Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
I am sorry that I have not updated for a while, but this chapter was giving me trouble. I did not like what I had been writing, so I was forced to restart multiple times.
I finally decided that I was taking too much time, and forced myself to write something. It seems a little disjointed and rushed, but it was the best I could do for now. Perhaps later I will re-update it, and improve upon it.
"I'm sorry, sir; you have my condolences. However, it could not be avoided."
As he lit a cigar and stuck it in his mouth, he appeared calm, but there was no doubt that he was seething on the inside.
"Who did it?" He asked blowing out a stream of smoke.
"No one did anything, sir," Naruto explained respectfully. "It was a training accident."
"You t'ink I stupid, man?" The older man snapped at Naruto as he stood up. "I heard you the fuckin' first time!" Calming down a little bit, the older man chuckled and raised his hands as a sign of peace. "All I wanna know is the name, man. No harm can come from that, can it?"
"No, but there is also no reason you should know it. Her injury was an unfortunate accident, but an accident, nonetheless." Naruto replied, starting to get a little angry that this man would not accept that.
"How I know that there ain't gonna be no more of these…accidents? Huh?" Scowling at Naruto's stubbornness, Lola's father was losing what little patience he had left.
"Look. I've got things under control. Don't wor-"
"Don't worry, man? You serious?" The man took the cigar out of his mouth and glared at the blonde ninja. "My daughter -- mi hija preciosa – is in the hospital with what may have been injuries that caused permanent damage. Maybe I would be less concerned if you can tell me where you were during all this."
Naruto looked a little embarrassed, but he would never admit his weakness to the other man. Before he could reply, the man continued.
"I am fucking Antonio Gonzales. Don't fuck wit' me, man." Tony exploded into a fiery rage. "Now, tell me the name of the cocksucker, who dared to fuck wit' mi hija."
"They will be dealt with appropriately-"
"They?" Antonio asked as he interrupted Naruto.
"-but by the appropriate authority," Naruto continued, ignoring his interruption. "Now, if you don't mind I have important matters to attend to. This is your daughter's exact location." As Naruto stood up to leave, he handed his student's father a paper with the room number and other credentials that Antonio would need to know to see her.
Antonio Gonzales glared at the retreating back of Naruto Uzumaki.
"Ernie, get the fuck over here."
"What is it, Tony?" An almost chubby man, with a thick black mustache answered.
"Find out who dared to touch my daughter. Nobody fucks wit' Antonio Gonzales' family and gets away wit' it. Nobody."
Reiji sauntered down the street, his head held high. Winking at all the pretty girls and flipping cards from one hand to the other, he was not in any hurry. Though he seemed relaxed on the outside, inside his mind was in turmoil.
My dad might flip out when I get home. I know exactly what he's going to say. Reiji contemplated his return to his father's mansion. There was no doubt in Reiji's mind that his family knew exactly what happened already. His father seemed to know everything that happened in Konoha.
As he slammed the door behind him his father's voice rang our from behind him. "Do you know how close you were to her heart?"
Reiji winced at the iciness that he heard. He was right; his father said exactly what he though he would. "Sorry about that father."
"One more millimeter and you could have killed her. It would have been your fist kill."
"But, Father, I had not intended to kill her. If I was going for a kill she would have been dead."
"Again. Why does she still live?"
"Excuse me father, but would it not be wise to kill someone besides a warrior of the leaf village, let alone one of my squad mates."
Reiji's Uncle, Marius, chimed in. "So he didn't get his first kill today brother, so what? He'll have plenty of time to get one soon."
Still speaking in the eerily calm, yet slightly angry tone, Reiji's father spoke again. "When I was half his age, I had my first kill. He is behind and must be brought up to speed soon."
"Don't worry about that, Jin. In fact, I've got it all covered. Two weeks from now, Lord Waki will be returning from his little vacation with his wife. He recently broke one of our contracts; instead, opting to find someone cheaper. We don't like that Reiji, not at all. You are going to go show him how much we don't like that."
"Um… I appreciate the offer-"
"He accepts." His father intervened. "Marius, I am too busy to prepare him, so I expect either you or Henri to do it in my absence."
"Of course, Jin." Marius said, bowing to his brother as he escorted Reiji out of the office. "In two weeks, Reiji, you will finally become a man." His Uncle said cheerily, giving him a huge grin.
Gaara looked up as a Baki ran into his office, slamming the door behind him. Gaara stared at him, waiting for him to explain himself. Panting, Baki began clarifying. "We won."
"What?" An obviously confused Gaara asked. "What did we win?"
"The battle," was all that Baki replied, still catching his breath.
Gaara was beginning to get annoyed. "What battle? What are you babbling about?" He snapped.
"Temari took her kids home with her. Apparently, her twins had dressed in expensive dress-up clothes, and during their rampage had a mini mud fight."
Gaara sighed. He should have guessed Baki was talking about those kids—it's all Baki ever talks about anymore. "Why are you obsessed with a nine year old boy and girl? All I ever hear you talk about is them, and everything you do say is blown way out of proportion. You're not going senile, are you?"
"No, I am not senile or will ever be senile." Baki bristled. "However, I'm getting old, and need something to keep me occupied. Maybe if you let me go on more missions, this would not happen."
"None of the missions I have received seem to suit your particular talents."
"Don't lie to me, Gaara. You think I'm too old to do any of the missions. The last one you gave me was a B-rank! You don't think I can handle it anymore, and that's…ageism."
Gaara stared solemnly at Baki. "You're right."
Baki blinked in surprise. He knew that had been the reason, but he expected the Kazekage to give excuses.
"You're right," Gaara repeated. "I have been neglecting your prowess; you are still perfectly capable of completing missions. I have used you as a crutch for far too long. When I needed advice you were who I went to—you are still who I go to—but I need to respect your wishes as well."
Baki bowed low. "Thank you, Kazekage. When shall I begin?"
"Take this mission. It's an S-rank, and I expect it to be completed in one week's time from when you begin. Take three days of prep. Should you require a squad, one will be provided."
Smirking, Baki grinned, his silver hair glinting in the sun. "I work alone."
"So be it." Gaara smiled gently, not for his soldier, but for a friend. "See you upon your timely return."
"Lee."
"If I can do not three-thousand sit-ups, then I must complete three-hundred laps around Konoha." Rock Lee shouted to no one as he continued his sit-ups.
"Lee."
"One-thousand eight-hundred and twenty four. One-thousand eight-hundred and twenty three."
"Lee!"
"One-thousand eight-hundred and twenty five. One-thousand eight-hundred and twenty six."
"LEE!"
"Ahh!" Rock Lee yelled, as someone startled him out of his workout.
"Lee," Neji began again, sighing that he finally got the other man's attention. "I need to speak with you."
"Hello, my eternal rival, Neji! How are you feeling today?"
"Fine. I need your help."
Rock Lee gasped. Neji needs me help? Oh, happy day! If only Gai-sensei was here to see this—my moment of triumph. The day I finally bested my rival. Lee thought.
"You need to train my nephew, Kaito," Neji continued.
Err… Lee thought. Yes, I am a better teacher than Neji. "WOO HOO!!!"
"What are you yelling for?"
Lee stopped moving. "Wait did I yell that last part out loud?"
Neji nodded. "And you began dancing around like a lunatic."
"Yes I will do it. But why me?"
"He needs some speed training, and you are one of the fastest people I know. Gai used to be, but he's getting old."
"Don't say that!" Lee shouted. "Gai-sensei is not old; he is in the springtime of his youth!"
"Umm…Lee…he has to be at least fifty years old by now. He is certainly not in his prime."
"YES HE IS!"
Sighing, Neji agreed in order to move the conversation along. "Meet me tomorrow at the western training ground at dawn to begin his first lesson. Can you do that?"
"Certainly, Neji. I will see you then."
Oh, no! Lee thought, as Neji left. I forgot what sit-up I was on! Oh, well, I'll just be extra fit today.
"One. Two. Three…"
"You see this son?"
"Yes, father; it's New Orleans." Reiji replied. He stood looking out from the balcony of his mansion. Below him, the townspeople meandered around, doing various evening activities. Only a small sliver of the sun remained visible as it slowly lowered behind the mountaintops.
Reiji's father gave a rare chuckle. "True, boy, this is New Orleans, but it's also more than that, boy. Look around you." Reiji gazed at his home city, not sure what in particular he was supposed to be seeing. He had lived there his whole life and knew every nook and cranny—which was saying a lot since he lived in one big suburb. "Everything the shadows touch will be yours someday. I own New Orleans; I am New Orleans, and someday I will pass it on to you."
"Than you, father."
Jin turned and looked at his son. "Is that acceptable to you?"
"Of course, father. Why wouldn't it be?" Reiji replied without hesitation.
"It wouldn't be for me." His father turned to look back at the view from atop their balcony. "I built our fortune from scratch; I earned what was rightfully mine—what was coming to me." His father paused for a few seconds to light up a cigarette, puffing away slowly. "You should want what's coming to you."
Reiji smirked. "I already know what's coming to me dad."
"What's that?"
"The world, father." He said as he gazed at the ants scrambling below him. "The world and everything in it."
Taking a long drag on his cigarette, his father replied, "Shouldn't settle for anything less."
As Kaito lay in bed, he wondered how everything had gone so wrong.
Sure it had not been much of a shock that Reiji beat him, disappointing, but completely predictable. What had surprised was the amount viciousness the other boy had shown. He hated to admit it, but he had been terrified. No, terrified may be too strong of a word. Uneasy is the most his pride would allow him to grudgingly confess. Uneasy that Reiji may have lost it; uneasy that he could have been hurt; uneasy that he might have died.
Subconsciously, Kaito's mind had been preparing for that final blow that may have arrived at any moment. Looking back, the last kunai would not have come even close to a vital area of his body. Hell, it might not have even hit him; who know what Reiji was trying to do.
He did know that he had reacted. Reacted like a coward. Kaito could not have accepted death; he would have sold his soul to escape that fate. In a sense, I did, he thought. I jeopardized the life of a girl in an effort to save me.
Worse was that not all of him felt guilty enough in his mind. A large portion of his thought turned to what his dad would do when he heard, or if his mother would understand. Not wondering about the health the friend he almost killed.
Whatever Reiji said, he still thought of Lola as his friend. He hoped they still were, but it would come as no surprise if she no longer wanted anything to do with him.
Getting up he knew he had to go see her. He would not get any sleep tonight unless he did. Putting on his clothes and ninja gear, he snuck out of his window, leaping down to the soft grass below.
The monitor's muffled beeps were the only noise he heard, as he stalked through the door. Since it was past hospital visiting hours, he had discreetly let himself in. Avoiding the nurses and doctors, he had finally reached Lola's room.
He wished he had not come. It had not helped him; in fact, he felt worse than before. She was out cold, an oxygen mask attached to her face to attempt to stabilize her breathing. Wires spanned across her body, like a giant spider web. The heart rate monitor was erratic, constantly shifting in pattern.
Rifling through the doctor's reports on a nearby desk, he discovered that she had not shown signs of waking up since she had been brought in quite a few hours ago. To his slight relief the papers also said that she would not only live, but also make a full recovery. The bad news was that her recovery could take anywhere from two weeks to two years.
Hearing some distant voices coming nearer, Kaito put everything back where it had been and prowled back toward the hospital exit. Once outside he sprinted to his house, hoping to wear himself out enough to get at least some sleep that night.
As he ran, he contemplated. I always thought I was better than Reiji morally and as a human being, but am I truthfully any better?
Again, sorry for not updating, but I experienced some problems. If you want me to experience fewer problems, reviews could be helpful. That's not a threat; it's the truth. I'm starting to run out of ideas.
I started a new story that I'm hoping all of you read. It is called Leaf Academy, and is more of a school fic. It's not that original of a premise, but surprisingly entertaining to write anyway.
I re-watched one of my favorite movies, and it showed. Guess and see if you can guess what I'm talking about. The only clue that I will give is that it involves one of the fathers introduced in this chapter, and that movie is fairly popular (most people I know have heard of it, even if they have not seen it).
Sorry if this chapter is not as interesting as it could be. This one was rushed a bit, in order to make up for my lack of any ideas.