Chapter Five: A Petty War

Sakura grins smugly at the shopping bags sitting at the bottom of her closet, beneath the clothes that hang there. 

Mr. Uchiha said to use the company card for new work outfits, which is precisely what she did. The woman doesn't actually plan to wear any of the expensive skirts, blouses, blazers, and shoes. After all, there's nothing wrong with how she dresses; her usual style follows the dress code perfectly. 

Sakura also scheduled the etiquette lessons he recommended, paying for a few of them in advance. Whether she attends them will depend on her boss's behavior tomorrow. 

Ino burst into the apartment for her usual Sunday evening visit. When she notices the pinkette's determined smirk, she closes the front door and points excitedly, "I recognize that look! Tell me everything!" 

The women catch up while Sakura models her new clothes for her best friend. Once Ino knows everything, she pulls her phone out. "If even you say he's hot, I have to look him up. What's his first name?" 

"..." 

"You don't know, do you?" Ino deadpans. 

"It's not like we're on a first-name basis, Pig! Tenten still calls her boss "Sir", and they've worked together for so long!" For whatever reason, Sakura feels defensive and embarrassed. In the end, the blond was unable to discover Mr. Uchiha's name and, therefore, unable to find photos of him. 

Later, while Ino applies a homemade facemask to Sakura's face, she muses, "I know you said you aren't gonna wear the new clothes, but I think you should." 

The pinkette rolls her eyes with a scoff but says nothing because it isn't necessary. 

"Think about it, Forehead. You're obviously gonna kick ass at this job. How satisfying will it be to do it in sexy new outfits? Mr. Sexy-Jerkface won't know how to take it." 

Sakura contemplates the idea momentarily before groaning while tightening the bun holding her hair back, "Ugh, I don't wanna think about him anymore tonight. I'm supposed to be relaxing." 

Mr. Uchiha's dark, sharp gaze is something the Haruno woman has never experienced. Though she's female and rather thin, there hasn't been a man who's scared her in all her life. She's faced down bullies and even a few muggers without a blink. And Sakura will be damned before she allows the stuck-up, yet gorgeous, rich guy to change that fact.

Before bed that night, she checks the AC app and sees that S still hasn't responded. She feels uncomfortable and says, 'I shouldn't have asked that so soon. Sorry if I made you feel pressured.' Inwardly, the woman knows the way she speaks to others on AC is a little different than how she would in person, but that's the glory of it. Since she's not standing in front of them, she can take the time to express herself exactly as she pleases. Her goal is to one day have the courage and the not-giving-a-fuck attitude to do so in real life. 

Sakura's so worried about angering her boss again that she arrives at the office half an hour early, at 5:30 a.m. While riding the elevator upstairs, she looks down at her outfit. It's a powder blue, fitted pantsuit with a white shirt underneath and a pair of white heels. Her hair is straight and pushed behind her ears, and her makeup is subtle yet flattering. 

She's feeling a million times more confident than she did on Friday. It's always been this way for her. If her appearance is put together, then so is she. If not, unfortunately, the same rule applies. 

On the eleventh floor, Sakura approaches Mr. Uchiha's office and softly knocks. Since it's early, she expects the room to be empty, but she doesn't know where else to go to report for duty. "Come in." 

Emerald green eyes widen slightly, but their owner doesn't lose her cool. Instead, the pinkette strides confidently into the office with her shoulders back and gazes strongly at the frowning man behind the mahogany desk. "Good morning, Sir. Is there anything specific you'd like me to work on until Miss Uzumaki and Sai arrive?" 

That's it, Girl. Show him he doesn't intimidate you. Make him feel powerless.

Dark eyes survey her appearance as the D.O.O. speaks dryly, "Pick up some coffee. There's a place a few blocks away." He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a wallet, eyes drifting to it as he searches for something within, "Get yourself and Miss Uzumaki something as well. Here's a company card." 

When the man offers Sakura a black card, her brow twitches in annoyance, but her composure doesn't crumble. Instead, she reaches into her handbag to fetch her own wallet, pulling out a card identical to the one in her boss's hand. With a knowing smile, she tilts her head, "I already have one, remember? How do you take your coffee?" 

Sakura is giddy with satisfaction at the attractive man's expression of muted bewilderment. His response is straight and emotionless, as though he is unsure how to react: "Large Americano. Hot. Two-thirds espresso, one-third water." 

She nods once, bows politely, and walks toward the door to fulfill the request. 

"Why do you have that card?" 

Sakura freezes. Is this a joke? In her ears, it sounds like he wants to know why she's carrying the company card around if she hasn't used it to upgrade her wardrobe as instructed. She turns to fix the man with a tense grin, "My outfit abides by Uchiha Corp's dress code. Whether or not it's to your personal liking is none of my concern. Excuse me." The woman doesn't wait to see his reaction before leaving in a huff, hoping he didn't glimpse her annoyed face when she turned around. 

If he hired them because he wants something to ogle at all day, then Karin should be the one to go to the job sites with him. Surely, she'll be ecstatic. 

Keep your cool, Sakura. Today won't be like Friday. You'll show everyone how capable you are this time around. 

After a few calming breaths, her irritation soothes, and she texts her new colleague, Karin, 'Making a coffee run. Send me your order.' 

Sasuke stares at the spot by his office door where Miss Haruno had just been. He isn't sure why, but he feels like she just subtly told him that he isn't shit and should know that. It pisses him off as much as it confuses him. Why did she start defending her clothing? Nothing he said had anything to do with it! In fact, his initial thought upon seeing her enter the room was that she was much more professional than when he last saw her. His mind reels as he tries to deduce what'd gone wrong. 

Moments later, he recalls something Sai said Friday afternoon: "I heard what happened with Miss Haruno at the site. Rest assured, I've already sent a care package to her home. Let's hope she doesn't file a complaint. I'd hate to hear what the Vice President will say." 

A groan passed his lips as his forehead fell into his palm. What did that jackass do?

When the woman returns, she's accompanied by Miss Uzumaki and Sai. Without making a huge display, she slides the company card across his desk as she hands over his coffee. He meets her gaze as she does, becoming irritated all over again when he realizes she's not bashfully looking away like most women do. In fact, she looks like she's just waiting for him to say something about what happened before and is ready to defend herself. 

Once six o'clock arrives, no one has time to dwell on such trivial things. The two assistants shadow Sai as instructed while Sasuke tries to catch up on the piles of paperwork that just keep growing. After lunch, he needs to visit a few off-campus locations and waits as the pair of women decide who'll accompany him and who will stay behind to continue working with Sai at the office. 

Miss Uzumaki's eyes light up, and she turns to face her colleague, who makes a dismissive motion with her hands as though she's glad to give up the opportunity. 

This pisses Sasuke off, too, because they should both be jumping at the chance to get in his good graces. He is their boss, after all. Everything that woman does makes him mad. As the redheaded assistant silently follows him down to the parking garage, he glares straight ahead and counts himself lucky to have a break from the more aggressive one upstairs. 

At least this one keeps her mouth shut unless addressed first. Miss Haruno talks too much and way too casually for his taste. 

Is she afraid of silence? It seems so, given that she constantly tries to fill it. Even when she's working with the others and not him, he's overheard her attempts to keep the conversation flowing when it's unnecessary. Chatting isn't exactly against policy, but it is annoying. Unless it affects someone's ability to do their job, though, he can't say anything about it. 

Upon arriving at the first site that needs his attention, Sasuke pauses and looks back at his assistant. His eyes drift down to her feet because, on Friday, she showed concern about the safety of her footwear. A smile tugs at her red lips as she turns her foot to the side so he can see that the heels of her shoes are much thicker than the last ones, meaning they'll be easier to walk in. 

He faces forward and continues walking without outwardly acknowledging her. 

It's nice that she's better prepared this time, but she may get the wrong idea if he expresses that. Given her eager personality during their interview, Miss Uzumaki seems the type to jump at the chance to get his attention. If he doesn't proceed cautiously, her admiration could quickly become inappropriate for colleagues. Since her career aspirations and attitude are so promising, he doesn't want to have to fire her like the others. 

The fact may be that he's entirely wrong about her. He'd rather be safe than sorry. 

For the next three hours, they travel from site to site across the massive megacity of Konoha. Sasuke signs off on decisions, instructs team leaders as their supervisor, and checks the progress of locations being constructed. To his relief, the redheaded woman acts as his silent shadow the entire time, never speaking unless spoken to first and observing with the evident intention of absorbing as much information as possible. 

It's just after five o'clock when the pair returns to the office. There, he's stunned to find his elder brother sitting on the edge of his desk while watching Miss Haruno place files in one of the cabinets. A smile is on both of their faces as they converse with apparent ease. "-put a feeler out with the C.E.O. and see what he thinks. May I call on you when I receive a response?" 

Sasuke's eyes narrow as they notice their arrival, but he speaks solely to Itachi as he crosses the room to sit at his desk, "Is there something you need?" 

If Itachi's here, it can't be good. Inwardly, the younger brother panics. How long has he been in here talking to her? She didn't mouth off to Itachi like she does with him, right? Surely not, or he wouldn't be so relaxed in her presence. 

…Wait, he's very relaxed right now. Why?

Itachi is incredibly professional, second only to Sasuke. On average, he wouldn't be caught dead slouching or sitting casually on the edge of a desk, especially in front of such a new employee. The Uchiha family has a reputation to uphold. While the elder brother may not intend to dedicate his entire life to their father's business empire, he's always careful to keep the CEO entirely satisfied. 

"Yes, actually. Where is last month's Outside Services report? Accounts Payable is urgently requesting it." 

The Director glares at the man, noticing his two assistants whispering to one another while working at the file cabinet in his peripheral, "I'll email it now." 

Itachi's expression becomes serene in a mocking way. He stands with perfect posture while gesturing to the two women working nearby, "Your assistants seem to be adjusting well. I'm eager to continue monitoring their progress." 

Is that his way of telling Sasuke he heard about what happened on Friday? The older brother excuses himself without elaboration. 

Sasuke's eyes dart to his aides, then to Sai, who lifts a brow but says nothing. At six o'clock, the two women bow politely as they stand in front of his desk, ready to leave for the day. Sai left soon after Itachi, so it's only the three of them. He waves a dismissive hand, eyes on the computer screen, "You're dismissed. Please leave." 

They wordlessly obey, but then the Director recalls the exchange with the pink-haired one and looks at her retreating figure, "Miss Haruno. Stay. I need to discuss something with you." 

When she spares her co-worker one last glance before turning to re-approach the desk, the woman's eyes are bright and attentive as they've been all day. "There seems to have been a misunderstanding," he says once they're alone. 

The woman waits patiently for him to explain. 

Momentarily, the Uchiha man is distracted by their shared eye contact. They say if someone holds your gaze and doesn't look away for more than ten seconds, they either want to fuck you or kill you. Judging by this particular person's apparent need to get on his last nerve, he infers the feeling is mutual. Eventually, he clears his throat and continues, "Sai sent a gift to your home on my behalf to apologize for Friday's incident." 

Miss Haruno's brows lift, her mouth tugging into a frown, "Yes…?" 

He hesitates because her response isn't what he expected. Just what exactly did Sai send with the company card? Obviously, the woman before him was deeply offended by it. 

As the duo searches one another's faces, waiting for the other to crack, the pinkette seems to finally recognize the situation. The tips of her ears turn bright red, and her eyes light with ire. Sasuke barely manages not to sigh aloud as he recognizes the signs that she's angry again. 

"You have no idea what he sent, right?" 

He nods. 

She bristles and surprises him by saying, "May I be excused?" 

The Director's eyes slightly widen, and he looks her up and down in confusion, "We're in the middle of a discussion, Miss Haruno." 

"I understand that." There's a fire in her aura that's as impressive as it is obnoxious. 

Sasuke slowly shakes his head before giving in and dropping a tiny bit of professionalism, "You're still upset even though I didn't send whatever it is that offended you?" It seems this woman is determined to break his shelled composure and is especially gifted at the task. 

"Mr. Uchiha, please excuse my frankness, but not verifying the gift that was sent for a mistake that you made doesn't paint the most flattering picture." 

…Seriously? This is why he doesn't seriously date. It's like she wants to stay mad at him at all costs. 

When Sasuke silently glares at the seething woman rather than reply, she digs through her purse before placing an envelope on his desk and offers an expectant look. He obliges, although reluctantly. Opening the envelope, he pulls out a familiar-looking card. It's from the ones he keeps in his desk. They have his signature printed at the bottom left, so he doesn't have to manually do it. 

His face falls in disbelief as he reads the note inside: 'Please accept these gifts as a token of my appreciation. I've included a company credit card. Feel free to use it to upgrade your wardrobe or attend etiquette lessons.'

Sai's obviously trying to get Miss Haruno to quit or get him in trouble. The question is why and which is the preferred outcome. The Director's glare lifts to meet his aide's. Now her comment this morning makes perfect sense, as does her irritation. This is Sasuke's fault just as much as it is Sai's because he should've personally sent the gift instead of entrusting the task entirely to someone else without a second thought. 

He takes a moment to consider his response before setting the card down and asking, "May I assume you did the things I apparently recommended?" 

She nods, straightening her spine and looking down her nose at him, "You may." 

He almost smirks because that is so unsurprising. Her pride was bruised, so she acted accordingly. Though Miss Haruno's personality isn't that of the women he's been acquainted with, he knows he can count on her to stand up for herself, if nothing else. 

"You may keep any purchases you made. I'll ensure this does not happen again," he nodded toward the door, "You may go." 

The man thought she'd be happy since he looks awful right now, but she isn't. 

No, a clear look of disbelief meets her green eyes. She opens her mouth as though ready to say something, but then she closes it with a furrowed brow. Without another word, she turns and strides out of the room with a heavy aura of rage. 

His jaw clenches when the door closes behind her. "....What the hell's her problem?" he whispers to himself while tossing the rude card into his desk drawer.