Something Precious

Chapter Fourty One

'Guess? He wants me to guess.' it sounded like Naruto genuinely wanted him to know this secret but it seemed he couldn't tell him. Why was that? He wondered. Did someone forbid him? Whatever it was he would figure it out. Already he felt the answer was frustratingly close. Like when your trying to think of a word or name and it rests on the tip of your tounge but just won't come to you and the harder you think of it the more it seems to elude you.

"Is this it?" Naruto warily asked from beside him. Minato was snapped from his thoughts and glanced up to the bar who's sign glowed brightly in the darkening light.

"Yes it is." he confirmed and led the way inside. He glanced back at Naruto when he noticed the teen wasn't following. "Is something the matter?" he inquired. The teen shook his head but the look in his eyes said otherwise. On closer inspection Minato recoginized the look as one he had seen twice before. First time was in the baths and the second was in the strip club. He couldn't hold back his chuckle. He had a feeling this wasn't the first time the blonde had been to a bar. "Are you really that uncomfortable with female attention?" he teased.

Naruto scowled at the building in displeasure. "Fangirls." he shivered. "I never understood why people hated them so much until about three years ago. In places like this they come in swarms Minato. Swarms." he visibly supressed another shiver.

Minato could keep it in. His laugher filled any and all silences as he dragged the Uzumaki into the bar behind him drawing attention to then as they enteres. He calmed down a little and dragged him to a corner booth where three other men sat, all with cups of alcohol already placed infront of them. He had amusement glowing in his eyes as he sat down and the blonde in tow sat awkwardly next to him.

"What's so funny?" asked one of the men, all of them looking oddly at the Namikaze.

Minato took a breath, stopping the slight chuckles from escaping him. "Swarms. He said they come in swarms." he chuckled again as the three men looked confused. After another minute or so of this Minato fully recounted what happened and soon the men were laughing too.

"Hello. Can I get you gentlemen anything?" Asked a waitress as she stood herself by their table. She eyed all the men, paying special appraisal to Minato once she got to him, that was until she saw Naruto, then her eyes were all for him and his aluring blue eyes and tall frame.

"Just sake for now." he told her, sifting uncomfortably under her gaze. She nodded, bating her lashes in a way was surley supposed to be seductive and after running her eyes over him once more she left to fullfill the order.

The men laughed harder once she was gone and Naruto turned a little red, grumbling incoherently in embarrassment.
After a moment it was Minato who finally took pity on him. "Alright so as you all know this is Naruto. Naruto this is Inoichi, Shikaku and Choza." he introduced.

As Naruto was about to give his greetings a different waitress than before came out to give the order. It seemed the other one had told her about the interesting blonde because she tried discreetly to take a glance at him, but when he noticed she left quickly with a slight blush, leaving the four other men to watch in amusement.

"So you're the kid everyone is talking about then." Shikaku drawled finally. Naruto found he had a hard time looking the man in the eyes. He looked so much like his future son Shikamaru that it almost brought him physical pain just to hear his similar sounding voice.

Instead Naruto looked at his cup which he had poured full of the alcohol and took a sip as he steeled himself before he met the Nara's gaze full on. "People are talking? What do they say? Nothing too bad I hope?" he tried at humor as he notice the air growing thick with unwanted tension. Like many others Shikaku had fight a flinch at the sheer intensity of those blue orbs. It was like the kid could see straight through his very being.