They Are Just the Cleaners

Disclaimer: So er... my previous plans to own Naruto have failed miserably, consequently I have yet to own Naruto.

Warning: Slightly disturbing imagery, stripping/pole dancing, er slight testy abuse... lol

Beta(s): IvvyMoon and lexjamandme -loves on both of you-

As a gift for my terrible absence, this chapter is my longest one yet.

Oh and the song Ino is dancing to is FutureSex/LoveSound by Justin Timberlake. When I listen to it I think of stripping... That sounds a bit strange, I know.

It's here, there is no video so but there is a slideshow thingie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzjD41ijmC0

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Chapter 6: Neighbors

He stepped out of the car slowly, his black, Italian loafer landing in a shallow puddle that unfortunately did not consist wholly of rainwater. He shook his foot lightly but didn’t recoil in disgust. It was to be expected when one came to this type of area. He looked up into the purpling sky and smiled. He was happy to be back.

As he neared the door, the loud music from inside shook the ground in steady, rolling vibrations, the front doors rumbled lightly on the hinges. He passed the long line of seedy characters that were either too rough or too perverted to be seen at any time other than at night. The regulars that knew who he was watched him cautiously out of the corner of their eyes as he passed, while the newcomers sneered at his audacity to cut in front of them to the head of the line.

One such person decided to voice his displeasure at being bypassed.

“Oi, Four Eyes!”

The white ponytail swished slightly as the owner came to a stop and turned to face the unhappy, and incredibly large, male. His round lenses glinted in the light provided by one street lamp near the entrance as he raised his head in silent acknowledgment.

“Get your bony, little ass to the back of the line where you belong, or I’ll put it there myself!”

“Will you now?” was his calm response as he moved closer to the agitated male who stared him down from the line.

“Yeah, trust me. You don’t want me to move ya.” He grinned broadly, showing slightly yellowed teeth, as he looked to the surrounding crowd for encouragement. He failed to find it slightly odd that not only was no one willing to join in the heckling, but some were even turning away.

He continued with a little more bravado. “Now, get in the back before I twist your tiny grapes off and shove ‘em down your throat!”

Kabuto closed the distance between them and looked into the burly man’s eyes. There was a sudden chill in the air, and the people surrounding them started to inch into the background.

“And how do you propose to do that?” he questioned with eerie serenity. “I am interested in seeing how that would work.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. He definitely didn’t appreciate the pipsqueak trying to show him up. He stepped forward, a greasy, black strand of hair falling into his eye, and placed a large, dingy palm onto the smaller man’s shoulder.

“Okay, you little shit, you asked for it.” He reared his arm back, his hand balled up into a tight fist. Before it could connect, he let out an undignified squeal, his hand falling open in pain.

“You said you’d twist my balls off?” Kabuto questioned, his countenance totally tranquil, contrasting with the extremely tight hold he now had on the taller man’s balls. “Do you really think it’s possible to actually twist the testicles with enough force to detach them from your body?”

He angled his head to the side curiously as he watched the man writhe in agony, his knees buckling. Kabuto turned his wrist, increasing the pressure as well the volume of the other man’s screams in one smooth motion.

“I’m very interested in testing this theory of yours. It was kind of you to volunteer yourself as an assistant in my experiment.”

The pain was blinding, and soon the hunched over man was overtaken by a wave of nausea as his vision blurred. The hand that was on the white haired man’s shoulder tightened feebly, as if pleading for the merciful relief that his mouth was unable to ask for. His vision darkened around the edges as he looked into the round frames of the man’s glasses, their gazes now level as he continued to sink to the ground. He saw no humanity there, no trace of sympathy, only clinical detachment. The last thing he remembered before he passed out was how evil his tormentor looked, with redness overtaking the whites of his eyes.

When the man slumped on the ground, Kabuto looked up, vaguely noting how the others in the line uneasily looked away. He caught the eye of one of his men watching the door and motioned him over.

“Yea, Boss?” the large man questioned, trying to keep his eyes on Kabuto, though they briefly darted to the body that lay unconscious on the ground.

“Pick that up, and bring it inside. I have a new assistant.”

When Kabuto turned away to walk to the front doors, the bouncer finally allowed himself to shudder, extremely grateful that he was employed by, instead of an enemy of, the other man.

-----

Kabuto weaved effortlessly through the writhing bodies. Upon noticing him, one of the cocktail waitresses scurried up to his side.

“Can I get you anything, Kabuto-sama?” she asked in a sweet, low voice, her eyes glued to the ground.

“Whiskey,” he answered succinctly as he caught the eye of the very man he’d been looking for as he made his way toward him. He ignored the waitress as she bowed, thanked him and hurried off to get his order.

A man with a spiky, black ponytail threaded his way through the crowd until he was close by and then spread his arms out as if expecting a hug.

“Boss!” Kidomaru greeted jovially. “How was the trip? Did you bring me back a lei?” He lowered his arms as he finally stood next his boss. He followed silently as Kabuto ignored his inane questions and made his way toward the back of the club, bypassing a few cage dancers and one of the side stages before they neared the main stage. Kabuto stopped suddenly, and Kidomaru nearly stumbled as he tried not to run into him. Kidomaru stiffened when he noticed Kabuto’s attention was on the new act on the main stage.

“Where is Mai?” Kabuto asked in a level voice that was powerful enough to be heard clearly despite the loudness of the establishment. He eyed the two brunettes sliding against each other on the main stage, the absence of the redhead was quite noticeable.

Kidomaru leaned in close to speak in a low voice. “You remember the new stuff you wanted me to give her?” he asked in a hushed tone as he started to keep pace with the other man who had started walking again.

They reached the small hall in the back of the club, the sounds now muffled as Kabuto turned to his manager. “Yes. How did it go?” His slight annoyance over his dancer’s absence was completely forgotten as he became interested in the results from his new drug.

“Well…” Kidomaru began as he stepped ahead of Kabuto and headed toward the second door to the left. He turned the knob and pushed slowly.

They stepped into a dimly lit room. It was slightly out of place in the club, looking more like an examination room from a clinic. The walls were painted in a soft eggshell, and there was a large cabinet against the wall across the entrance, the glass door revealing medical supplies. On the left were two uncomfortable looking chairs pushed against the wall. On the right was a long medical exam table complete with arm and ankle restraints.

This particular piece of equipment was currently in use by a certain redheaded stripper.

They walked over to the body strapped down to the exam table. Kabuto watched as the stripper’s body convulsed as she foamed from the mouth, a constant stream edging down her cheek onto the table to wet her hair. Her screams were garbled as saliva and vomit clogged her throat.

“Are you taping this and keeping notes?” he asked, purely fascinated with the results of his experimentation. He stepped closer and watched as her wild eyes desperately tried to focus. A small trickle of blood crept from her nose.

Interesting.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to grab the clipboard that was being handed to him. He scanned the pages quickly and looked back down at the woman suffering on the table.

“She’s been like this for 12 hours?”

“Well, she passes out every now and then, but yeah,” Kidomaru answered as he edged closer cautiously. He, unlike his boss, did not get a perverse thrill out of watching something as disturbing as this. “This is from the batch that only has 10 percent mixed in.”

Kabuto watched as the young woman arched as far as she could in the constraints before collapsing back down, tears leaking from her eyes. He smiled.

“Excellent.”

-----

He didn’t understand why he was allowing this. He had so many other things to worry about right now, the foremost being his next assignment. It took him a while after watching his wife bundle her hair into a messy ponytail and shove her feet into her flip flops to realize what was going on.

“N-”

But before he was able to fully voice his protest, he found his fingers interlaced with Sakura’s smaller, more delicate ones as she yanked him forward. The abrupt change in motion nearly caused him to bite his tongue, and he glared at the back of her head, silently threatening the haphazard ponytail that bounced happily as she dragged him out of their room, down the flight of stairs and out the front door.

He swiped at the brass handle of the front door in a last desperate attempt to stop their momentum. Sadly, his fingers just grazed the cool surface, and he watched as the front door grew smaller and smaller and slowly disappear into the distance. Sakura could be oddly strong when she wanted to be. It was surprisingly difficult, especially when he was caught off guard, to counter her when she was so determined. He blamed it on that damn Tsunade’s, or whatever the woman’s name was, lifestyle products. Sakura was a devout follower of that woman, and if he really had time he would hunt that woman down and—

“…huh, Sasuke?” she asked, turning to face him with a bright smile, though she never ceased her steps.

He hadn’t realized that she was speaking, and he definitely didn’t know, or care, what she had been talking about. He just stared back at her blankly, while discreetly trying to pull his hand away.

Her steps faltered at his look, and she slowed to a stop. Her face fell slightly when she noticed his lack of cooperation, and she let his hand slip from hers. She stood for a moment keeping her eyes firmly locked on his, searching for anything in the dark depths. She let out a sigh and finally dropped her eyes to the ground.

“Sasuke… can’t we just… I mean for once…” she let out another sigh, unable to fully articulate her frustration.

“Listen Sasuke, I—ahh!” she squealed and jumped toward him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

Something large and wet went straight up the back of her leg. It felt so gross, so…

“Eek!”

She let out an undignified squeak as she felt it again. She didn’t realize that she had successfully crawled up the solid mass of her scowling husband, wrapping her legs firmly around his waist.

“What the hell?” she inquired, now safely perched in Sasuke’s arms, her eyes searching around, wildly looking for anything.

“Sakura…” he sighed. “It’s just someone’s flea ridden… creature…” he said, eyeing the large animal seated sloppily on their neatly manicured lawn.

The dog’s mouth opened wide, a large dripping tongue lolling out over pointed teeth, his large tail swung wildly, hitting the ground in heavy beats.

“Akamaru!” came the distant shout.

The large, white, shaggy creature snapped its mouth shut, while his ears twitched in alertness. He stood up and hesitantly turned his head to the side, as if debating on whether he would leave the new and interesting couple he’d found.

“Akamaru, come here!”

Deciding it was best to listen to the disembodied voice rather than to play with his new discoveries, the dog turned and trotted off back across the lawn and up the neighboring driveway.

They watched as the large dog happily ran to someone who was obscured by the tail end of the moving truck. They stood for a few silent moments until Sakura realized her position. She hesitantly looked up into her husband’s typically blank face and let a blush softly color her cheeks. Smiling sheepishly, she slid down his body, planting her feet firmly on the ground.

“Come on,” she started a bit shakily, while trying to rub the wrinkles from her clothing in an attempt to calm her rapidly beating heart, “Let’s go meet our new neighbors.” She turned and continued her path to the house next door.

Normally by now, he would have declined and headed back to their home, but he nodded his head in acquiescence and followed. He needed to talk to his neighbors—he shuddered at the thought—about keeping their animal confined to their yard.

As they neared the front of the house, they noticed two men in grey jumpsuits carrying a long, black, leather sofa into the open front doors. The dog bounded about happily, weaving in and out between their legs.

“Whoa… whoa there, doggie!” one of the men with a long brown ponytail chided as he shifted the sofa around in his arms, after almost dropping it when the large, white dog brushed against his legs.

“Akamaru! Come here, and sit down!” yelled the voice from before, coming from deep inside the large truck.

The dog looked at the truck and put his large black nose to the ground to smell a small pebble, then trotted over to sit at the end of the truck, tail wagging slowly. He heard a crunch from the gravel path near the driveway and quickly whipped his head around. His tail sped up, and he barked happily as the new playmates he’d met moments before made their way closer to the truck. He contemplated getting up and greeting them but decided to keep his spot and instead decided to call them over.

“What the hell?” screamed the voice, a little louder now as the person neared the open end of the trucks large trailer. “What has gotten into you? What's with the barking?” a young man asked as he stuck his head out. He turned to look in the same direction as the dog, and his eyes widened slightly at his new guests, a couple. The man stood solid with his arms crossed, dark glare pinning him down, while the woman stood slightly behind him, wearily eying the large ball of fur, a small nervous smile on her delicate features.

“Don’t worry, Miss,” he began as he pulled himself from the truck’s interior and jumped down on to the pavement. “He wouldn’t hurt a fly,” he reassured as he pet the dog on his large head, earning him a lick against the underside of his forearm.

The married couple looked over at who they assumed was their new neighbor. He looked to be about their age, maybe slightly younger. He wore a red baseball cap, turned backwards—brown locks sticking out in all directions—a pair of sunglasses on top, loose khaki cargo shorts and a navy blue shirt. His smile, much like his hair, was wild. He wiped a dirty, sweaty palm along the side of his cargo shorts and extended his hand.

“Hi, name’s Yoshihiro Matsumoto. And this little guy right here is Akamaru,” he stated as he scratched behind the dog’s ears. Upon hearing his name, the dog jumped up to stand on all fours.

Sasuke walked forward, Sakura still attached to his back, and shook the young man’s hand. “Sasuke Uchiha.”

Excited about their close proximity, Akamaru leaned over to lick the young woman’s leg in greeting. His actions startled Sakura, causing her to squeal a bit and hide behind Sasuke, which in turn, caused him to scowl.

Kiba scratched behind his ear, ruffling auburn hair, and let out a nervous laugh. “Sorry, man, he gets really excited when he’s in new surroundings.” He grabbed on to the thick leather collar to keep the dog at his side. “Don’t worry, er…” he trailed off.

“Oh! Sakura Uchiha.” She began, sticking her hand out in greeting from behind Sasuke’s back. “We live in that house to your right.”

“Cool! We thought this neighborhood would be full of old people sitting on their rotting piles of money! It’s awesome to see someone around our age living here. And please don’t worry about Akamaru, Sakura. He likes you.” His statement was punctuated with a loud bark.

“We?” She questioned, finding the courage to step forward while looking around for another female. It would be nice to have someone to talk to who would be just a few steps away.

“Oh yeah, me and my best friend.” He pounded on the floor of the moving truck and shouted inside. “Oi! Akio, get out here! Our new neighbors are here!”

They heard muffled yelling from inside the truck as he started speaking again. “Yeah, we’re going to Avery, and we didn’t really want to be in the dorms. We—well, I’m not an undergrad anymore, and being on campus is more their thing.”

“What did you say?” came a much clearer voice from the truck’s entrance.

“I said get your stupid ass out here to meet our neighbors.”

“Damn dude, chill. I was trying to dig out the air hockey table.” There was a bit of shuffling around in the truck. “Move outta the way then.” the voice commanded, slightly annoyed.

Once the brunet moved to the side, a figure jumped out of the truck and landed next to him. Akamaru barked and, forgetting his new friends for a moment, ran over to the newcomer.

He was about the same height as the other boy. He had on a ratty light blue hat, the bill facing forward, shadowing his features, and golden blond hair poked out from the sides. He wore sunglasses on his face, a white tee shirt and orange cargo shorts. He turned toward the married couple and, mimicking his friend’s earlier actions, wiped his sweaty palms on his pants before extending his arm out.

“Hey! Akio Kobayashi.” He stepped forward and grabbed Sasuke’s hand, shaking it vigorously. “It's very nice to meet you.” he stated, a friendly smile plastered on his face.

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed as he released the young man’s hand. He fought the near uncontrollable urge to wipe his palm on his pants. He struggled to keep the sneer off his face as he took in the reality of having new neighbors. They both looked like idiotic frat boys who were going to ruin the peacefulness of their neighborhood. And he really wished the second one was stop looking like that. Something about that kid rubbed him the wrong way. Why the hell was he smiling like that? Sasuke found it… disturbing. It was way too bright; he almost felt the need to squint his eyes. This time he couldn’t fight the sneer that twisted his mouth. "Sasuke Uchiha."

Sakura noticed the change in her husband’s demeanor and quickly cleared her throat, in an attempt to diffuse an ugly situation as an awkward silence started to envelop the group.

“So… you guys are students at Avery?”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. They didn’t look like students; they looked like partying-peace-interrupting-attention causing frat boys.

“Yeah, I’m there for–”

Sasuke cut off the brunet before he could even finish his sentence. “How can the two of you even afford a house in this neighborhood?” he questioned, while a critical eye took in their appearance.

The two young men looked at each other before the blond brought a hand to the back of his neck, scratching lightly. “Erm… well you see…”

“You would do better to find a place in the city.” Sasuke cut the blond off as well. “This is a peaceful neighborhood. A lot of people like the quiet and privacy. This really isn't the place to have those types of idiotic, wild fraternity parties.”

“Sasuke...” Sakura admonished quietly, “You shouldn't really assume...”

He continued on, completely disregarding her words. “It would just be nice if we could keep it nice and quiet. Perhaps you should look into renting a loft closer to the inner city.”

Naruto bristled at the arrogant assuming tone. Who the hell did that guy think he was? "Why you..." Naruto was quickly cut off by a tight squeeze on his upper arm.

"Heh heh" Kiba laughed, obviously forced. "No worries, man. Like I said, we grew out of the whole college thing – that’s why we wanted to live out here. Peace and quiet, you know. Right, Akio?" he pressed, while tugging on the infuriated blond's arm.

"Right," Naruto agreed through a smile that was really more of a grimace. He couldn’t be that much older than he and Kiba. Who the hell did he think he was anyway? How dare he assume they were a pair of partying frat boys intent on turning his precious moldy neighborhood into party central or some sort of raunchy MTV Spring Break?

“… not a place I want to see MTV trucks and cameras setting up shop…” the brunet rattled on, apparently ignoring Kiba’s assurance.

Holy shit! He did think that! What was this guy, a hundred years old? What the— “Eh?!” Naruto screeched ineloquently. Kiba quickly pat him hard on the back, reminding the blond to stay focused and keep his cool.

“You okay, man?” Kiba asked, turning seemingly innocent eyes toward his partner.

“Yea…” Naruto brought a tightly clenched fist—squeezed in order to curb some of his anger—to his mouth and coughed. “I think something was caught in my throat for a second. Thanks.”

He turned his attention back to the older brunet who watched them with a sour expression on his face. “With all due respect, Mr. Uchiha…”

The use of his name finally caught Sasuke’s attention. He narrowed his focus on the increasingly annoying blond.

“First of all ...” , Naruto began, he quickly bit the inside of his mouth to keep his temper in check before he continued, “you both live here and you two can't be that much older than we are, and you seem to have acclimated quite well. So our age is not something you should base an opinion on. Secondly, as Yoshihiro recently stated,” And if your head wasn’t stuck up so far up your ass you would have heard him, “we came here to escape the typical college life. Much like the people in this neighborhood, we just want some peace and quiet.” He blasted Sasuke with the most brilliant and bright smile he had in his arsenal, only to receive an unguarded look of disgust in return. Naruto’s face fell immediately, this guy…he did not like this guy.

His eyes narrowed. Sasuke could tell that the blond was trying to control himself, if his agitated twitching was any indication. Amateur. The dislike was mutual but Sasuke was a hell of a lot better at hiding it. Even that moron brunet was better at keeping his cool…barely. A small part of Sasuke wanted to smirk at his superiority to the blond. "Yes, and do elaborate on how you two, who seem more suited for a life involving a drive-thru window and having your voice filtered through a speaker lodged in a ceramic clown’s mouth, are able to afford—" Just as he was about to finish his question, his phone rang. He pushed his hand into his pocket and growled softly when he saw his caller id; he just saw this man today. He tuned out the indignant sputtering of the blond and the wide, offended gaze of the brunet.

"You didn't answer your other phone."

"No, it's in my office." He grumbled a bit as he stepped back to put more distance in between him and the other people.

"Well, I need to deliver you a message," Kabuto sighed. "He wants it done tomorrow night."

Sasuke frowned. "Fine," he gritted through clenched teeth.

Kabuto continued on, voicing his displeasure. "I really didn't want to have to look around for you, especially since we just got back—”

Sasuke snapped his phone shut. He turned to the trio who were casually making small talk.

“… and met through a mentorship program,” Sakura concluded, smiling as she turned toward the man making his way back into the conversation.

He turned to his wife, a grave and blank expression on his face. She immediately frowned, knowing what that face meant. She quickly stepped to his side and spoke to him in a low voice. “Sasuke, please don’t tell me that you have to go again.”

“I’ll be back the day after tomorrow. I'm going to go finish unwinding from this trip.”

“You just got back today, and now you’re leaving again? I have to talk to my father; he’s working you too hard. What about your rest?” she quietly asked as she placed a concerned hand on to his forearm. She suddenly remembered she was not alone and turned to look at the two boys who were watching them curiously. “Just stay for a little while longer to get to know our neighbors. They’re really nice. I said we could help them move in.”

Sasuke yanked her hand from his arm a bit too harshly, prompting Naruto to unconsciously step forward. “Hey!” he began, but Sasuke already started.

“Sakura, do not interfere with my business and do not volunteer me for tasks I have no intention of taking part in.”

“Excuse me,” came the forced gentle tone. “She was just trying to be friendly. You know the whole ‘being neighborly’ thing that people try to do?” Naruto received a jab to his side. “Heh heh, that’s all… Its okay though, wouldn’t want to get your precious hands dirty…” Another jab. “Because uh… you’re dressed so nice and all.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blond and tried to glare into eyes still hidden by sunglasses. Stupid, idiotic… He growled a bit at the young man who dared to disrespect him before he calmed himself down. He would use this irritation for his job tomorrow and not lower himself to interact with his neighbors.

“Snobby asshole…”

The grumbled words tested the boundaries of Sasuke’s patience before they were quickly followed by a hissed “Ow! Quit doing that, you jackass!”

He smirked.

Sasuke turned to leave but was stopped by a slight pressure on his elbow. “Wait, Sasuke, can’t we stay a bit longer?” she pleaded in a hushed tone.

He wrenched his arm away and glared at her. “Sakura, you’re a grown woman. If you want to stay, then stay. I have work I have to do, and I don’t have time to play Mr. Rogers with these idiots and their filthy creature.”

Sakura winced at his harshness and stepped back, the hand that once held on to his elbow curled into itself, fingernails digging into her palm. She bit her lip in an attempt to control the painful lump that lodged into her throat.

“What the hell, you fucking asshole? You can’t talk to her like that! What kind of man are you?”

Sasuke bristled at the young man’s voice. No one had ever dared… That blond bastard was starting to get to him. “You, Blondie, better pray that you never find out what kind of man I am,” he stated coolly as he stepped toward the boy, whatever his name was. He watched as the blond attempted to close the distance but was being held back by his friend. Speaking of which… He turned his gaze toward the brunet and pointed to the dog laying happily at his feet. “And keep that thing on your property, or I will call animal control,” he stated as he turned around and walked toward his home.

Naruto advanced forward and opened his mouth to retaliate when Kiba placed a calming hand on his shoulder, telling him to let it go.

Sakura scratched her forearm lightly and blushed in embarrassment at her husband’s garish behavior. She knew part of his lashing out was due to tired frustration and the other part was due—though she loathed admitting it—to the fact that he was just simply an asshole.

“Please forgive his rudeness; he’s usually not this abrasive.” She prayed that God wouldn’t strike her down for that lie. “He just came home from a long trip, and he’s really tired. I would love for you two to come over. Maybe you can come over tomorrow evening for a ‘Welcome to the neighborhood’ dinner?” Please don’t let Sasuke scare you away. The large dog walked up to her slowly and lay at her feet, licking her toes in a seemingly comforting gesture. This time, she didn’t flinch.

The brunet nodded in slow acceptance, while the blond remained tense, glaring at the figure slowing disappearing in the distance into the sunset.

------

It was a pitilessly cold morning. The alley was empty. The stray cats rummaging around in the deserted garbage cans made a clanging racket that echoed along the dingy brick that made up the outside walls of the buildings. The occasional hiss, screech and scamper from can to can were the only signs of life in the slightly dim area. Well, that and the two people waiting outside the rusted metal door.

One was a blonde woman wearing a long, thin, white, ribbed tank top, long enough to just cover her rear, purple tights, black ankle boots and a cropped black leather jacket. She moved restlessly, the chains on her black boots jangling as she shifted from one foot to another. Her slender fingers, wrapped in thin fingerless gloves, coiled into her palm, digging desperately into the clothed mounded flesh, seeking the fleeting warmth. The worn material of her knit gloves had long given up the fight in acting as a viable barrier against the frigid temperature. Her breath filtered through trembling, pale pink lips in fogged, dancing swirls.

She chomped on her gum fiercely, steadily working her jaw. It was the only movement from her body that was completely voluntary. As another shiver wracked her thin frame, she brought her cold, stiff fingers up to her mouth and cupped them under a red, runny nose. She breathed softly into them, rubbing them together vigorously. With a jerky twitch of her head that sent her long, blonde ponytail swishing and a clump of her bangs falling over pale blue eyes, she looked over to her much larger companion with slight jealousy.

He stood stock still, slanted, dark eyes staring forward, concentrating on the side entrance to the club. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his thick green hoodie. His breath came out in intermittent, fogged puffs through the small gaps in the long, white scarf that was wrapped several times over around his thick neck.

Shifting around a bit, he pulled a large hand from the confines of his pocket to shove his scarf down so that it now barely grazed the tip of his chin. Soon the other hand broke free from the fabric as well, holding a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Poking his thumb and index finger through the small opening at the top, he rummaged through and pulled out a cool, white stick. He tapped the end several times on the pack before shoving the small box back into his pocket. Bringing the cigarette to his face he placed it between slightly chapped lips and let it rest there gently as he brought the lighter up.

A constant shifting at his side broke his concentration as he looked over to his female companion, watching her dance around to keep her blood flowing.

His lack of movement brought her back to reality as she realized he was watching her. His cigarette hung limply between his lips as he raised a curious eyebrow in her direction. She gave him a weak smile that soon deteriorated into a fierce chattering of teeth. She wrapped her arms around her body, hands clenching desperately into her upper arms as yet another shiver tore through her body.

She glared at the door balefully. They had been waiting for at least two hours. That damn asshole of a club manager had better not have been jerking them around. They had come two days in a row. She really needed a job, and word on the street was this was the best place to be. The manager, Kidomaru, she thought was the name, said that the owner would be back soon and to keep coming if they really wanted the job. Fucking asshole. He was probably laughing it up right now while they froze to death in the cold. Fucker.

He watched her wiggle around and glare at the door for a moment before he shrugged out of his green zip-up, revealing a white, short-sleeve shirt covering a white, long-sleeved thermal. He thrust his hand forward, handing his hoodie over to the shivering blonde. She looked over in slight confusion for a moment, then, without question, she took the offered article of clothing and wrapped it around her small shoulders, reveling in the warmth. She turned toward him and gave him a small, grateful smile.

He shrugged his shoulders, lips still loosely holding the dangling cigarette, before he brought his hands up, one shielding the tip while the other pressed on the lighter. Just when he breathed in his first puff, the door creaked open.

A man with deep caramel skin and a black, spiky ponytail stuck his head out the door. “Damn, you two are persistent,” he snickered as he looked at the two people trying not to freeze in the alley. “Well, the boss is here today, so you can come in and see if he wants you.” With that, he stuck his head back inside the dark interior of the building, but kept the door open so the two could enter the establishment.

They looked at each other for a moment before they moved cautiously into the building. It was still early, so there weren’t any flashing strobes or purple neon lights. Nor were there fog machines working over time nor was there heart-thumping house music. As a result, the inside looked oddly ordinary. Everything was black—the tables, chairs, walls, stage—but the mood wasn’t as imposing or intimidating when the house lights were on and everything was illuminated perfectly.

They followed the man through a virtual maze of chairs and tables until they reached the back of the establishment, which held a small hall with several doors. He pointed to the door at the very end of the hall.

“He’s in there.” He looked past the large man to the petite blonde. “Good luck.” He grinned lecherously as he eyed her body up and down and winked suggestively. As he squeezed past them to exit the hall, his hand lightly brushed up against her ass.

She stiffened at the touch but let him pass. She stared at her companion who raised a cautious eyebrow. Steeling herself, she led the way down the hall and knocked on the door.

“What?” was the irritated question that filtered through the door.

-----

He walked the floor of his large warehouse as his new merchandise from Hawaii was unloaded and thoroughly inspected. It took his men a few days to arrive because they didn’t have the luxury of their own private airport close enough on the mainland as it would attract too much attention. They had to drive along the back roads of the country, ensuring the utmost discretion.

There was a total of twenty-three people that made the trip successfully, seven of whom were lost along the way. Most of them were woman and all were eager to come to a new country in the hopes of a better life or even a chance at love. Smiling evilly, he looked at them as the realization dawned on each individual face that this was not what they had come for. He watched as a few huddled together in fear, clinging to each other for some semblance of warmth or comfort, while others stood alone, cringing as he walked past, his hazel eyes inspecting them, discerning their worth. They would be split into groups, though most would be sold into servitude. The females and the children would be sold as domesticated help or sex slaves; their beauty would determine which. The men would be useful for hard, unappealing labor. He stopped as his eye caught to a boy about 17 or 18, pale skin and dark hair, standing at the end of the line, eyes glued to the floor afraid to look up.

Orochimaru smiled lasciviously. Then there were a few… He stepped in front of the boy and cleared his throat. When that produced no results, he brought a pale hand to his chin and lifted the fear filled face to his, staring into deep dark brown eyes. His grin grew.

There were a few, a very rare precious few, that he would keep for himself.

Keeping his eyes locked into endless, frightened dark ones of the young man he began, “Kin.”

A woman with large, dark eyes and long, black hair quickly ran to his side.

“Yes Orochimaru-sama,” she responded in a quiet voice, keeping her eyes to the floor.

“Get them cleaned and ready for auction. Then contact my clients and inform them of the new shipment.”

“Hai, Orochimaru-sama.” She bowed and grabbed the young man’s arm, ready to pull him away.

Orochimaru’s grip on the boy’s chin tightened as he turned to the young woman and slapped her across the cheek with his free hand. “Leave him with me.”

This time she lifted her eyes from the ground and stared up at her boss, hand pressing against her abused cheek as tears welled in her eyes. There was something in his eyes that made her shiver. She’d seen that look before.

She had seen it when she arrived 2 years ago, and he’d looked at her like that.

She silently wished the boy luck. If he was good, once Orochimaru was bored and done with him—which he undoubtedly would be—maybe he could stay at his side instead of being sent away, or worse.

“I’m sorry, Orochimaru-sama, please forgive me,” she whispered as she let got of a pale arm she had not realized she still had a tight grip on and bowed. Just as she turned to walk away an arm caught her shoulder and turned her back to cold, hazel eyes. An icy pale hand slid across her cheek as a thumb rubbed across her lips lightly, causing her eyes to flutter close, her breath to hitch and her heartbeat to speed up. A small part of her cursed her willingness to do anything and everything for that man as long as he touched her.

“I want you to remember your place, Kin. You know I don’t like striking you, but you must learn not to overstep your bounds. I don’t know if I want to keep someone who doesn’t know how to behave. It makes me unhappy. You don't want me to be unhappy, do you? Kin?”

“No,” she answered weakly as a tear slid down her cheek.

“Good, now go,” he growled out before releasing her.

She nodded her head shakily and turned to do her task, ordering the few other workers around as they gathered all the people together and moved them into another part of the warehouse.

He watched as everyone left, leaving him alone with the boy. He turned to look at him once again, his eyes lingering on the slightly shivering frame. He loosened his grip on the boy’s chin, letting his hand drag across the skin until it landed at the base of his neck, his fingers pushing the back of his head so that he would once again look up at him. The boy was so scared and so beautiful. Orochimaru grinned when he was satisfied with the way the boy’s attention was focused on him.

“Come with me.” He smiled sweetly as he let his hand travel down further, brushing down the boy’s side and along his trembling ribcage. His hand continued down until he wrapped it around the teen’s wrist and pulled him toward a far corner that held the entrance to a dark, rusty stairwell. As he pulled the boy up the stairs, movement from outside caught his eye. It looked as if there was a moving truck parked outside across the street.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, he pulled a key from his pocket and pulled the boy to the only door on the floor. He unlocked the door and pulled the young man into the dark room.

-----

“Come in” he huffed as he quickly shuffled a few papers together into haphazard pile and stuffed them into his desk drawer.

The door opened with a soft squeak and he looked up to see a slender blonde woman standing there, a large, green hoodie draped over her small shoulders.

She stepped inside cautiously and was soon followed by a large man who could have easily passed as a pro football player.

They stood in silence before Kabuto raised an impatient eyebrow. Kidomaru told him about two people coming to look for work. It was a rarity that people came to him willingly as he used Orochimaru’s discards and leftover used and broken toys. These two must’ve been ignorant and desperate—both qualities were a plus—though right now they seemed to be wasting his time. He was a busy man and had no desire to play the quiet game.

“Well, what is it that you want?” he grunted in question, finally breaking the hesitant silence.

The girl stepped forward, the chains on her boots producing a soft jangling. “H-hi,” she began hesitantly. “We’re here about some jobs?”

Kabuto shifted his head slightly, the light catching in his round lenses, making them glint as he looked at the large man who stood silently behind her.

“Is that so? What makes you think I’m hiring? I’ve been told that you have come here two days in a row. Why not go elsewhere? We aren’t the only place around.”

“Look, I’m gonna be honest with you. Not many places around are gonna give us a chance.” She bit her lip and glanced to the side before stepping closer to the large metal desk. When she stepped forward the large hoodie slipped down a bit revealing a pale shoulder marred by one small scar. She absently scratched at her inner arm before glancing around and continuing.

“The place we work at now… the owner, Johnny, he’s got a thing” at this, she widened her eyes in an attempt to convey her meaning, “with the other club owners… What he says goes, ya know? This is the only place I know that doesn’t work with him.” She brought her hand down to scratch her thigh, her short chipped nails snagging on her leggings, before bringing it back up to scratch her arm again. The man behind her walked up to her and whispered in her ear, she focused her eyes to the side and nodded softly at his words.

Kabuto raised a fair brow at the scene before him. This was definitely interesting.

The young woman once again turned her attention to the white haired man behind the desk; the large man next to her was still holding her wrist firmly.

“Look, mister, we don’t really have anywhere else to go. We’ll be livin’ on the streets again if I don’t have a job, but I gotta get away from The Shot Glass. I need money bad; I don’t…” she hesitated before the man next to her gave her wrist a small squeeze. “I don’t have a problem a-anymore, but I need—” she held herself off when she felt a tug at her arm. She sighed. “Please, we’ve got nowhere else to go.”

Kabuto eyed the pair for a moment. Fools. This girl was running straight from the dubious safety of the lambs into the lion’s den. “You, I could probably use, but him,” he said, jerking his head toward the young man, “I don’t think he’d be much use to me on the stage.” He eyed the mass of silent muscle and flesh who stood solidly by her side.

“I can’t leave Ken behind! I’m all he’s got, and he’s all I got. The other places we worked used him for his size an’ all.” She raised a dainty hand to pat the large man on the back as if to prove her point.

Kabuto looked over the large mass. He could use him for something, he supposed. “Does he speak?”


“Yes, sir,” came the man’s deep reply.

He sat there and analyzed the two for a moment. For some reason, something felt off. He would find out soon enough. “Alright,” he began, pushing himself up from his seat. “Show me what you can do.” He watched as they both exhaled in relief. “I want to call The Shot Glass as well.” He inwardly smirked as he watched them suck in their breath. Very interesting.

-----

He stretched out his fingers, trying to ease the dull ache in his hands. Maybe he punched a little too hard this time. He glared at the cowering, whimpering form crumpled in on himself in the corner. Orochimaru didn’t like when people refused him.

He tucked a long strand of hair behind his ear and looked out the window. It looked like someone actually bought that dojo across the street, and from the looks of it, a couple.

The man was really odd looking from what he could see from this distance. He was a rather tall, thin man who was decked out in a green warm up suit. His dark hair was cut in an unflattering hairstyle. He watched as it appeared the man seemed to have challenged the movers to some kind of contest, speeding to the truck, picking up several boxes and running back into the building. He quickly returned to do it all over again.

Unfortunately for him, it seemed as if he were the only one taking the contest seriously as he repeatedly lapped the movers who actually seemed to slow down, eager to lighten their work load.

The woman was a kindly looking brunette in dark brown slacks and a pink, button down shirt. Her dark hair was drawn up into two buns, and she watched the male with a small smile on her face as she stood off to the side. Whoever she was, her quiet, confident composure made it appear as if she would be the one to handle the business aspect of their new venture.

It seemed as if the young man had finished unpacking the truck when he came up empty from the trailer. After he shook each member of the moving crew’s hand graciously, he ran over to the woman and picked her up, twirling her around. She looked down at him adoringly before he sat her back on to the ground, and she placed a chaste kiss to his lips. She wrapped a slender arm around his waist as he placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. They stood outside the store front, looking in appreciatively.

A small whimper attracted his attention back to the boy in the corner. A slow smile crept to his lips as he casually pushed his chair back and languidly rose from his chair. He pulled up his pants zipper before he crossed the room to approach the young man.

He crouched over the trembling body and lifted his chin so he could see his face. His thumb gently grazed the large, blue-black, puffy bruise forming along the side of the young man's face. He tried to catch the eyes that were currently trying to avoid his own. "You’re so beautiful, Uchiha," he whispered, before he placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

-----

The deep, heavy beat of the music vibrated through the floor, making the liquid in his glass ripple along with the beat. He watched her stand in the middle of the stage, listening to the vibe of the music.

The brightness of the room made it a bit awkward for her, revealing everything. If she wanted this job, now was the time to show it. There was no holding back. She looked into his skeptical face as he pulled his glass up to his smirking lips, one eyebrow hitched.

She swayed her hips slowly to the beat as she shrugged off the large hoodie, the clothing settling into a large, fabric pool on the floor. She stepped forward, kicking off the green sleeve that somehow wrapped around the heel of her boot.

She allowed the cool leather to slip from her shoulders and casually threw her jacket to the side. The chains on her boots jingled in tune to each step she made.

With a deliberate sway to her hips, she sauntered over to the pole that stood solidly behind her. She wrapped one hand around the cool metal while splaying the other across the top of her ass. Immediately she dropped into a squat, balancing on the balls of her feet. Smacking herself across the ass, she brought her free hand up to grasp the pole with the other hand. She slowly pulled herself up into a standing position, circling her hips into small figure eights as she progressed upward and turned her face toward Kabuto. She stared into his eyes while biting her lower lip suggestively.

Turning back to the pole, she pumped her hips forward and back before bringing one of her hands up her ponytail and pulling her hair tie loose, allowing the long blonde hair to wash freely down her back and along her shoulders.

She hooked her knee around the pole, securing herself in place, before taking her hand off and leaning back, bowing her torso. Her golden hair tumbled down in a cascade. She placed her hand back on the pole and pulled herself up, her hair billowing around her face. She slid her free hand down to the foot that was hooked around the pole and unzipped her boot and pulled it off. Switching to the other side, she repeated the action for the opposite foot.

Taking a quick glance at her audience and his uninterested face, she knew she was going to have to step up her game. She looked at the pole and stared at her distorted reflection on the shiny surface. Now was the one time she would allow herself to break a promise. She pushed all reservations into the back of her mind and continued, praying for forgiveness.

Moving the hand on the pole up higher, she took a few quick steps around the gleaming metal. Placing her other hand low on the pole, slightly below waist level, she pulled herself up and swung around the metal shaft, her knees bent and toes pointed. She pulled her legs together and pointed them outward, letting them rest on the cool metal as she continued the rotation.

She dropped one leg to the floor, followed by the other, before walking around the pole again. This time placing one hand high above the other, she hoisted her body up the rod and lifted her legs above her head, pointed in a V, while her body was turned perpendicular to the pole. She hooked the leg closest to the pole around the metal as the other bent at the knee with her foot pointed toward her back. Maneuvering her arms so that her arm furthest from the shaft came to rest below her body for support, she took her other hand and grabbed on to the foot that was pointed toward her back. She twirled beautifully for a moment before she brought he hands back to their original position on the pole and pointed her legs upward. She spiraled around effortlessly until she gently landed on the stage.

Once her bottom was fully settled, she lay back and brought her hands to caress her thin frame, starting from below her shoulders until they stopped at the waistband of her purple tights. Bringing her hips up from the floor, she hooked her thumbs into the elastic and shimmied out of the cloth until it rested past her bent knees. With her feet flat on the floor she pushed herself toward the front of the stage, on her back, allowing the purple to slide down her legs, off her feet and curl up into a forgotten pile near the pole.

Once her legs were bare, she turned on to her stomach and crawled the rest of the way to the edge of the stage, surprised to see Kabuto standing there waiting for her. Once she reached him, she slid up into a kneeling position and grabbed the hem of her tank and pulled it over head, a mass of hair flopping in her eyes, momentarily obscuring her view of the eyes of the man in front of her. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she brought one hand up to her shoulder and pushed at one of her bra straps. It fell limply on her upper arm.

Just as she was going to repeat the action on the other side, the white haired man pressed a button on the remote he held in his hands and stopped the music. He walked closer to the edge of the stage and caught her chin in between firm, yet cool, fingers, his gaze assessing.

Her icy blue eyes were mostly dead, yet held a small spark of life deep in the crystalline depths.

“Okay…” he began slowly, “I’ll give you a chance.”

Her eyes lit up as her hands scrabbled to encase the hand that was not currently sliding down her cheek to her neck and off her shoulder. She shook his hand eagerly. “Thank you so much! You won’t regret it! I swear!” She looked past Kabuto to her companion and smiled in his direction. He returned the gesture with a small smile of his own.

He smirked slightly as he shook the excited idiotic blonde’s hand and eyed the huge meat-tank that accompanied her. His eyes slipped back to her perky breasts as they moved with her excited bouncing. Oh yes, he was glad to have two new toys to play with.


----------------------

AN: I want to apologize for not updating for so freakin long! There was a string of RL atrocities and to top it off I had some freakishly horrible writer's block!! Of course I wrote during this thing producing some other stories (which included Landscaping Day, thanks to all who read, favorited, and reviewed that!). Then with the support and threats of my lovely friends I was able to defeat it. Woo hoo!

Review Replies:


Nikki - Thank so very much sweetie! I’m am very glad you liked it and took the time to tell me (especially since you were the only one at the time XD) *lurves you*

Pooh The Bird – XD, You sound like someone else… No SasuSui is not going to be a pairing, though it does have its moments. I hope you like the length of this chapter, it’s long to make up for my horrible absence.

As for your question regarding Neji… maybe… ;)

spoon – Er… well, I am very sorry this isn’t soon. *sweatdrop* I hope you are still able to enjoy. I will try not to take so long next time.

nlb – I am so glad you are enjoying this story, it makes me really happy! As for your question about Sasuke and Sakura, I can’t really answer as I have to keep my secrets, hehe. But I will put it to you this way: Sakura didn’t make Sasuke marry her… Hm… And Sasuke and Naruto finally met! Lol, not the greatest meeting but they can’t just run into each other’s arms just yet. Thanks so much for reviewing.

Aeryss – Yes, Oro is pretty sick, but that makes him Oro, hehe. Sasuke is definitely not innocent by any stretch of the imagination, but that’s how you have to be if you want to be in that organization. Now in this chappy you get to see how um… precious Kabuto is.

I’m very happy you’re enjoying this! Thanks for reviewing.

Lynn – Aww, thanks for the hug and the review. Yeah, I fell into that ‘authoress feels worthless because no one reviews’ thing. Nah, you’re not mean, you seem like a sweetie (and I swear we say some of the same things XD) Thankies!

Cupricanka – Thank you very much! :D I’m glad someone is feeling sorry for Sakura. Don’t worry; I’m going to help her eventually. Thanks for the review!

Lison Faye - You know, I love love love when you review! You say what you mean, but not in a way that makes me want to go cry in the corner. I’m sorry about the whole Takahara flashback thingy; I definitely saw what you meant. I know I have to work on my clarity at times.

I am so pleased that you liked the phone conversation! That was one of my favorite parts to write. I was so giddy when you said that.

The neighbor thing was the only thing I wanted to keep rather obvious, but I know you will keep me in check otherwise. (that’s why I love you! :D)

Thanks again for your review, I hope you continue to enjoy.

riddlestar – Oh my sweet *huggles* I’m so sorry I had you waiting for so long.

I had to make the three pretty tough and scary so people could see what the rookies were up against and that it won’t be easy. They’re dealing with real crazies/sickos.

I hope this satisfies. I will try not to take so long next time. And I am really trying with the paragraphs, lol. It’s hard sometimes. Maybe I just talk too much.

I hope you likies!!

Nettie – Thank you so much, I really appreciate the encouragement and support! I hope you liked this chapter as well. *huggles*

Sero - Well *sheepish grin* it’s a bit late, but here. XD I really hope you like it. Thank you so much for the review!

kanaro - Aw, thank you so much! I’m really glad you’re enjoying this so far, it makes me happy!

lexjamandme - *squishes you to bits* Thank you so much for your help! I’m so flattered that you like this story, you have no freakin idea! *loves you*

gryphonwills – Thank you! ^^ Glad you likes!

Mewmew2 – Well I hope this keeps your attention. Thank you so much for taking time out to leave a comment.

Kimra – I’m glad you read it too! XD I will try not to hurt you too much in the end.

IvvyMoon – *tackles* I lurve you!!! Gah! Thanks so much for helping me, and keeping my SasuSaku hatred from seeping into my story. I am so grateful that you liked this so much and you still do. All I can say about your questions is… *sneaky grin* lol. If it’s any consolation you will know before others do.

Lilith – Aw, your excitement is catching! I’m so happy that you liked this story so far. Thank you so much!

yuurimaoh – Yes, that cycle is going to get to Sasuke. I likes to keep the man busy. XD I’m glad you’re getting into this, it makes me want to write more. Thank you so much!

blue_genjutsu – Yes, Sasuke is going to be hard to redeem if he’s redeemable… *sly grin* You will hopefully stick with me to find out. Thanks so much for your continued support.

KageKitsune XXX – Boss! *clings* I hope to make you proud! (and get Rebecca back) Thank you for taking a chance and reading and then reviewing!! My love for you overwhelms me.

Miss Alise – Hehe, I like to keep you guessing! Thank you so much for enjoying the plot, makes me feel good because it’s starting to become a bitch to keep track of. But I wouldn’t love it any other way. Thanks for the review!

Lane – Yup they will be meeting (as you already read, lol). I’m so happy you’re liking this story. And thank you for saying that about Sasuke and Orochimaru, I worked hard to make them that way. Please let me know what you think of Kabuto. Thank you for the review!