Assassin next door

Naruto dragged herself through her apartment door at 3 am the next day.

Whilst the assassination had been a success in itself the mission around it had gone terribly.

First of all, she and Uchihas’ team did not get along, one or the other making snarky comments and jabs till one of her owns team mates called an end to it. Second, one of Uchihas’ nearly got stabbed so as she pushed said team mate out of the way, and in the process she got shot in the shoulder. Third, the bullet that shot her had a poison in it that was making its way through her right now.

And here she was now. Currently, in an immense amount of pain with a still bleeding shoulder, dragging himself back into her apartment a few hours before her estimated arrival.

Had it not been for the poison coursing through her veins right now she would have noticed the person following her. She would have also been able to fight off the said person when they started to strangle her and push her against the wall.

However Naruto did manage to drop a vase she had in her apartment which in turn awoke her neighbour- not that she knew.

As the assailant was strangling her, Naruto was, of course, struggling against him. Punching him, kicking out, and trying to get the man in-between the legs but she barely had any strength in her.

Just then a shot was heard and the assailant jumped back a few feet, giving Naruto enough time to get away from him, however she was dragged by the arm into her bathroom which had the light on.

Only then did she realize she never turned the lights on when she came in and inwardly she berated himself for not having done that, if she had she would have been able to identify the person who had attacked her in her own house. However she had a thought that it may have been one of the people that had ambushed her and her teams tonight, but all of these thoughts were kicked out of her mind as she was shoved rather roughly into her bathroom floor with by her very brooding neighbour.

“What the hell is going on?” he hissed at her. Okay so he was more than brooding, he was full-on pissed off.

“Well it’s a long story but… this guy somehow stalked me home and now he’s trying to kill me.”

All she received for a reply was a grunt before he asked, “Do you have any weapons? A knife or gun in here? Something to hurt the guy. That was the last bullet.”

Naruto paused, thinking twice before answering. She could tell him that there were a few weapons in her cabinet under the sink but what would the consequences be? Would Sasuke question it and what would his reply be? “Under the sink.” Apparently her mouth didn’t quite understand her brain at the current moment and decided to say what it wanted, much to her dismay.

Sasuke moved and opened the cabinet and as soon as he had a few weapons came out and spilled onto the floor. He quirked an eyebrow and grabbed two guns, one for himself and one for Naruto and made his way to the door, opening it up ever so slightly and pointed the gun to the intruder who thought he would be getting out of this place alive.

In the midst of aiming Naruto said, “Just so you know, I have a pretty bad aim with a gun right now.” As she said that Sasuke had taken two shots, one aimed at the assailants’ head but he dodged it slightly and somehow it had grazed his left ear, and the second shot his straight through the forehead killing him where he was.

Sasuke stood up from his crouched down position and walked into the room not noticing that Naruto had gotten up as well and started to make her way through the apartment as well.

As Naruto was walking her eye sight started to blur and it took her a moment to realize that it was most likely due to the poison in her system or possibly due to large amount of blood that had been oozing from her wound, she couldn’t really tell. And as her vision blurred, her movements became sluggish and at some point she must have collapsed because the next thing she knew, she was on her sofa and her neighbour was taking off her shirt.

“Don’t.” she said groggily. “Leave it.”

Sasuke glared at her for saying that, “You’re bleeding and need medical attention. I am also assuming that whatever injured you had poison in with how you are reacting. So shut up and let me apply first aid or you are going to go to the hospital.”

She whined in reply. She didn’t like either of those options. “I know first aid myself. Let me do it.”

A grunt was all the reply she got before Sasuke carried on unbuttoning her shirt till she got to the fourth button and he saw bandages around Narutos chest. His face went a feint shade of pink, but he focused on the task at hand. Unbuttoning all the buttons he saw a tattoo on Naruto’s stomach that he hadn’t known she had.

Shaking his head, he got the supplies necessary in hand as he removed the blood soaked bandage and replaced it with a new one after disinfecting it, he really didn’t want to deal with his neighbour having an infected wound, explaining that would be too troublesome.

Once that was done he changed the shirt into one that was just on the sofa and looked up to see that Naruto had once again fallen asleep, in what had to be a very uncomfortable position.

Sighing he heaved Naruto up into his arms, and as earlier he was shocked to find his neighbour quite light for her figure, but didn’t let the thought ponder in his mind.

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At 5 AM Naruto woke up thanks to two mobile phones ringing, one being hers and the other being Sasukes, both stopped ringing at the exact same time.

She took a moment to look around and observed her surroundings and she noticed quite a few things were not how she remembered them to be. Firstly, she was in her bed when she distinctively remembered falling asleep on the sofa. Secondly, her collar bone and shoulder hurt a lot. Third and maybe the most important, she felt the weight of an arm around her and the warmth of a chest pressed up against her back.

She fought off her primary instinct to turn and get on top of whoever it was on her bed and suffocate them, as she realized that the person who was cuddling her was, in fact, her neighbour.

She debated, stay in her nice, warm bed or go out of her bed and do something useful and then later go back to bed.

Sighing she slowly disentangled herself from the warmth of her neighbour, as to not wake him, and picked up her phone whilst making her way through the bedroom and into the living area on her apartment.

She sat down on her sofa, placing her phone besides her, and tried to recall the events of the past night.

She was on a mission that they finished early but had been bad overall, after the mission she said to the team to report to HQ and that she would file in her report later. After that she went home and on her way she realized that the gun shot that wounded her had poison in it, but she had lots of antidotes to many different poisons in her apartment so it would be best to go there.

She went home and didn’t lock the door since she was sure no one had followed her, but someone had and said person started to strangle her. Then as she was struggling against the assailant, if you could call it that, a shot was fired and he was shoved into the bathroom by her neighbour.

After that her memory was fuzzy, but what she was definite about, was the fact that Sasuke had killed the assailant.

She whipped her head in the general direction she believed the assailant to have been and noticed that there was no body, not even a spec of blood was on her orange carpet.

Thinking a bit harder she remembered fragments of the rest on the night, which wasn’t much since she had passed out not even fifteen minutes later.

Sighing once again she rubbed her face and thought about what she should do next. Question why her neighbour or even how he got rid of all of last night’s evidences or ring work and tell them about the assailant? She figured that she had a duty to tell work that there was a breach last night and let them deal with it.

She picked up her phone and once unlocking it, she realized that noticed forty-three missed calls and sixty-nine text messages. All of the calls and messages were from work, and more specifically her aunt Inaho and Shisui.

Calling her aunt now would be pointless as she was most likely sleeping since she also works the night shift so she chose to ring Shisui who was also the last person to ring her.

After just one ring she answered, “Naruto! Are you alright?! Your team all came over last night to hand in their reports but I was told you weren’t there. That and the fact that you hadn’t handed in your report. Are you okay? All of the reports said you were severely injured so of course you’re not okay- and when you didn’t answer we all, of course, went into a frenzy and-”

She chose then to interrupt him since he had hardly even taken a moment to breath between sentences, “I’m fine. Kinda. Ya know how it is with me Shisui. Besides the wounds not that bad. I’m doin’ alright. Oh! I need to tell you this. Last night, when we finished my, you-know-what, there was this guy…” with that she told him about what had happened and he hung up after saying he had to inform the boss, and mumbled something about paperwork.

With that all done she went back into the bedroom and went back to sleep, she needed the rest after all.

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Sasuke woke up not long after his neighbour had come back into the bed, in fact he felt Naruto leave the bed but decided to let the blonde get on with her thing.

As his neighbour fell asleep he reached over to the night stand and picked up his phone as it had started to ring, but as he picked it, it stopped ringing.

Sighing he got up and checked  his phone to see that he missed six calls from work and seven from his brother.

Deciding to call back work and then his brother, he got out of the bed and went into the kitchen to make some breakfast, either pancakes or toast.

After three rings, TenTen, the sort of secretary, answered, “Sasuke! Hey. Sorry to bother you so early in the morning but could you come into work an hour early? You can leave an hour earlier as well if you want but we have a situation that you need debriefing on about a mission last night.”

“I can do that. Do you know why my brother rang?”

“Yeah it’s the same reason as why I called so just drop him a text, he’s just gone into a meeting with Lady Vermillion. She seemed quite pissed. Well anyway gotta go! Bye!” with that she hung up the phone and he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Toast it was.

Seven hours later Sasuke was sitting in the briefing room with his some members of his and Uzumaki’s team that had gone on a mission together last night, they seemed to be sporting a few injuries but apparently nothing major.

The meeting had been delayed as the higher ups wanted a word with Itachi and Lady Vermillion.

They had been waiting for ten minutes when Sasukes brother, Itachi, and the night manager, Inaho Vermillion, walked in.

“Right. So we are here to discuss last night’s mission. Reading all of the reports except for Naruto Uzumaki’s who verbally said his report to Shisui. It can be safe to say that there is a problem. Do any of you want to tell me what said problem is?” said Itachi and when nobody replied Inaho carried on for him.

“Team-work between different teams is sorely lacking. Now I get rivalry, it’s healthy and helps growth, however, day squad you may be used to taking orders only from day members but last night was a mission of great importance, and because of your foolishness of not communicating properly with the night members everyone was injured.

“Now I’m not saying it was all your fault, but what I am saying is that if you had said to the usual night team that there were people who got passed you then most of this could have been avoided. In fact if you had stuck to the original plan and listened to the orders Uzumaki had given you, you wouldn’t be here. Any questions?” she looked at everyone as she said all this.

“Hn. I have. What are you going on about? I haven’t read the reports so I don’t know what you are going on about.” Sasuke said, looking pointedly at his brother and night manager.

“Simple, little brother. You were aware that some of your team was needed for a night assassination with Uzumaki’s team, and they had specific orders to follow. Sure those orders made the mission longer, but it also made the mission safer. Your team did not follow orders, presumably to get the mission over and done with sooner, and then when they run into unexpected trouble they fail to tell the other members of the squad what was happening. Kabuto over here was about to be stabbed when Uzumaki moved him out of the way, and ended up getting shot instead. He sustained a few injuries but said that none were too bad and if he would be needed he could come into work tonight, however we have told him to stay and rest at home.

“Now another thing that needs to be pointed out everyone. Last night Uzumaki was stalked and attacked, whom by in a mystery but I want everyone on high alert. It could have been a thief, or it could have been another assassin, he doesn’t know, because the bullet that shot him was poisoned. Next time a mission of day and night are joined I want all orders followed. I will not tolerate a repeat of this ever happening. Am I clear?” when everybody nodded their head for gave their verbal confirmation Inaho finished it all up.

“Now the night members who went on this mission will be taken off field duty and stuck with desk work for the next month due to insubordination and incompetency, I expect no complaints. Sasuke will work with the night team if he needs any more people for missions during this time. You may all leave.”

And with that said they all got up and left the room.

Looking at his watch Sasuke noted that there was only fifteen minutes before he needed to leave so he went to his desk to sort through a few things before leaving when his old class-mate and college, Shikamaru, asked him, “What’s up? You seem stressed.”

Deciding to go for the truth he said, “One of the walls separating mine and my neighbours apartments has been demolished, I’m sleeping in his place and he’s showering at mine. Both apartments are currently dirty despite how much we clean. My neighbour is a werido who enjoys making my life a misery.” (A/N he is addressing Naruto as a male because she requested he do so.)

His friend nodded his head in contemplation, “Relationship issues then. They are mighty troublesome.” Sasuke turned his head and looked incredulously at him, but he just continued, “It’s quite risky in our line of work to take a lover. The possibility of them being taken by our possible enemies is a high one.” Sasuke gave him a ‘wtf are you going on about?’ look, but once again it was ignored, “Unless of course you’re in a relationship with a person equally dangerous, in which case that would make you even more dangerous, and we can’t have that. Oh wait, then there’s that over-protective older brother, Itachi, of yours. He’d probably chew anyone that came your way, you know, besides your fan-girls here.”

“Okay. I’m just going to stop you right there. You may have been the valedictorian of our year but that doesn’t mean you can try to read into my life. I feel very much violated right now. And another thing, you are not a psychologist nor a therapist, much less mine. Please stop, for my sanity.”

Thankfully his oldest friend decided to stop, and Sasuke doesn’t think he ever loved a human any more than right now.

Everyone gathered in the lobby when Sasukes phone rang and all eyes went onto him.

Not only because having the volumes off was a policy as it could make the target aware of your position.

No, they were looking at him because it was his private number, they could all have sworn that the only person who knew his personal phone number was his brother and as he was in front of them all, it wasn’t him.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, giving him a knowing look, whereas Itachi gave him a surprised look and everyone stared to catch his conversation and who it might be with.

Cautiously, he answered the call keeping it a short distance from him, “Hello?”

“Sasuke? Is that you? Are you holding the phone away because you don’t want to talk to me, eh bastard!” he glared at his phone. Naruto. “How could you?! I trusted you and you went behind my back!”

“Care to explain what it is I’ve done wrong this time? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“It’s nearly four in the afternoon, only an idiot would be asleep at this time on day.”

“Precisely.”

“And to answer your question. You said shows are never better than books! Yet you watched it without me! How could you?! I feel cheated.” Ironic since Sasuke could clearly hear the show on in the background.

Sighing he looked around to see everyone staring at him and waved them off as if to say nothing to see here. “Look, you weren’t there and I was bored with nothing to do. Stop sulking. I know you’re watching it without me as well.”

“I’m watching what you watched so we can finish this off together!”

Massaging his head he thought of what to say next and said, “How did you get my number? I just changed it.” he manoeuvred his head so that no one would be able to tell what he was saying by reading his lips.

“I graduated in the top three of my college in I.C.T. and other subjects. I’m not an idiot, it’s relatively easy to do, especially when you have the person’s phone.”

Sighing again he asked, “How you feeling? Dizzy? Sick? Flustered? Do you need me to pick some medicine from the pharmacy before I get back? Or maybe something to eat? You shouldn’t walk around with that leg injury of yours.” Sasuke admits to being an ass, but he was a caring ass when he needed to be. He really, really didn’t want to be dealing with his neighbour needing to go to the hospital so he would do whatever he had to do to make her feel better.

“What do you want for dinner? I can either make it or you could buy it and I’ll transfer the money into your account.”

“I’m in the mood for pizza. Do you want to make that or should I buy it. And No need.”

“Um if you could buy a few things for us then we can have my home cooked pizza. Whatever toppings you want text it me, I’ll check if we have them and I’ll text you back for whatever we need. I’ll check your kitchen as well. Sound cool?”

“Hn.” He looked back and remembered where he was. “I’ve gotta go. I finish work early but since I’m going to the shop I should be back around my usual time but be prepared for me to there early.”

“Kay-kay.” Naruto breathed in and said in a loud girly voice, “See you at home honey!” and both of them hung up.

He sighed deeply before slowly turning around and facing everyone. Though he had the exterior of a calm and collected person, Sasuke was wondering how long until everyone of the day and night shift knew about this conversation and what sort of rumours would spread out because of it.

Most likely everyone would now by tomorrow and as for rumours, he could all but guarantee that majority of them would say he had a secret lover that he was hiding from everyone, including his dear older brother who was currently being dragged out by his Lady Vermillion, he seemed to be quite feint.

Sighing for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day he got up and left to go get what he needed for dinner.

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When Sasuke got home he was greeted by a truly wonderful thing. His neighbour pinning him to the door and holding a knife to his chest that was, until she noticed who it was and her eyes widened before backing up.

“Sorry. I thought you were someone else. There’s this guy who’s been outside the house all day and I thought it’d be him.”

“That-” Sasuke replied whilst pointing to where the person was, “Is a co-worker of mine that I asked to stand watch here today in case anyone decided to kill you in your sleep.” He walked into the apartments, changing his shoes and went into the kitchen to put the shopping on the table. “Should you even be moving about threatening people? With your leg injury, shoulder injury and whatever injury you have on your chest, it must be hard you get about your day. Are you even licensed to have a gun?”

“I work as a bodyguard. I told you that.” She replied, and she followed Sasuke into the kitchen and started to pack some things away and put others to the side so she could cook easily. “And I don’t have a chest injury. Those are my chest bindings to keep them hidden. I’m pretending to be a guy, remember?

“Are bodyguards supposed to have trigger happy fingers and bad aim?” Sasuke asked just as Naruto got to the counter.

“My aim is not that bad. I’ve just not been having the best of days. And I am not trigger happy, I much prefer hand-to-hand combat and close range weapons.” They were quiet for some time, and they both packed the things away in silence, that was until Sasuke spoke.

“You’re not going to work tonight. Call in sick.”

“I may enjoy cooking and don’t mind cleaning but I am not obliged to listen to your orders. And another thing. Never. Give me. Orders.” Naruto looked Sasuke right in the eyes as she said that and what Sasuke didn’t notice was that Naruto held a knife to him and that got him by surprise.

“Why the hell are you acting like a girlfriend who doesn’t like her boyfriend telling her what to do?”

“What the hell did you call me?” Naruto narrowed her eyes and shoved Sasuke onto the counter, holding the knife to his throat tighter.

He sighed and said calmly, “Okay that was out of line. I apologize. I just don’t think you could work properly with all your injuries. It won’t help you to get batter.” He put one hand on Narutos arm and another on her face to move her hair out of her eyes. He froze when he realized what he was doing and slowly retracted his hands.

“Sorry. I’m- I’ve not been myself these past two days. I’m not… normally like this.” Naruto said as she placed the knife back on the counter and moved back a bit to give Sasuke room to move. “So! You still want pizza? If I start them now I can have them fully cooked in a bit, since I already made the dough and tomato base.”

“Hn.” He may have grunted out a reply but Naruto had just done 180 on him. And threatened him with a knife to the throat. Again. In all fairness, Naruto had once said she didn’t like being compared to women. Note to self, find out why Naruto has issues being addressed as a woman without having your throat slit and left to bleed to death.