Chapter Six: Itachi Enter Stage Left

Sasuke only realizes he forgot to respond to Haruki as he lies in bed in the very early hours of Tuesday morning since he's having trouble falling asleep. He'd woken up in the middle of the night Friday in a panic. The man had been so unsure of what to do that he desperately took Naruto's advice and downloaded the stupid AC app. 

The experience was…surprising. Sasuke only tried it as a last resort but found it did bring an unexpected comfort. Now, he knows what Naruto meant when he described it as non-obligatory. 

Truthfully, he fell asleep messaging Haruki and felt sick as a dog all weekend. All the rest he got means he feels less exhausted now, at least. 

'I shouldn't have asked that so soon. Sorry if I made you feel pressured,' is the message awaiting the man. He hesitates because he's no longer in a manic state of mind. If he responds now, that means he's one of those people who acknowledges their mental inadequacies. 

'I'm twenty-three. You?' 

To his surprise, a quick response came, 'Nineteen. We're not so far apart, huh? That's cool! How was your weekend? Was work better than you expected today?' The person's youthful enthusiasm made the age believable. Sasuke scoffs, turning to his side. Haruki obviously hasn't had his spirit crushed by adulthood yet. They may only be four years apart, but their outlooks seem worlds apart. 

He replies, 'It could've been worse, I guess.' 

'Did your coworker get you in trouble?' 

'Not exactly. It might still be too soon to tell. They didn't quit, though.' 

'At least there's that.' 

Sasuke catches himself not frowning. It feels like he's speaking with his own personal confidante. Haruki may not know exact details of his life, but it seems like he doesn't mind and is only interested in lending an ear. The Uchiha feels grateful but not as much as he does uneasy. Who is this person? What if they find out his identity and contact the press? 

'How was your day? Embarrass yourself again?' Part of him doesn't really care to learn about Haruki, but it'd be rude not to offer to listen. 

'It almost sounds like you're trying to tease me about it, haha. It wasn't all that bad. My boss is a dick, but what can you do, right?' 

For the next hour, the pair messaged back and forth, learning a little bit more about one another. By the time they say good night, Sasuke feels like he's stumbled upon gold. Naruto's a great friend, but there are things he can't understand. There are also things the Uchiha man will never be able to share with him. It doesn't feel that way with Haruki. 

The rare, pleasant mood Sasuke is in dampens when his two assistants enter his office with coffees the next morning. The redheaded one hands him one with a smile, "Good morning, Sir." He nods wordlessly, eyes flickering to the other one, who lifts a brow but says nothing and politely greets him the same way. 

Please, God. Let this woman keep her mouth shut today. 

And she does. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he and Miss Uzumaki were out of the office for most of the day, leaving her with Sai in their absence. For at least two days this week, the assistants will have to switch places so both can be accurately trained. Hopefully, Miss Haruno will calm down by then. 

"Do you have any advice so far, Sir?" 

Sasuke's focus is snapped by the redhead in his passenger seat. He glances at her before turning his gaze back onto the road, "Pardon?" 

"Is there anything I should improve on?" The woman adjusts her legs so one is crossed atop the other, her skirt rising slightly, almost to the middle of her thigh. "I want to learn as much as possible while working under you. Please don't hesitate to tell me if something needs attention." 

The euphemisms are abundant, and their delivery is stellar, too. Any other woman would've made it obvious, but it truly is impossible to tell if Miss Uzumaki intends to flirt or is genuinely seeking advice. 

He's a professional at ignoring such things, having had much practice, so he says, "I'll let you know." 

At the office, the pair is surprised once again by the Vice President chatting casually with Miss Haruno. This time, Sai is also present and appears to be genuinely smiling for once. What the hell is going on here? 

"-date to the banquet?" 

The pale-skinned liaison tilts his head at the pinkette. Sasuke, on the other hand, is annoyed. "I'm not opposed to the idea." 

Did she really just ask him out in front of Itachi? And during work hours? The conversation about needless chatting seems inevitable. It'll just make the woman hate his guts more. Hooray. 

"Ah, finally! Miss Uzumaki. Welcome back. I trust everything is going well." Itachi doesn't bother waiting for a response and stands before them, speaking directly to the redhead, "I was just telling Sakura about the company banquet. It's on December tenth. You should receive an official invitation with more details. Should I put you down as attending?" 

…Did he just refer to Miss Haruno by her first name? Since when are they close enough for such a thing? 

Sasuke looks at the woman in question with a glare. She doesn't seem affected by it at all. In fact, she's still conversing with Sai and not paying them the slightest attention. 

"Absolutely. I wouldn't miss it!" 

Itachi beams, bowing politely to everyone in the room while inching toward the door, "Wonderful. Let's all get together after work soon to throw a welcome party for our new employees. Look for my email." 

…..

Sakura hums excitedly to herself while finishing up the reorganization of the bookshelf. It's almost six o'clock, so she and Karin are spending time with more trivial things like dusting and tidying up because there's not enough time to start a more important task. 

Ino's going to be so excited. 

Yesterday, the Vice President showed up unannounced while she was alone after Sai had to leave for an errand. She'd been stunned because he's much more approachable than her boss. While waiting for the Director to return from his outside duties, they'd spoken about the company and related things. 

This is when Sakura learned that the C.E.O. is interested in putting a focus on beauty stores in the malls currently being constructed. They haven't decided how they'll do it yet, but when she heard that, she unconsciously blurted out that she's friends with a famous beauty mogul. She offered to ask her if she'd be interested in meeting someone to talk, and the V.P. eagerly stated he'd bring it up with his boss. 

Today, he appeared again. 

She and Sai greet him politely, but he wastes no time with pleasantries. Instead, he smiles widely, "I've been given the go-ahead to schedule a meeting with your friend. Do you think it best for you to approach her on my behalf, or should I get her contact information from you?" 

Really? He's done all of this without her even telling him Ino's name. For all he knows, she could've lied! What if she over-embellished her friend's level of fame? Then again, Uchiha Corp hasn't gotten where it is without taking risks. 

Sakura shakes her head, pulling out her phone, "Whatever you prefer. I don't mind either way." 

Sai chimes in, "Why don't we try for tomorrow afternoon? I can ensure your schedule is clear from two to three, Sir." So, that becomes the plan. 

After sending Ino a text in all capital letters telling her to call at exactly six o'clock, Sakura listens as Itachi says, "On another note, mark December tenth off on your calendar. The company banquet is that day. Since it's your first year here, I'd love to see you attend." 

A banquet? Isn't that a fancy party? Will she need to dress up? Is it one of those things where she has to have a date to go? Tenten told her that Neji's had her pretend to be his date a couple of times because of rules like that. It's no wonder she fell for him. 

"Oh, sure." She cleverly tries to find out without bluntly asking. Turning to Sai, she smiles because he's grown less stiff around her lately, "Will you be attending?" 

He nods, "Yes. It's mandatory for some of us." 

Well, that doesn't help. 

Green eyes dance between the two men before Sakura's face warms, and she sighs. Lowering her voice, she hisses, "Do I have to bring a date, or is it okay to come alone? Sorry. I'm still new to these kinds of things." 

Both men chuckle, Mr. Uchiha shaking his head amusedly, "Whatever you're comfortable with, Sakura." 

Did he just call her by her name? Rather than make the woman nervous, it made her feel more at ease. She sheepishly laughed, pushing some hair behind her ear, "Got it. Thank you." 

The office door opened to reveal her boss and Karin. As usual, her colleague looks smug at Mr. Uchiha's side. She can have all his attention for all Sakura cares. 

As the V.P. turns to address the new arrivals, Sakura asks Sai, "And you? I have a few single friends. Do you want me to help you find a date to the banquet?" 

The sarcastic man returns the smile, "I'm not opposed to the idea." 

It wasn't until this morning that the duo relaxed more around one another. Rather than gradually becoming closer by being nice, Sai insulted her in a roundabout way, so she returned the favor. They ended up arguing for a few minutes before bursting into laughter at how ridiculous their jabs had gotten. Now it feels like they understand one another better. 

"When did you get close to the V.P.?" Karin whispered, breaking Sakura's train of thought. 

She glances at her watch and sees there are less than five minutes before they need to leave. "I wouldn't say we're close. I've only talked to him twice." 

The redhead gives her an incredulous look, glances over her shoulder to ensure their boss isn't paying attention, and then says, "Before this job, I interned here, and I've only heard him call a handful of people by their first names." She quirks a brow, smirking, "Maybe he likes you." 

Sakura doesn't beat around the bush and calls her out, "You're just trying to pawn me off on him so you can have Mr. Uchiha all for yourself." 

The redhead snickers, "Guilty." 

"I already told you I'm not interested in him like that. He's all yours, Babe." The pinkette slides the final book into place before crossing the room to gather her purse and jacket from the hooks near the door. 

Karin follows, hissing, "Are you blind or just stupid? He's hot, rich, and smart. What's not to love?" 

"Are you trying to convince me to change my mind? I thought you didn't want competition." 

"You're a weirdo." 

The women become quiet as they come to stand before the man in question's desk, waiting for him to dismiss them for the evening. Like always, his dark eyes are glued to the screen and his fingers are moving quickly over the keyboard. Sakura may not like the guy, but it's obvious he's a hard worker, and she respects that. Unconsciously, she becomes a little concerned because his eyes are a little bloodshot. Has he blinked within the last minute? Hopefully, he carries eye drops around. 

In a snap, her gaze is caught by Mr. Uchiha's, and she forgets how to breathe. He seems more present than he did yesterday and Friday. Did he get some rest? 

"Dismissed." Oh, the Director is angry. His curt tone makes it obvious. 

Sakura fights the urge to childishly stick her tongue out at him before turning and leaving the room. If they were children, she'd kick him out of her sandbox because why is he in such a bad mood all the time? And why does he act like everything she does is wrong? The only time Sakura actually enjoys her job is when he's not paying attention to her. 

Since they met, the man hasn't said a single positive thing to her. No thank you for saving Kankuro's life. No thank you for remembering his coffee order this morning without having to be reminded. Hell, he still hasn't taken responsibility for the two arguments they've had. 

Oh well. 

She shrugs it off as she walks at Karin's side toward the elevator. The Haruno woman is here to make money and learn what she can from these people, not gain her sexy boss's favor. 

"Want a ride home?" 

Sakura unseriously glares at Karin, "What do you want in return?" 

The redhead leads the way through the parking garage to a sleek-looking, black car, "Shut up and get in." 

Somehow, in the three days they've worked together, the women have formed a bond. They just tease one another most of the time. Sakura's surprised and relieved because she fully expected Karin to be a catty, argumentative person. It turns out she's just confident and isn't afraid to go for what she wants. The women respect one another. 

As they pull out of the garage and onto the street, Sakura's phone rings in her purse. When she sees Ino's name on the screen, she gasps, "Oh!" Answering it, she spits out, "Pig, tell me how much you love and adore me." 

"You're a goddess. I can only hope to become half as smart and beautiful as you," Ino immediately catches on and obliges. Her tone switches up a moment later as she snickers, "What's up?" 

"What would you say if I told you I've negotiated a meeting between you and Uchiha Corp's Vice President because they're looking for someone to be the face of an upcoming beauty campaign?" 

Karin looks at her with wide eyes, "You what?!" 

Ino squeals loudly, causing Sakura to move the device from her ear for a moment, "Bitch, you're kidding! I'd say I'm buying your drinks for the rest of the year!" 

"Well, you can buy the first one tomorrow. Can you be at the office at two?" 

"I'll be wherever you need me to be, My Queen," Ino gushes. 

Sakura laughs, happy to hear how excited her friend is, "Don't be late." 

The call ends, and Karin immediately barks, "You liar! There's no way you aren't close to the V.P.! Spill." 

"Seriously, I just met him for the first time yesterday. We just happened to talk about it while he was waiting for the Director to return." 

The redhead groans, complaining loudly, "God, how do you do it? You got hired even though you clearly bombed your interview, and now you've won over the C.E.O.'s eldest son like it's no big deal! Tell me your secret." 

Sakura gasps, "Wait, he and Mr. Uchiha are brothers? I didn't know that!" Now that she thinks about it, though, she can see the resemblance. 

"That's exactly what I'm saying! You don't even know what you're doing. I need your luck." 

Jokingly, the Haruno woman boasts with a grin, "It's called "Charm", Sweetheart. Maybe you should try it." 

Karin snorts, "The only charm you have is "boyish" charm with that flat chest of yours." 

Offended, the pinkette gasps and retorts, "Well, my boobs are gonna look great even when I'm old. Yours will get all saggy and gross, so who's really the loser here?" Her phone dings, and she looks down to see a message from S. A smile tugs at her lips as she clicks it open. 

'I hope your day's going better than mine. I'm thinking about stopping by the liquor store on my way home.' 

She replies, 'When are you gonna have a good day? And in the middle of the week? Don't you work Monday through Friday?' 

"Who're you texting with a smile like that," Karin teases. 

Sakura rolls her eyes, "I reinstalled AC." 

'It's fine. I'm a grown man.' After talking more last night, S became less tense and more casual. It makes Sakura feel proud to have caused someone so closed off to open up. Another message comes in before she can reply. 'How's your day?' 

'Pretty good, actually! I think things are looking up.' 

'Nice. Congrats.' 

Sakura's thumbs hover as she tries to figure out what to say, but another text comes in, 'Where are you from, by the way? I'm in Konoha.'

Huh?