Disclaimer: same as previous.

I have no idea why I want to share this but I feel that it's quite amusing anyways. The majority of this chapter was written on my cellphone. I seem to be going through periods where I have to change my writing medium – be it the comp, paper/pen or cellphone – otherwise nothing would come out and it would seem that this time the cell has done its job. So yes... it's quite interesting jabbing away at the phone for this thing... That is all! Onwards to ficcage.

Choices

The moment he grabbed the node something akin to fire raced up and down his nerves, burning and scorching its way through his body like lightning. The back of his eyes ached with it and it took every ounce of strength not to cry out in pain. Distantly he noted the taste of iron filling his mouth but that tiny detail didn't register as every nerve ending in his body writhed under the sheer intensity of the raw Power thrumming through him. And just as he was ready to burst from the overwhelming sensations it was sucked right out of him, leaving him empty and disorientated. As soon as his eyes snapped open – he hadn't even realised he'd closed them – he blinked them shut again when the bright glare of long dead halogen lights hit his retinas. It took several more blinks to get rid of the white after images and he found himself staring at Kiba's stunned face. Wincing a little at just how close they were, he shifted a little to the side and spied two hunched over figures from over Kiba's shoulder. Both Uchiha and Hyuuga were clutching painfully at their faces and he didn't doubt that it was hurting like a bitch to have their sensory inputs overloaded, especially when it was the eyes. He winced and quickly squashed down the inkling of sympathy he was starting to feel. No point feeling sorry for them when they were gunning for their asses. Take that you bastard!

"I don't know what you did man, but don't just stand there smiling like an idiot!" Kiba hissed, shoving him bodily away from the two. "Move!"

Adrenalin pumped crazily through his veins as he and Kiba pelted down the worn concrete.

"What the fuck did you do?" Kiba asked over the soft whine of electricity.

"I – "

What had he done? And to be honest, he had absolutely no idea. It had never happened like this before. He had consciously Reached once before but he had only been able to make the lights flicker ever so slightly and that had put him out for two days straight. When he had finally been able to drag himself out of bed Arashi had been more then happy to lecture him about how his stupidity would be the end of him if he didn't stop being an idiot.

He winced at the memory and despite the earful he had received the construct had no idea why or how something like that could happen. Without an explanation, he had chalked it up to a freak accident of some sort, or even good ol' coincidence, but that too was short lived. Just as he was forgetting about the whole incident he found himself Reaching in his sleep. It was the strangest feeling he had ever experienced, something akin to an out of body experience but not. He had never mentioned it to Arashi, it felt like it was far too personal – not that he had ever kept anything from the construct but just something about this didn't sit right with him – and he had been Reaching every so often in his sleep ever since.

But he had never been able to Reach like this before and he suspected that all the adrenalin that was running through his blood right now was what was keeping him on his feet and not face down in hard concrete.

"I-I don't know," he answered softly, feeling oddly empty.

"What do you mea – " Kiba's voice drifted off and a weary side glance showed a worried expression on his friend's face.

Naruto grimaced. "I'll figure it out eventually."

"Yeah. We've got more important things to worry about then your unreliable skills."

It was a blatant change in topic and he welcomed it with open arms. "Who are you calling unreliable?"

"Obviously seeing that there're only two of us here and you can't expect me to call Shikamaru unreliable even if he was here."

He half heartedly grumbled a few curses and glared dutifully at his friend. "I am – " His sentence was cut short at the sudden appearance of a fork up ahead. "Uh, which way?"

Their steps faltered simultaneously and looking down both darkened paths, he turned a questioning gaze to his friend. "You don't know, do you?"

Silence reigned as Kiba sniffed delicately at the air. "No idea."

"Great." They both stared at their options and they both headed down the right tunnel. "If we die down here it's all your fault, man." Naruto's feet pounded on concrete once more.

"My fault?" Kiba's screech made his ear ache. "How the fuck did you come up with that?"

"Because, dog-breath, if you went to a proper surgeon for that nose job of yours instead of some dodgy black market wanker you'd be smelling our way out of here without a sweat!"

"How many fucking times have I told you that it's in my fucking genes and not a nose job! And who in the bloody hell was it that got his sorry ass involved with this shit to begin with? And decided to drag me in for the ride?"

More silence filled in the gap and he was starting to get sick of all the twists and turns. "Fuck! Where's Shikamaru when you need him?"

"I'll take that as a 'I'm so sorry Kiba for dragging you into this and I will do anything you say to repay you!'"

"Fuck you," Naruto muttered, lips twitching despite his best efforts to scowl.

"Apology accepted, fox-boy."

Feeling considerably cheered up, he was almost ready to believe that they'd get out of this one alive when all hope was dashed by a single, ugly grey wall. A dead end. The enemy of all men. He stared while Kiba swore colourfully next to him.

"Kiba," he muttered numbly, his brain not quite processing what he was seeing. "Tell me I'm not staring at a dead end."

"It's a fucking dead end.'

"Why – "

"Naruto now is not the time to act like an idiot," Kiba growled while they both turned around and headed the back the way they came. "I know you have a brain in there somewhere so please please – "

"Kiba shut up. I – "

Both of them went stock still as the sound of footsteps rushing towards them reverberated through the tunnel.

"Fuck!" And string of other colourful words spilled from his mouth in a soft hiss. "Hide!"

"Hide where?" Kiba hissed back just as softly. "If you haven't realised there're only concrete walls here. Where in the bloody hell are we supposed to hide?"

"Just – "

But whatever it was that he was about to say was forgotten as two dark figures came speeding towards them. The hope that had been building in his stomach churned pitifully and slammed hard at the base of his sternum. They had been so close – well no, but it was nice to think so – and now...

Both he and Kiba watched numbly as Uchiha and Hyuuga stopped only a few metres away, looking more pissed off than before.

"They don't look too happy to see us," Kiba muttered under his breath.

"Nearly being blinded does that," Uchiha snapped, and clenched his hands into fists. Beside him Kiba stiffened and prepared himself for a fight.

Naruto stuck a quick hand out to stop Kiba from launching himself into unexpected doom. He stepped quickly forward, willing his knees to stop wobbling so he could lock them into place and smirked at those narrowed eyes glaring at him.

"So you guys are ready for more pain?"

The Uchiha visibly straightened and one corner of his lips hitched up in an equally cocky smirk. "Please stop there, idiot, before you embarrass yourself."

A shot of anger ran through him. "Oh? Is this from experience, bastard?"

The other's smirk took on a hard edge and Naruto as sure the Uchiha was about to fling something scathing his way when Hyuuga cut in, irritation clear in his voice and his eyes were no longer looking like they were trying to dig into his skull.

"Either come with us or be prepared to be carried out of here unconscious." The other's voice was tight with barely restrained rage – no doubt no one had dared to try that little trick that he had done back there, which made a thrill of pride run through his stomach. And as Hyuuga stared them down Uchiha was smirking at his partner's strained voice, clearly glad that he wasn't the only one losing his cool.

"Now wait a minute, I thought the bastard there said that we were going to be killed if we didn't agree."

Kiba jerked visibly. "Don't fucking encourage them!"

"I think you should listen to your friend, idiot."

"Well no one asked you!"

The bastard shrugged nonchalantly. "Either way my patience has run out. So last chance, moron."

"No." And something he couldn't quite decipher flickered across Uchiha's face before it went blank.

"Your funeral."

And it was only then that he noticed that unlike the Hyuuga, whose eyes were now a pale violet colour, the Uchiha's eyes were still a luminous red. But what he had thought were just decorative black commas were now lazily spinning and picking up speed. Fuck!

"Kiba! Don't – "

A sickening thump sounded beside him and he gaped at his friend's crumpled form. Fuck wouldn't begin to describe his sky-rocketing panic.

"Now it's your turn."

"You really think I'm stu...pid..."

The next thing he knew the side of his face was meshed into the concrete and the bastard standing over him.

"Moron."

And his world went black.

Warm.

That was the first sensation that managed to make it passed his foggy brain as he screwed up his face and nuzzled deeper into his rather lumpy pillow. Trying to fall back asleep, he swatted at whatever it was that was tickling his face and groaned deeply when something sharp prodded at his ribs. God, why couldn't Arashi let him sleep?

He was about to whack at whatever it was that was digging into his side when he froze. Wait. Arashi... The construct wasn't here, what had he been...

His stomach churned horribly and he forced himself to sit up right and pry his eyes open. The first real thoughts that struck him was that he wasn't in his dull grey room back in the apartment. It was far too nice to be his room and he could never afford something as extravagant and useless as a crystal chandelier any where in his apartment let alone his own room. It took him several minutes of staring dumbly at the glittering contraption before his brain started to process what his eyes were seeing. A bed. He was sitting on an extremely comfortable bed covered in sheets that were no doubt more expensive than anything in his own home, and as his eyes swivelled just that little bit more to the side he found the Kiba's prone form.

Concern was quickly overtaken by shock and horror. Had been cuddling up next to dog-boy! Dog-boy of all people! Wanting very badly to bend over the side of the bed and throw up he did the next best thing on the list. He shoved hard at his friend's snoring figure and felt much better when a very satisfying thump could be heard as Kiba acquainted himself with the floor.

"Wha – What the fuck?"

"Uh – " He began a little too innocently. "Kiba is that you?" Peering over the edge of the bed as if he hadn't realised that his friend was there he found a rather ruffled looking Kiba looking like he was about ready to kill someone. "What are you doing down there?"

"Don't you fucking 'what are you doing down there' me you fucking asshole! I know you, Naruto. You fucking shoved me off the bed!"

"I did not!"

He sounded convincing, if he did say so himself, but what was the point of sounding convincing when there was a shit eating grin pasted boldly on his face? That was part of the fun in arguing with Kiba. They both knew when the other was lying and just kind of shrugged it off and carried on arguing as if that was the most natural thing to do. Of course, Shikamaru would also be on the sideline rolling his eyes and muttering about how troublesome they were but today they would have to make do without one Nara Shikamaru.

"You did so, you lying bastard!"

Opening his mouth to shout back a denial there was a distinct clearing of the throat and that was when they both froze and realised that they had completely forgot what had taken place before they found themselves here – where ever here was. Turning to gape at whoever disturbed them Naruto found himself scowling at the smug expression on the Uchiha's face.

"You!" Kiba's loud exclamation made him blink. Shouldn't that be his line?

So while his friend fumed and raved – he didn't need to join in because Kiba was doing both their share of ranting from the wild arm flinging – at the unaffected street ninja his eyes wandered the room they had been put in and he was surprised to find that they were in a rather lavishly decorated hotel room instead of some run down place infested with mice and fleas. A glance down at the sheet that was covering his lap showed that it was made of a fine weave, something he was sure he couldn't afford and most likely ruin. Frowning a little at the fact that someone had bothered covering him up, he glanced up and felt his spine stiffen when he found those black expressionless eyes were watching his every move.

"What are you staring at?" he barked angrily, cutting through his friend's long tirade.

"No one is listening to me!"

"Nothing of interest," was the mild deprecating reply and he growled as he shifted himself off the bed and glanced down at himself to make sure he was still in one piece before sidling over to Kiba.

"Where are we?"

"The Hanamiya."

He blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected an answer at all, not when the other man looked like he would rather be somewhere else instead of standing guard over two very annoying people.

"The Hanamiya?" Kiba asked incredulously. "That's like the most – "

"Expensive hotel in Konohagakure," Hyuuga finished the sentence and stepped away from the door that Naruto hadn't notice open. "And as much as I would love to stay here and chat, He wants to see you now."

"He?" Both he and Kiba asked simultaneously.

The door was opened further and they had a glimpse of what was beyond there. A lounge area of some sort? But it was most definite they were in one of the larger rooms in the hotel and it was costing a pretty penny for them to have them here. And the only way they could get out was through that door. They looked at each other for a handful of seconds and got up with as much dignity as they could afford and dusted off invisible lint. No, they could afford a little decorum and once they were out of this room – hopefully He would demand a private audience with them – they were going to run like hell and get out of here. Hanamiya or not, it wasn't worth staying if he was going to be threatened and bullied into agreeing to some crazy-ass deal that was going to get him killed. Glancing towards Kiba he found his friend thinking exactly the same thing.

"Let's get this over with."

Naruto hated to admit it but whoever was trying to hire him knew exactly where to go to make an impression. And what an impression. The winged-back chairs he and Kiba were currently slouched in could've put him to sleep if not for the smirking bastard who was sitting across from him he would've been snoring away. As it were he managed a scowl and downed some more coffee, which he was sure he'd never touch again when he went back to making just enough money to get by, and stuffed some more cake into his mouth. The rest of the lounge was something he could only imagine from his wildest dreams. Lavish furniture, a chandelier dripping with glittering crystals and in the far corner there was a beautifully polished grand piano. Everything in the room screamed money, and really what was he expecting from a Man who could hire two street-nins – they did not come cheap – and have so much dirt on his runs. The latter would've taken an extremely skilled console-jockey to dig up, and those were definitely hard to come by, which begs the question of why they needed him.

He lowered his eyes and sighed. His life sucked.

"So is this boss of yours going to show or what? Unlike you two we're not paid to be here and I've got better thing to do than – "

"Like what, moron? Eat more ramen? Or tinkering with more bad softs?" the Uchiha scoffed in derision, and it took him everything to stay seated instead of flying across the coffee table and letting the bastard know what he really thought of him. Beside him Kiba growled low in his throat and flipped them both off. Yeah, nice and diplomatic.

"Better that than selling my soul off to the highest bidder," he shot back and it warmed his little heart when that hit a nerve. The nonchalant mask that he was sure the asshole was so proud of shattered in an instant.

"Don't – !"

Whatever else the Uchiha wanted to say was cut short as the sound of static crackled through the room. "My my," an unmistakably electronic voice brayed and Naruto was prepared for the faint blue glow of a holograph appearing half a metre above the low coffee table. However, even as he stared with bored fascination at the picture appearing in mid air beside him Kiba was swearing a mile away.

"Shit!" A hand clutched tightly to his chest, Kiba's eyes were wide as the image finally finished loading.

He frowned at the shadowy form of a man and scowled when he was jabbed harshly in the arm. "Don't poke me!"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Aren't you freaked out by that?" Naruto gave a shrug and a shake of his head, and that seemed to only make his companion angrier. "And you! Give a man some warning when you do that!"

"My apologies Mr. Inuzuka," a surprisingly cultured voice rattle and he shuddered as the noise ricocheted through his skull despite Kiba's rant overlaying the whole thing. "And my apologies for being late, but it would seem that you're already fitting right in Mr. Uzumaki."

That gave him a start. "What? Fuck no. I'm not getting on with any of your goons!"

An abrasive chuckle filled the air making both Kiba and him wince. "But you managed to get a rise out of Sasuke there." A glance through the blue holographic glow showed a sullen looking Uchiha, no doubt trying very hard not to pout. "And that is a rare thing."

Instead of feeling smug about it he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I don't make deals with constructs," he muttered, knowing that he might as well have said he didn't make deals with the devil, but at least he'd said his piece and hopefully they could be off on their merry way soon.

"I assure you, Mr. Uzumaki," voice pleasant and accommodating, and it made him snort in derision. "I am not a construct. You of all people should know that constructs lack the free will to make deals without their owner's consent."

Yes, yes he did know that, but then very few people – he was sure he was the only one – owned a construct like Arashi, who made deals left and right and Naruto found himself finding about these so called transactions after everything had been done. So excuse him for being a little suspicious of a murky looking hologram.

"I don't make deals with faceless people," he restated and as the deafening silence settled over the whole room he was sure everyone could hear his thumping heart beats galloping along a mile an hour. And as it were, he wouldn't be surprised if a pissed Uchiha told him to shut up while his heart hammered its way through his protesting ribs and dumped itself proudly onto the richly carpeted floors.

"I didn't realise," here the electric voice paused and seemed to burn holes through his skull with his eyeless stare, "that it was your choice, Mr. Uzumaki."

The tension increased ten fold and he had to bite the inside of his cheeks from shouting out a string of profanities. The man was serious with the threat – the way the Hyuuga tensed and sat coiled like a spring in his seat spoke volumes of just how serious the man was – and come hell or high water he, Uzumaki Naruto, was going to work for him. And it was this realisation that made him stand up stiffly, his barely contained rage making his skin crawl. From beside him Kiba followed his lead and glared darkly at their little audience. No one was making them do this and they sure as hell weren't going to bend now.

"We're leaving."

No one spoke and no one moved to stop them. Taking it as a sign that he had either signed both their death certificates or that he had really convinced them that they weren't working for them, Naruto headed for the door. There were still no protests even as he was within reach of the door and as his hands made touched the door knob Mr. Faceless – as he had dubbed him – spoke up.

"I'll be in touch."

"Fuck off."

The quiet of his dilapidated apartment brought some comfort to his jittery nerves. After leaving Kiba outside Ichiraku – the argument that had erupted as soon as they had gotten out of Hanamiya had drawn too much attention and they had promptly been removed by the hotel security – with a black eye and him a bruised jaw, he had gone for a long long walk. It hadn't calmed him down any, but at least he managed to reign in his temper to just below boiling.

Pushing his front door open, he dumped his jacket to the side and contemplated on whether or not he wanted to turn on his deck or go to his room. Normally it wouldn't be an issue, the deck would be switched on as soon as he walked through the door and Arashi and he would be talking about something or another, but right now he didn't need the construct rubbing it in that he had told him so. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he bit his lip and silently apologised to the blonde. He couldn't deal with a jibe against his lack of common sense and his decision making skills even if he knew Arashi only commented out of concern. Not only had he nearly gotten them both killed – Kiba took great care in reminding him every five minutes or so about this fact – but he had gotten them roped into a deal that wouldn't go away. He didn't doubt he'd hear from Mr. Faceless and for the life of him he couldn't think of how to get away from that man short of running away or killing himself, both of which weren't an option. In a span of a few hours his life had turned itself upside down and jumped off a fifty-storey building.

Groaning in defeat and tugging harshly at his hair until he was sure every nerve ending on his scalp was dancing in fury, he stepped into his room and screamed.

Chapter finished 8th November, 2009

Author's note: Ergh... this took forever to write. Even though I'd thought I'd gotten most of this written on the cell the rest of it was extremely hard to write because I just wasn't in the mood for writing even though the ideas were bouncing around in my skull.