Author's Notes:
The pair are on the move and trying to be one step of the bad guys in this chapter.
This story is intended for a mature audience. Violence, bad language, the mention of a near sexual assault and sexy banter are featured in this installment.
Baki doesn't have a surname in the Narutoverse, so for the purposes of my plot development and storyline cohesiveness, I have taken the liberty of giving him one.
The song lyrics listed in the story are "Strict Machine" by the group, Goldfrapp.
Any sentence in italics denotes the private thoughts of a character.
Small reminder: Everyone working undercover on the case have aliases.
This chapter inspired by the song, "Whatever" by Godsmack.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters from the series. I do however own the original characters mentioned. I do not make a profit from my fiction. I just do this for mine and your amusement. Enjoy, beautiful people, enjoy.
Chapter Six – Purgatory
"Okay, Emiko… where do we need to go?" asked Shino as the non descript black town car moved smoothly through the early afternoon traffic.
"Drop us off at Lucky Lulu's place… as much as I loathe to admit it - we need to change clothes and disguise these tattoos." Murmured the brunette.
"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Baki as he watched the driver give the woman a short nod before switching lanes.
Hana turned and softly replied, "No… it's best that the less folks that know where we're hiding the better off we will be…I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks."
"Okay…I understand….but Emiko, if you do need help… here's my private cell number…" said Baki as he leaned across and handed Hana a white card with a picture of a rabbit popping out of a hat.
"Did you give Anko one of these?" asked Hana with a smirk as she flipped the mock business card up in the path of the rear view mirror with a flick of her fingers.
"No – I usually only use these when it's necessary." Replied Baki with a small smile.
"Nice… not as good as mine though." Murmured Shino as he glanced at the card before turning down a side street.
"Shinko's specialty is surveillance and infiltration. If there is a way to make it or disguise vital information, Shinko can do it…. Business Cards are a great way of passing on info that you don't want others to find." Remarked Hana for Kankuro's benefit as she opened her handbag and retrieved her wallet, sliding the card inside.
"Yeah… this young police officer I met a few years ago showed me the trick…" said Baki as he leaned back into his seat once more.
"Yes – Naruto was always full of tricks and surprises…that's for sure." Countered Hana with a wry smile.
"You knew Officer Uzumaki?" asked Baki in surprise.
"Yes – we both did…he was a dear friend of ours." Responded Hana sadly before turning her head to look out the window.
"Emiko…we're here…good luck, you two." Murmured Shino as he slowed the car to a stop in front of the brightly colored club with a cheerful yellow awning.
"Baki – have fun at dinner with Anko… don't let her try to push you around." Said Hana with a grin.
"Do you need some condoms?" murmured Kankuro with a sly smile.
The head of security looked at the younger man in shock before he gave him a quick shove.
"Get out of here, brat! I will see you at the launch." Grouched Baki affectionately.
"We'll be there." Countered Hana with a grin before ushering Kankuro close and closing the door.
Baki watched the pair disappear into the building, still feeling uneasy at the thought of losing someone he viewed more as a son.
"Don't worry, Baki…Hana will look after him." murmured the driver in a confidential tone as he picked up on the other man's anxious mood.
"Wait, that was Hana as in Hana Inuzuka?" asked Baki in shock, instantly recognizing the name.
"Yes…the dark blossom herself but I would appreciate it if you don't call her by her real name…for obvious reasons. It's Emiko Tanaka." Countered Shino smoothly, now a little relieved as he watched the man become a little more calmer.
Baki looked up and gave the driver a nod of understanding as he felt the car move away from the curb.
"So, kids parties… do you ever have to validate your cover?" asked Shino with a smile.
"Yeah, every so often I come across someone who wants a demonstration of my skills – I know a few simple tricks… so it's easy to bluff my way out of trouble if needed… why? What do you put on yours?" asked Baki now curious.
"I prefer pest extermination, toxicology or sanitation companies myself… people give you a wide berth if they think that they are going to catch something nasty from you… but Naruto was the king of grossing folks out… you know what he used to have on his phony cards?" murmured Shino warming up to his companion.
"No…what?" asked Baki, now smiling widely.
"Proctology Doctor." Replied Shino smoothly.
Baki laughed all the way back to the office.
-5-5-5-
"Sweetie! Let me guess…Yashira, Fuyumi, Sachi, Emiko or Adara?" drifted out a husky voice in amusement.
"It's Emiko this time…How are you, Lulu?" asked Hana as the slender drag queen walked over to the young couple.
"Oh my… the perks of your job just keep getting better and better." Murmured Lulu as she gazed at tattooed man in unabashed admiration.
"Yeah – I'm certainly not complaining… he's eye candy, that's for sure." Chuckled Hana knowingly as Kankuro went red in embarrassment.
"Ohhhh… he's shy…. Emiko – he's delicious!" cooed Lulu as she swept her arm towards the back of the club.
"Why are we here?" asked Kankuro through his teeth.
"We need to hide our tattoos and change our appearance…right now, we're sitting ducks for those bastards…so we need to blend in." replied Hana with a wide grin.
"This way, Emiko darling." Directed the blonde drag queen.
"Okay, Kankuro…follow us." Murmured the body guard as she trailed behind the drag queen down a small hallway near the stage.
"It's okay, gorgeous…Lulu doesn't bite." Drifted out Hana's voice.
Kankuro grunted under his breath as he hastened after the pair and followed them into the brightly lit dressing room.
"Although…I must admit that I wouldn't mind nibbling on him." Murmured Lulu with a sassy half smile as Hana sat down in front of the mirror.
"Nah ah…I got dibs on him first." Countered the brunette with a knowing smirk.
"You would rub it in." muttered the drag queen with a sniff as she tugged the rubber band loose, reaching for a hair brush and a pair of scissors.
"Don't cut her hair." Said Kankuro bluntly, with a dull flush to his cheekbones.
"Mmm hmmm….Emiko…he's a handful. Are you sure you don't want to share him?" countered Lulu with a raised eyebrow, putting down the pair of scissors and picking up the hair tie.
"Sorry, Lulu…he's all mine. If big and hunky wants it long…then let's go with a wig instead." Replied Hana with a sassy smile.
"Ooh…I know the perfect ones. Let me go get them." Murmured Lulu as she finished tying up the brunette's hair.
"Lulu, can you grab contacts for me and gorgeous?" husked Hana, touching the drag queen's hand briefly before the young woman gave a brisk nod and walked off.
"So, how did you meet Lulu?" asked Kankuro as he watched Hana smoothly pull her hair back into a long pony tail before pinning it securely to the top of her head.
"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, honey. Beautiful here managed to save my skinny little ass before it got screwed to hell and back." drifted out a voice from behind them.
"I didn't do anything. I just scared them off. I don't think that qualifies as saving your skinny ass, Lulu." Grouched Hana in embarrassment as she finished pinning her pony tail down and reached for a wig cap.
The drag queen walked back into the dressing room, carrying two medium length wigs.
"You're full of shit as always. I had been screaming my head off and not one of those miserable sods walking past on the main street stopped to help. They had my skirt hiked up, my panties torn off and my naughty bits waving in the breeze before all hell broke loose." Countered Lulu with a sideways glance at Hana suddenly engrossed in the make-up case on the table.
"What happened next?" asked Kankuro, not bothering to hide his curiosity.
"They dropped me like a stone and started yelling that someone was trying to kill them before they ran off into the alley. Next thing I knew – I was slung over her shoulder like a cheap fur. She took me back to her place, patched me up and helped me turn my life around. I have been singing her praises ever since." Returned Lulu with a smirk, jerking her head in the brunette's direction as she put the wigs onto the table.
"You talk too much, Lulu." Grumbled Hana as she grabbed the stick of concealer.
"And you never change, Emiko….thank kami." Returned Lulu with a chortle.
"How is the new book keeper working out?" asked Hana, deliberately changing the subject as she applied the concealer onto her tattoos.
"Oh kami! That kid's a god send! The accounts have never been in better shape thanks to him!" exclaimed Lulu as she tugged Kankuro over to a vacant chair.
"I'm relieved to hear that they are now someone else's headache to deal with." Murmured Hana with a grimace.
Lulu let out a chuckle and replied, "Yeah, I noticed that you would rather eat nails than do the books."
"All part of running a business…unfortunately." Muttered the brunette as she reached for the black bob and a pair of contacts.
"Wait. You own this place?" countered Kankuro, his emerald eyes showing his amused audience the shock he was clearly feeling at the discovery.
"Yep. I will need to retire from the bodyguard business sooner or later. I can't keep protecting everyone else's asses forever…no matter how handsome they are." Returned Hana with a saucy smile, watching in delight as the man blushed.
"She's the brains behind the place. I just provide the visual décor as it were." Added Lulu with a broad smile as she watched the understanding dawn in those beautiful eyes.
"Lulu, do we have any street clothes that would fit big guy here?" murmured Hana as she gazed at her tattooless cheeks in the makeup mirror with satisfaction.
The statuesque drag queen gave the large man a careful appraisal before giving a brisk nod and replying, "Ru-ru's clothes should fit him. Let me go call her before she leaves her apartment."
"Ru-ru is a regular sweetheart. By night, she's the bitch goddess of the main stage and by day, he's a grade school teacher specializing in working with special needs kids." Said Hana with a wry smile as she pulled out the chair beside her and gestured for Kankuro to sit down.
"That's quite the transition. How did he end up working here?" countered the large man, anticipating her response.
"I scouted him. He was hanging his laundry out on the roof of the apartment building I live in, singing a Barbra Streisand tune decked out in a green plaid dressing gown and a pair of mule slippers topped with pink marabou feathers when I walked up the fire escape and introduced myself." Murmured Hana with a smirk, silently admiring the way Kankuro's pants tightened across his backside as he bent slightly at the waist to pull out the chair further.
"Pervert. I saw that." Muttered the man, another spot of red high on his cheekbones.
"There's no crime in looking, cupcake." Countered Hana with a sassy smile.
"What's the plan after we're done disguising our appearance?" asked Kankuro as he took the concealer and started smearing it over his face.
"We're going to sit tight here for a while, have a meal, be social and then slip out the back door with the early evening shift." Replied Hana with a grin as she picked up a sponge and began to blend in the concealer on Kankuro's face.
"Okay, Ruru is bringing another set of clothes as well as picking up a bottle of hair dye for your hunk of man cake." Said Lulu as she walked back into the dressing room.
"Wait. We're dying my hair?" returned Kankuro in grim, forboding voice, reaching up to touch his dark russett hair.
"Sorry, baby. I love your gorgeous locks too but we need to throw these guys off their game. They will eventually figure out that you never went to the hospital and will start searching around town for you. No one is going to pay any attention to a hooker leaving a drag bar with a john." replied Hana with smug satisfaction.
"Excellent. Thanks, Lulu. Did she mention how her new routine was going?" continued Hana, looking to smile at Lulu before grabbing the face powder and setting the concealer on Kankuro's face.
"It's not. The music hasn't arrived yet and she's beside herself." Replied Lulu with a look of chagrin.
"Can't she use an old routine?" countered Kankuro with a frown.
"She wanted to take a break from her broadway standards and try something new tonight. I guess it can't be helped." Said Hana, more than a little disappointed.
"Ru-ru is the only drag queen that sings her own stuff at the club. It's a big draw card for an establishment like this. The regulars are going to be disappointed but again, as the boss lady says…it can't be helped." Replied Lulu with a smile.
"Is she still planning to bring in the new outfits?" countered Hana with barely concealed excitement.
"Oh honey…what a silly question. Of course Ru-ru is going to bring in the new outfits to show you…duh." Returned Lulu with a smirk.
"Lulu, do you have a computer with internet access and a credit card that I can borrow? I will also need a copy of Ru-ru's current play list. I think I have a solution that will work out." Murmured Kankuro with a calculating look in his eye.
"Just charge it on the corporate account, Lulu. I have a feeling that whatever he comes up with is going to worth the price of admission. The last thing we want to deal with is an unhappy drag queen."
-5-5-5-5-
The man watched in interest as the town car pulled up to the curb and out stepped the head of Security for Suna Enterprises.
Thin lips quirked in a tiny smirk before he strolled through the building doors and leisurely made his way over to the sleek black sedan where Baki Nakano stood chatting amicably to the driver.
"Baki….a moment of your time, if I may." Murmured the man.
"A friend of yours?" asked Shino in an undertone as the man walked towards them.
"He works for Temari…personal assistant." Returned Baki quickly before he straightened up and stretched out a hand to greet the newcomer.
"Yamashita. How are you…everything well?" asked Baki cordially as he shook the man's hand.
"I can't complain. I understand you have your hands full with this bombing business though. Do you have any leads yet?" murmured the man.
"No, nothing yet. The police are still looking into it." Replied Baki easily.
"A pity. It would be nice to get this matter resolved before the launch." Said the man with a slide ways glance at the man in the dark shades.
The meaning of the look wasn't lost on Baki or Shino.
The man was clearly uncomfortable discussing this in front of a man he felt was nothing more than hired help.
"Yes, I agree but the police are working as expediently as they can to resolve this matter. Kankuro understands this and has offered to give them his full cooperation." Replied Baki smoothly, ignoring the not so subtle hint to ask Shinko to leave.
"How is Kankuro? I understand he had to go to the hospital so they could run tests." Countered the man, now scowling openly at the tall man in the dark shades.
Shino glanced imperceptively over at Baki, in time to see him give a casual shrug of his shoulders.
"Yes, I just talked to him. He's not happy about having to stay at the hospital for a few hours but it can't be helped." Murmured Baki, with a slight tilt of his lips.
"I imagine he's eager to get back to work, especially with the deadline approaching." Replied the man with a bright smile.
Shino's eyes narrowed thoughtfully behind his dark designer sunglasses as he studied the man's face more closely, unsurprised to see the almost hostile look in the man's light colored eyes.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you but I need to leave to pick up my next client. Do you wish me to come back later to pick you up after your appointment, Mister Nakano?" asked Shino pointedly, his shaded eyes looking directly at the man talking to Baki.
Baki turned to find a card being held out with the image of a luxury car and the name of the service in elegant black script.
"Thank you….Mister Ogawa. I will give you a call when I am done." Replied Baki smoothly, reading the name on the card before retrieving it and pulling out his wallet from his back pocket.
"I know the company is picking up the tab but this is for you." Murmured Baki as he pulled a twenty dollar bill out and gave it to the chauffeur.
"Thank you, sir. You are most generous." Returned Shinko with a small bow of his head.
"Yes…thank you, Mister Ogawa. I'm sure we have taken up enough of your time." Said Jiro with a conciliatory smile, watching as the man opened the driver's door of the town car and slid inside the dark interior, gently closing the door behind him.
Baki's dark eyes studied the figure of Temari's assistant.
The man was eager to get rid of Shinko to the point of rudeness.
Baki waited until the town car reached the end of the driveway before replying in a low aggressive growl, "There was no need for you to be rude to the man, Yamashita."
"This is not social hour at the local pub. You shouldn't be so familiar with the help." Countered the assistant archly.
"You're an elitist snob, Yamashita. You would disown your own ass if the stink started to offend you." Replied Baki with a sneer.
"Tsk, Tsk…Nakano…you're showing your blue collar roots again." Tutted Yamashita with a snide smile.
"Screw you. Say what's on your mind then let me go in and do some damage control of my own." Hissed back Baki.
"This latest invention of Kankuro's better be worth the inconvenience. I would hate to see this company sink faster than a led zeppelin."
"I thought you would be more optimistic…considering you have a vested interest in this company's future as well." Returned Baki with a bite in his tone.
"I do but the investors do not share our faith in the boy genius's ability to remain one step ahead of the grave." Countered the man smoothly.
"Well, we will just need to try harder in convincing them otherwise." Responded Baki darkly, brushing past the openly gloating man and towards the front doors of the office building.
"Yes, good luck on that, Mister Nakano." Muttered Jiro, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cell phone.
"Yes…it's me. Have you found anything yet?...well, keep looking…we have more than enough time to search." Said the man with a knowing smile before disconnecting the call with a satisfied snap.
-5-5-5-5-5-
Kiba glanced up at the sound of the door opening and slamming shut after Shino.
The boss of Inuzuka Security watched in morbid curiosity as his friend stalked over to his desk, tossed his car keys onto the surface before sitting down and turned his computer on.
"What crawled up your ass and died?" asked Kiba, his interest now piqued over Shino's rare fit of anger.
"Shut your hole, Kiba. I'm not in the mood." Bit out Shino as he opened up a document and began to type.
"I take it there were problems relocating Hana and the client?" asked Kiba casually, an eyebrow quirked at the muttered cursing.
"No…that went according to plan. I wasn't counting on the corporate asswipe that was laying in wait for us over at Suna Enterprises." Replied Shino, his fingers effortlessly flying over the keyboard.
A feral grin came readily to Kiba's lips.
"Let me guess…he pulled that… 'I'm better than you' shit…right?" returned Kiba with a knowing smirk.
The sound of air being quickly expelled was all the answer the larger man needed.
He loved shit like this. These narrow minded assholes had no clue.
"I take it you got his name?" countered Kiba, not bothering to hide his excitement.
"Last name but the rest is easy enough to get." Returned Shino, his hands continuing to type.
"Are you going to give the poor bastard forewarning that you're going to screw over his life completely?" murmured Kiba with a salacious smile, leaning casually on the desk as he watched the programs process the new information.
"No – that would defeat the point." Replied the taller man with a tiny hint of a smile as the program got a hit and popped up a file.
Kiba let out a low whistle and finally muttered, "That's quite the pedigree…Ivy league schools, country club membership – the whole shebang."
Much to Kiba's amusement, Shino let out a low scoffing sound and countered, "Mine's better."
"You're usually impervious to the bullshit…so what was it about this guy that has pissed you off?" asked Kiba, folding his arms across his chest, his eyes on the Shino as he continued to tap away on the PC.
Shino was an expert in blending into the background but it was rare for him to get this worked up over something he usually termed as trivial.
Long elegant fingers paused mid stroke on the keyboard before Kiba heard a low breath being expelled.
"I just have a gut feeling. There's something about this man that I don't trust as far as I can throw him. I don't have any proof yet but I just know he is not what he appears to be." Replied Shino plainly after a few moments of contemplation, his fingers returning to their rapid rhythm.
Kiba frowned thoughtfully at his friend and employee's comment.
Shino's gut feelings were rarely wrong.
Kiba had ignored it once and a dear friend ended up getting killed.
He had vowed that he would never make that mistake again.
"If he's our rat…we are not going to flush him out this way. Someone this smart isn't going to come out of his hole for anything but top shelf cheese. It's also going to be difficult to prove he's involved in all of this without some tangible evidence." Murmured Kiba finally.
Shino stopped typing and tilted his head to give his employer his full attention.
"What do you suggest?" countered Shino with a slight uplift of his lips.
Kiba pulled out his cellphone and pushed a number.
"Hatake, it's Inuzuka. I got a job for you. Can you head over to Kankuro Sabaku's place and check it out? Call me if you come across anything suspicious…yeah, thanks."
"So, what do you wish to do now?" asked Shino with a speculative look as Kiba ended the call and snapped his phone shut.
"We wait for Kakashi to call back and then start beating the proverbial grass to see what runs out." Returned Kiba with a feral grin.
-4-4-4-4-4-
The two dancers strutted onto the stage, entering from opposite ends of the stage as a lone spot beamed down upon a statuesque redhead slinking down a low set of stairs in the center of the stage.
The two young men rolled and swished their hips to the driving beat of the song, stopping to extend an arm each to the woman as her stiletto heel clad feet reached the floor.
There were wolf whistles and cat calls as she sashayed to the front of the stage with her escort and began to sing, her sultry voice casting a spell over the audience.
I get high on a buzz
Then a rush when I'm plugged in you
I connect
When I'm flush
You get love when told what to do
"Maybe I should ask you to help us out more often…" murmured Hana with a smirk as she sipped her cranberry and dry gingerale as the dancers on stage let go of the woman's arm and gyrated suggestively to the beat.
"He's a freaking genius…that's what he is. George on the door just told me that the place is almost at capacity. I also have never seen Ru-ru look so raunchy. It's a dream come true." Countered Lulu in an animated voice as she sat down at the table.
"It doesn't take a genius to compile a compatible list of songs based around Ru-ru's current song repertoire. Ru-ru is the one who is impressive. She had to learn three new songs in a short amount of time." Replied Kankuro gruffly as he watched the red head playfully swat one of the dancers on the backside.
Wonderful electric
Wonderful electric
Wonderful electric
Cover me in you
I'm in love, I'm in love
I'm in love with a strict machine
I'm in love, I'm in love
I'm in love with a strict machine
"Yeah, she certainly is…" returned Hana with a satisfied smile as Ru-ru worked the crowd into a frenzy.
"You were right about those two bar backs though. They can dance to anything and make it look like a felony." Muttered Kankuro, feeling the blush heat up his cheeks.
"Yeah, Pyotr and Sven are awesome guys. I also knew that they would jump at the chance to dance on the main stage with Ru-ru. They worship the ground she walks on. We used to allow them to dance on the bar but it became a crowd control problem. We got fed up with hauling out patrons who got a little too friendly." Returned Hana with a chuckle.
"I can imagine how that can be a pain in the you-know-where after a while." Replied Kankuro with a low husky chuckle.
"And then some…I was tempted to start gelding the overzealous bastards but thankfully madame decided to put a stop to the bar top show." Concurred Lulu with a heartfelt sigh.
When you send me a pulse
Feel a wave of new love
Through me
I'm dressed in white noise
You know just what I want
So please
Wonderful electric
Wonderful electric
Wonderful electric
Cover me in you
I'm in love, I'm in love
I'm in love with a strict machine
I'm in love, I'm in love
I'm in love with a strict machine ...
Kankuro felt his face get annoyingly warm once more as the woman ghosted a hand down the front of her body with one hand before she raised it to her lips and blew him a kiss.
They had originally planned on leaving before the late night show but Ru-ru had insisted on them staying.
Kankuro had discovered, much to his chagrin, himself easily conceding to the drag queen's request once he saw the tears.
It was admittedly, his one big weakness and one the entertainer used to her advantage.
The large man surreptitiously glanced about the table and was unsurprised to see Lulu and Hana equally transfixed by the drag queen's performance.
He wasn't the only one to be swayed by the entertainer's tears…
Kankuro couldn't help but notice how quickly his protector had also readily caved in and agreed to stay.
"So he decided to show up after all…little weasel. I still don't know why she keeps that bed snake around. Kami knows I've seen him hump anything with a pulse." Bit out a voice disparagingly beside him.
Kankuro turned in time to see a man dressed impeccably in a black Italian business suit move effortlessly through the crowd.
"Don't worry about it, Lulu darling. I doubt the arrival of god's gift to drag queens is going to rain on Ru-ru's parade this evening." Replied Hana lazily, her eyes firmly on the stage in front of her.
Kankuro glanced covertly to his side in time to see Lulu let out a gusty long sigh and counter, "I know but it just makes me a more than a little mad when I see him hanging off some fresh thing at the bar when I sure as shit know that Ru-ru is going to ask when he's going to show up as soon as I walk back stage."
"Ru-ru deserves better." Murmured Kankuro bluntly, then privately chastised himself for speaking out so candidly.
"I agree but it's not our place to tell Ru-ru who she should date." Replied Hana with a small look of distaste.
"Maybe it is...excuse me, Emiko. I will be right back." countered the large man, swiftly pushing himself up onto his feet.
"Wait! Where are you going?" asked Hana with a frown and wrap her fingers around Kankuro's wrist.
"I'm going to make Ru-ru's night and give weasel face something to think about." returned the man with a half smile as he gently removed Hana's hand off his wrist, turned and disappeared into the crowd.
"Oh dear...what should we do, Emiko? That little weasel is going to cause drama." murmured Lulu in concern.
Hana stared into the crowd for a few moments more before a small crafty smile ghosted her lips and she finally replied, "Not if he gets tossed out on his Gucci clad ass, he won't. Let George know that we are expecting trouble. The big guy is right, Ruru deserves a lot better than that bottom feeder."
Lulu gazed at his savior and silent partner for a few moments, her lips slowly lifting into a feral grin of delight.
"George...it's Lulu. We're cleaning out the trash tonight, starting with the weasel. Make sure the boys know." commanded the drag queen into her headset.
-4-4-4-4-
Kiba stalked into the office, a triumphant smirk wreathing his features.
"Kakashi's impromptu visit to Sabaku's apartment yielded some surprising results."
Shino's hands hovered above the keyboard as he turned his head to watch his friend in mild interest.
"Oh?"
"The police have four men in custody. They were so intent on turning the place upside down that they didn't notice Kakashi standing in the entrance." replied Kiba with a shit eating grin.
"Impressive. What's in the envelope?" countered Shino with a slight tilt of his head at the large yellow rectangle in his boss's hand.
"It turns out that the men are members of a big crime ring they have been investigating for a while. Detective Nara thought you might be interested in what his CSI team found and made copies for you. Are you sure you two only get together for chess?" returned Kiba, his grin widening as Shino abruptly moved and snatched the envelope out of his hand.
"My personal life is none of your damn business." bit out Shino coolly, his long fingertips already deftly unwinding the red cord.
"Uh-huh. He also wanted to know if you would be interested in going to see a movie with him on his next day off...which would be this coming Tuesday." replied the man with a knowing smirk.
Kiba watched in amusement as Shino's nimble fingers paused in their task.
"I told him that you would be free and more than happy to join him." added Kiba, his smirk widening to a grin as he watched transfixed as the tips of his childhood friend's ears went red.
-4-4-4-4-
Kankuro stood at the entrance of the club, his eyes taking in the faded paint on the door and the bare metal prongs above his head.
"This place looks pretty run down. I'm surprised your friend didn't just take a bull dozer to the place and just re-build." quipped the man, as he watched Hana walk over to the state of the art security pad and key in the code.
Hana chuckled darkly, her now blue eyes twinkling and replied, "Don't let the exterior fool you. It's a lot sturdier than it looks. Knowing Anko, the place has all the bells and whistles inside to make the customers happy."
Kankuro privately doubted that this place was a diamond in the rough but he reluctantly followed his bodyguard into the building.
"Give me a moment...I will switch on some lights after I lock the door and re-activate the code. We don't want any uninvited guests." murmured Hana in the gloom.
Kankuro flinched as the room flooded with light, his eyes squinting to adjust to the brightness before he felt his jaw dropping.
"Amazing place, huh?"
Kankuro finally found his voice and rasped, "What is this place?"
Hana tilted her head to one side, gave the large man a saucy wink and threw her arms out in a grand gesture.
"This, my dear robotic genius, is Purgatory...the soon to be newest hottest place in town to get some kink and a drink." stated Hana with a smirk.
"Wait. You brought me to a Bondage Bar?" countered Kankuro, not bothering to hide his shock.
Hana chuckled and replied with a nod, "I can't think of a safer place to hide out, can you?"