Job interview
Twelve years ago the virus had come out of nowhere.
They called it an epidemic in the news, the people called it a plague. Airborne and vicious the nine different strains evolved to killed in days without help, causing burning fever, blistering and breaking skin and then organ failure. With medical attention and care, you'd be lucky to last few months. They didn't know where it came form or why but the fire nation officials quarantined Konoha city, leaving them to save themselves or to die out, taking the virus with them. Internally the city applied the same tactic, needing to survive long enough to find a cure, needed to implement a merciless emergency state. Any neighborhood with a sign of the virus was tested, evacuated then quarantined. Sealed into their homes by plastic domes and rubber screens. Those inside knew the others waited only to retrieve the dead and burn the corpses.
The flames in the mass graves licked the skies as the Kyuubi virus claimed household after house hold.
They found a few that although not immune, were resistant. Children and the young, their developing bodies reacting and coating their lungs to prevent the virus infecting them that way and forcing infection though body fluids and nothing else. It was no cure but the children lasted longer, long enough to give one man an idea, and with the city in quarantine there was no one there to damn his research for breaking international law with his experiments.
He experimented with his sperm and donor cells. Creating a few cells of life that he'd bid in a losing fight with the virus again and again until he finally solved the problem, found the missing piece. Genetically manipulating and cloning zygote after zygote. Studying the resistance of the cell until he was sure enough of his answer to allow the mass of cells to grow and build a child, his son. Nine long months of death and fear developing a single baby, purposely infected from the moment it's first cell split apart and with a man-made immunity, a collection of antibodies to fight the demon virus.
Antibodies that were harvested replicated and reproduced. Tested on dying human subjects, curing eight of the nine strains, defending and saving Konoha and it's people. All of it lay at the feet of their hero, their savior, their martyr. His son's blood saved thousands of people, cured eight of the strains and all it had cost was for Minato Namikaze to inject himself with the rarest strain, to have the virus in his seed as his baby was created and born. And to hold his son and name him with the last of his strength, knowing the drops of blood would never harm his people or son ever again.
Now, nearly a decade later all samples of the Kyuubi virus have been destroyed and whipped out, all except the ones in the babies blood. The despised baby boy, still inflicted if not infective was sent to live the first segment of his life in an orphanage, often overlooked, despised and unwanted. His egg donor's last name used to list and hide him and what he kept trapped within, a very public secret.
Dr Minato, Konoha Research department's yellow flash - made a life to save all lives except his own. But his little Naruto-chan would be safe…his most precious person.
XXXXX
His bed room was huge. Messy carpets lay across the floor thick and plush and smelling of dog. The French doors leading outside to the garden were pushed ajar as the dogs trotted out, knowing elsewhere on the large property breakfast was almost ready. Their master lay dozing in a four poster bed, orange book at the foot of the large feather duvet
After a few short minutes a hand poked from beneath the thick grey comforter, followed by a slim body and thistle thatch head pouring itself to the only empty spot of floor near and Kakashi, eyes still mostly closed navigated his way through piles of dirty clothes, magazines, moldy plates and every other type of rubbish to the bathroom door, even hopping over a small pile of computer bits and ancient hard drives. There was a flush and the sounds of water splashing in the sink and then the body slouched back through the labyrinth his feet learned from necessity alone, the glint of sun coming in through the few open curtains in the mammoth villa windows before crouching and jumping back into bed, the comforted shoved, tugged and maneuvered to cover the lanky form again and sinking and settling back into the feather mattress.
A few minutes later Kakashi heard the door open and Kabuto's sigh of exasperation and snort at the terrible smells of the room, his adopted little brother not even bothering to comment or try and wake Kakashi up, just grabbing the portable hard drive on the only clean corner of desk with the new program data on it, before leaving for Anbu securities, Kakashi's branch of the family business. The sun was up, people were at work and Hatake Kakashi ignored it all as he lay, drooling and dreaming. Even in his sleep his hands found the book and dragged it close to his chest and his mind returned to the kitchen table with the suppressed brunette with the knockout legs, bongo-drum boobs and gorgeous god-given ass – the shy minx of the latest IchaIcha was defiantly becoming Kakashi's favorite.
XXXXX
Tsunade was having a bad day.
No, she took that thought back. Bad was last month when the fifth maid that year had quit after she realized that spreading her legs wherever and whichever way Kakashi wanted wasn't getting her a ring on her finger or a golden bun in the oven. Now the big booty, gold digging cow was a filing sexual harassment lawsuit against the family that would have to be quietly settled by the lawyers and security footage before it got out of hand.
Bad was last week when the last of the employment agencies in Konoha ended a screaming match with her by calling her a miserable old harpy and slamming the phone and refusing to accept any calls back regardless of how much money she was promising them.
Yesterday was a bad day when Kabuto told her he would be having guests over for a business dinner five rooms down from the growing dump site housing half a dozen dogs and that…that…that…hog. Ton ton's instinct pinged at the foul thought to his general species and he decided it was a good time to follow the dogs in the breakfast hunt, slipping out the only small window there.
Bad was getting a phone call from her ecchi ex-husband for the first time in ages at midnight, the old fool begging her to tell him exactly what the laws prohibit him doing around school girls. The very thought making her glad for quick divorce lawyers and midnight sake in her bedroom fridge. She loved Jiraiya, always would but that didn't mean she had to live with the man let alone put up with his lunacy and jail bait addictions.
Today was not a bad day. Tsunade's fist clenched as she thought of the last visit to that pit of filth and rotting leftovers even the dogs wouldn't eat. She thought of why it had become a dump site, the refusal of every maid on property to get near it or it's occupant for the last month for fear of her perverted, sloppy and lazy godson. The only reason the bathroom stayed relatively clean was the frequent spray form the shower when he couldn't even be bothered to close the door. At least he wasn't one of those bath once a week fools. She'd broken that mindset when he was twelve with a few good pitches into the lake…she'd find a way to fix his wandering hands and dick, even if she had to remove the later with her bare scalpel.
In the pale morning light, with the weight of the last month on her hands and a growing twitch in her eye and forehead BAD was five degrees too soft for the kind of day she was having. Anyone who tried anything with her was signing their own death warrant. Non-negotiable.
There was however a silver lining. A new maid. A new maid who knew nothing about Kakashi and his perversions. A new maid that Anko assured her needed the job badly enough to sign the clause in the new contract waving her right to sue...or quit, for the first six month at least. Anko, as second in command of the family and company's personal security task force had also provided the full background ready and waiting for the two percent of Tsunade's brain who considered finding out if the new employee was or was not a homicidal maniac. A detail which seemed less important then reclaiming the bedroom turned landfill down the hall.
Umino Iruka, Age 23, born to Umino Miruko and Umino Haruhi.
Orphaned age 12 by the Kyuubi Virus. Raised in the Konoha State Orphanage. The file was packed with glowing recommendations and commendations by the care takers and state workers addressed to various universities and colleges for entrance Applications. Graduated high school with outstanding marks, won a scholarship to several institutions but chose a less prestigious, local teaching collage at age 18. Dropped out of college half way though her final year age 21 to
- and Tsunade knew that this had to have been written up by Anko personally… and that Umino must one of those rare friends Anko claimed on occasion to have hidden away somewhere –
…support and pay for the studies of her deadbeat, no talent, selfish, immature, cowardly, asshole of a now ex boyfriend.
A month following her drop out of collage Umino-san had filed adoption papers for one Uzamaki Naruto age 6. Adoption was approved. She and her son now live alone in a loft apartment and her son is enrolled at the exclusive Konoha Shinobi Academy, responsible for turning out the computer agents and security experts for the city.
The letters Anko had had faxed from their contact at the university all painted Umino out to be pleasant, friendly and very open minded. If all goes well they might get a new maid for the next year or so, or at least until Kakashi managed to screw it up with his perverted books, perverted conversations, following them around, commenting on their underwear and generally doing things that should land him in jail. Tsunade's fist clenched, snapping the steel pen in her hand as the tick returned and her blood pressure rose. The brat was almost as bad as Jaraiya sometimes, it was providence Kakashi was too young to remember her brief marriage to the voyeur.
Tsunade took a deep breathe to calm herself. She needed a drink. A big one, to bad it was early in the morning and her assistant refused to take the locks off the liquor cabinet till three. Maybe she could send someone out to the liquor store quickly. That might work. One of the gardeners maybe?
The cream phone on her desk began to ring before she could chase the thought any further. She answered it with an abrupt, "What?"
"Tsunade-san, Anko-san has arrived with the new maid. Would you like to meet her or would you like me to see to the matter for you."
Tsunade sighed, "Send them in Shizune."
"At once Tsunade-san."
Iruka was terrified, he hadn't been this scared since the night Mizuki-
He stopped the thought before it ended. That wasn't important anymore, it wasn't their lives and wouldn't be ever again. It was the past and thoughts for it were in the past. That man would hold him or his mind hostage ever again. The mantra was autonomic by now but necessary and a small mental nod tucked the thought away.
He shifted tugging on a corner of the frilly skirt. Even when hosting he hadn't worn anything this short, that was more Izumo's thing and now having to wear it to an interview that could decide Naruto and his future, it was making him nervous. It had been the only one Anko could get in his size, his legs were long and there just wasn't time or money to get it to a tailor to fix.
A purple, skirted maids uniform with white frills and pink panties. He felt ridiculous that they had specified the color underwear required and with a skirt this short he was going to have to be very careful when he bent over to avoid flashing himself to the world. God why did they have to name a panties color…even then why pink! Wasn't the fixation with these maids uniforms supposed to be about white panties? This felt so very very weird.
He tugged on it again, feeling it riding up his thigh and Anko, following behind him, slapped his hand away before they walked through the simple green oak doors following after the house manager's secretary. On the other side was a simple room with cream carpet, green curtains and a low Japanese table littered with papers and other office gear. Near the desk was a water dish and basket labeled TonTon and balancing on a pile of paper work, on the corner nearest him was a half opened laptop. All across the room were several empty tea cups and sake glasses left where they lay and a near dead fern sat in the corner.
On the opposite side of the desk, sat an attractive woman, looking to be mid thirties, wearing a simple white and green outfit, very little of the cloth covering an ample bosom which rushed a blush to his cheeks and made him swallow in amazement. She had blond hair, a blue diamond tattoo on her forehead and a bust to make playboy centerfolds weep in jealousy. She sat with a wry smile and her arms crossed in front of her as she eyeballed him.
Iruka swallowed again, harder this time and prayed his makeup wasn't running form the sweat on his forehead.
The dark haired woman who'd shown them in quickly introduced them again before leaving, closing the door behind her. Iruka took a deep breath to calm himself down before giving her a bright smile and bowing in greeting.
"Good morning. You must be Tsunade-sama, you have my most sincere thanks for giving me this opportunity. I can't tell you how much I appreciate-"
After the initial thanks Tsunade didn't hesitate to cut him off. "Polite, I like that but I do hope you have a bit of back bone to you. You'll need it round here." Her eyes darted to the snorting Anko as the amused woman pulled her pokki box out for a snack and grinned at the back of Iruka's head at her boss' comment. Tsunade guessed there must be something more to the mouse then it appeared…maybe… "You've had protocol and procedure explained to you?"
Iruka's smile wavered as he was thrown off balance but her abrupt manner and direct questioning. Not one for frivolous small talk then. He wasn't used to that and it admittedly shook him slight;y. "H-Hai Tsunade-sama"
Tsunade leaned forward over her desk, her ample cleavage threatening to spring out at any moment, by some instinct he leaned back even though he knew the desk and their distance was between him and that mega-bust. Instinct disagreed about the woman's clenched fingers and the blood red nails being equally safe beyond the desk. "And the contract, you've read it and agree?"
Iruka was startled at the eagerness that fed her voice and his instincts started tingling. He was starting to feel like a little fish inching closer to a worm on a big damn hook. Even so he ignored them wholly. He had no choice too. His son was worth any threat least of all a predatory woman in a mansion. Besides he was being silly, what could happen in such a big rich household? Right now a paycheck was more important than all the instincts in the world. "H-hai Tsunade-sama, I've already filled in the paperwork you sen-"
Tsunade was almost twitching with excitement as she grabbed the brown file with the documents from Iruka's outstretched hands and after checking the signatures, tucked them away under her desk. Shizune could file them later but for now she wanted to know they were out of the poor girl's hands and valid. She'd read the contract, she'd agreed she had no problem, and thanks to the laptop mike Tsunade had activated before the girl came in, Tsunade had that agreement recorded. According to the legal department that's all she would need to have the clause backed up by the courts. She quickly started tearing through the papers on her desk looking for where she'd put the finalized contract, with the added and rather specific…restrictions… and a pen.
The near manic grin combined with the crazy eyes made Iruka waver for a second. He knew from past experience anyone who wasn't drunk, high or had a natural predisposition for 'the crazy' shouldn't grin like that. Still he took the pen and signed his life away. He needed this. Sandaime-san, Naruto's principle had compromised. Iruka had told him about the job and he'd agreed to get the school to push back tuition for a month's amnesty. Yes it would mean Naruto would only get his results a month into the holidays at the end of the school year but he'd make it to the end of the school year. All on the condition of Iruka getting this job right now, he needed this job.
The signed paper was snatched away and for a moment he thought this woman, with her piranha grin, would push it down her cleavage for safe keeping. She merely put it in a drawer. Standing to step around the desk and shake his hand.
"Anko will take you to your supplies and take you to the room. You're only duties are to clean and care for the Kakashi's room and things. Keep it clean and keep it tidy. That's it…that includes his dogs." Tsunade looked into his eyes and the predatory gaze faded as her face grew solemn, "His thing's Iruka…not him…him you don't have to take care of, not in any way understand?"
She waited for the slightly confused nod before moving to open the door instead her back to them as she spoke the last words, "Welcome to our family Iruka."
Iruka smiled weakly at her, funny he'd never heard anyone make family rhyme with hell… They stepped out the door and he watched her grin again at him as she closed it, the final click followed by a rousing cry of joy form behind that wooden door stopping him and making him wonder about his newly formed opinion of the woman- his boss. His new slightly crazy boss, it was a little bewildering really.
Anko nudged her best friend, grinning at his reaction to the first taste of the Hatake madhouse. "Come on, I'll take you to the room. If you're unlucky you'll meet Kakashi too."
The woman crunched down on her pokki and wandered off, happy that things went so quickly and she'd be able to get back to her own work. All the good Karma she was racking up maybe Ibiki would be sans leather coat when she got to the office. Yum.