other for a couple of days but she was already confiding in him with all her personal problems and had him out all hours of the night and into the early morning. Something about this didn't sit too well with the Uchiha and he was not going to let some shrew take advantage of his best friend "Naruto, don't you think it's a little early in the relationship to be playing the 'handy helper'?"

Blond eyebrows furrowed, "What are you trying to say Sasuke?"

He made an exasperated noise in the back of his throat. Did he always have to paint a picture for Naruto? Why was it so hard for him to read between the lines sometimes. "It's obvious this girl is just taking advantage of you."

He took offense to that. "No! She's not," he said loudly, coming to the girl's defense. "She's not like that."

"How on earth would you know that, dobe?"

"I just...do."

"So you're suddenly an expert?"

"You don't understand!"

"Then MAKE me understand!"

The younger boy hesitated, then looked away from his friend. "I can't tell you, right now."

What was it about women that gave them this innate ability to wrap men around their little-fingers and had them panting like some animal waiting for their next command if only they'd toss them a bone or some such treat. This was what Sasuke hated about women the most and was also the reason he had remained single through most of his life. Neji came with his share of issues but those he could tolerate, the Hyuga wasn't into mind-games like this mystery-girl was, apparently.

Shit! Naruto had been his best friend for years and now some bimbo comes along, flashes her pussy and all of a sudden he's keeping her secrets as if they were more important than their friendship.

"The sex must be that good," he spat but as soon of the words were out he'd wished he could take them back. The hurtful glare Naruto shot him made him realize that right now he didn't stand a chance against this woman and unless he wanted to lose the only person he considered family he was going to have to back off. "Sorry." He mumbled.

They were quiet for a few moments, neither not looking at the other until Sasuke spoke up again. "Actually Naruto, I wanted to talk to you too."

"What about?" His voice was soft, he was still upset about Sasuke's outburst.

The microwave beeped and Naruto collected his breakfast then returned to sit in his chair, his attention glued to Sasuke even as he began stuffing his mouth.

He didn't know how to breach this topic, Sasuke wasn't one to discuss matters of the heart but if he was going to talk to someone about it it was going to have to be Naruto. He rubbed his face and sighed into the palm of his hand before returning it to his chest. "Neji!"

Naruto slurped up the noodles that were dangling in front of his chin. "Again?"

"Yes, again."

"What now, is he some kind of extra-terrestrial? Or a government secret agent?"

Sasuke considered playing another one of his little games with his friend but really didn't feel in the mood. "No, nothing like that." He reached out to grab the fork he had eaten with earlier and tapped the prongs against the plate. The sound soon annoyed him so he dropped it noisily against the ceramic with a clatter. He returned his arm to the folded position against his chest. "You know how we were in a relationship, right?"

Naruto nodded and slurped more noodles.

Sasuke sighed and tapped his foot, he soon stopped that too then shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Damn! Why was he so restless? "Well..." He didn't know how to say the next part. "I want...I'd like for us...to get back...together." There it was out, he'd finally said it.

The blond tapped the fork against his bottom lip and peered at Sasuke through one eye as if he were trying to solve a question in a cross-word puzzle. "Why did you guys break up?"

Sasuke shook his head and shrugged. "I dunno."

"Then you should probably find out."

"I try! I keep asking but he wouldn't tell me."

"Do you know why?"

"Fuck no," he growled. Neji wouldn't tell him a damned thing with regards to their previous relationship, the Hyuga would talk to him about anything under the sun expect for that. That was the only thing he kept him in the dark about. "That's why I'm asking you for advice."

Naruto leaned back in his chair and folded his arms in front of his chest while nodding his head. His half-eaten ramen cup forgotten in front of him. "You'll need to do an intervention. Get him in a comfortable situation, where it's just the two of you and let him know exactly how you feel about this."

That was the last thing Sasuke wanted to do.

"When you open up to him, he'll see your guard is down and he'll probably drop his too. If he doesn't you'll have to get him to drop it. In a situation like this it sounds as if he's keeping something from you, something he doesn't want you to find out so if he's vulnerable he just may let it slip."

The boy had a point.

He thanked Naruto for his input and the teen immediately went back to his meal. Sasuke cleaned up his utensils and went to get ready. Neji was coming over shortly, they were going to work on their group assignment today, he decided he'd use that opportunity to finally find out what it was the Hyuga was keeping from him.

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Yes! Hatsumomo from 'Memoirs of a Geisha' darnit. I couldn't think of any terribly evil women from the Naruto story-line so I used her name because she's bitchy enough. Please be aware that while I'm using the name they are two completely different women.