Has anyone ever watched "Belle and the Beast: A Christian Romance"? A modern retelling of the fairytale we know and love, a kind of Hallmark filled with heart and soul. What made it interesting was that the ugliness of the male lead is INTERNAL rather than on the outside. Which brings me to cross it with none other than two beloved characters of an anime/manga we love so much.
Sasuke Uchiha is so cold-hearted and selfish that the people of Konoha call him "the Beast." His parent's murders followed by a lifetime of anger, hate and bitterness consumed him. But then comes along kind and caring Sakura Haruno who works hard to help her father, sacrificing her personal interests. But in event of an accident in which her father breaks a priceless heirloom, Sakura agrees to work for the Uchiha to pay the debt and save her father's job...and there just might be more to Sasuke than the man he became. Complete with a traditional opening sequence to the end...
Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto or "Belle and the Beast".
Chapter One
A Beauty and a Beast
Once upon a time, at the bottom of Mount Fuji and in a land not unlike your own, there lived a beautiful young woman who was named after one of the sweetest, symbolic blossoms in Japan - in all of the modern East.
Her name was Sakura. She was kind, thoughtful, selfless, but above all, she loved her family, friends and life. She spent her time pursuing her education and working to help her family. She brightened the day of all who met her with her cheerful outlook on life.
But in the same land lived someone concerned with no one but himself.
The young man had great wealth, lived in the upmost luxury, yet no one envied him. He was a cold-hearted, ruthless human being. His name was Sasuke Uchiha. Throughout the land, he was more commonly called the Beast.
~o~
Dark onyx eyes didn't blink when they looked up from the newspaper in front of him to see the traditional breakfast made and laid in front of him. Eggs and his favorite roasted tomatoes, paired with rice balls wrapped in seaweed. He nodded to the maker without a word and picked up one of the rice pieces and began to nibble much to the disapproval of the cook, a young man a few years older than him.
Kabuto Yakushi he'd known since they were children, when his family came to work for the Uchiha, but then the Uchihas were ruthlessly murdered when his master was only a child. It had been just the two of them and Kabuto's parents until they, too, died. Their son would have gone into medical school to save his terminally ill mother's life had it not been too late, and his father committed suicide not long after.
"I'll be in my office," Sasuke told him, picking up the tray without even thanking him. The silver-haired man shook his head, taking off his glasses to wipe them clean on his shirt. All these years of trying to balance between being a good friend and the one who took care of him and this house was starting to take a toll on him. He liked to think the main reason he was doing this job was to save up for medical school. It was hugely expensive, and the pay was well, but not generous enough. Sometimes Kabuto wondered if he was going to die the way he was now.
After all, was there anyone who knew how to tolerate Sasuke Uchiha for that long?
"Remember, dear," his mother had told him once, "his parents are gone, and we are all he has left." Yeah, Mother, and look at what a spoiled brat - no, he's MORE than that. It's a miracle I even survived this long with him.
Meanwhile, the main entrance to the estate was opening. The secretary had arrived on time just as the boss himself was leaving his office. He must have chosen to leave the dishes in there himself for Kabuto to pick up since he couldn't be seen taking care of anything by himself. "The Hyuuga file is done, and the corporation called, wanting you to come out and give final approval on the deal," the red-haired woman with glasses told him.
"Intend to," he answered, taking it from her with intention to look himself in his office. "Karin, I have some emails for you to follow through." Again, not even to thank her. Kabuto amused himself by snickering when she sarcastically said "welcome" behind her employer's back. And not much time later, when Kabuto was cleansing the marble kitchen counters, the man of the house came in, and he chose now to remind him about the handyman who was coming to fix the fireplace.
The Uchiha scoffed. "Kabuto, when did I ever care about your Monday reminders?"
"Just keeping you informed so you don't blame me later for not telling you." Not directly insulting, but enough to slap him in the face.
"And when did THAT ever happen?"
More often than you can count. Kabuto could think of the most recent. "Two weeks ago when you...screamed at the electrician for interrupting your need for solitude," he answered smoothly, drying the counter with the dish towel. He received no answer, just an audible sigh of exasperation. Sasuke wouldn't admit it, but he got it. But if there was one thing he pitied and felt sorry for, it was the fact Sasuke Uchiha was always alone since his family was taken from him.
What would he need "solitude" in the house for, anyway?
~o~
Another busy day, and it was just like Ino to badger her at the end of the day, at the Konoha Orthodontist Facility. "You ready?" the blonde asked as she approached the pink-haired woman who was just pulling some files that Tsunade-san wanted for tomorrow.
"Go ahead and I'll lock up when I'm done."
"You don't want me to do it for you? You know you have your homework," Ino reminded her, the little drawl heard on "homework".
Homework was never an issue for her, but she got her there. And if there was one word to describe Sakura Haruno, it was workaholic. But what the hell? She was very passionate, and when her mind was on something, it was solid and in stone. "Ino-Pig," she said through her teeth, trying not to laugh, "no, I will be fine, and I totally heard your tone there." And it was nothing they hadn't been to before, with much work in both this place and after school hours.
As for what she was doing here at the orthodontist's practice, she intended to one day take this over, but first get to the assistant director's seat, and as a start she could "fire" Ino Yamanaka, her lifelong best friend since pre-school, for mocking her the way she did. Another joke they'd been through.
"Are we still on for tomorrow?" Here we go again.
By tomorrow, Ino was talking about Kiba Inuzuka, a cousin of hers on her mother's side. Trying to set her up once more, but when did Sakura ever have interest in guys? In high school, she preferred books and studying, while some guys could think of one thing, and others on cars and whatever they loved. And Kiba here, he seemed...nice. Although he had a tendency to throw a tantrum when he didn't get his way, which made her a little wary. He wasn't bad-looking either, and she didn't know him that well. Which meant tomorrow night she could have her chance to judge before deciding if he was her material.
Whatever material THAT would be.
~o~
"You are the most incompetent assistant I have ever had! I told you NOT to call until I approved!"
He had gone to meet with the Hyuuga Corporation to discuss the deal to help his family's business when he learned that they already decided the decision when he never once gave them his final word. Today was only supposed to be a meeting, nothing more, and his incompetent assistant Karin had to go ahead and give his word when he didn't really settle. Just the way it was supposed to be! That one call without his permission changed everything.
He was ruined, once more. Thanks to her.
Karin was fuming as her hair. "But you did approve, Sasuke!" she insisted.
"No!" he shouted. "I specifically said do not make a move until we have them locked in!" And for a very good reason: the Hyuugas were always a competition with the Uchiha, and no one ever joined them without compromise on both sides. "This mistake you made is going to ruin not only me, but my relationship with them."
"Like you have a relationship with anyone," she spat. Little bitch.
Sasuke stiffened. She dared to point out something that was not her business just as she did something part of HIS business - his father's legacy which he'd sworn to honor, that his dear older brother had to bring shame to and ruined Sasuke's childhood - without his full consent. The final decision was based on the man in charge, not the secretary, which was the final button to push. She was fired, but before he could say anything, she thrust a couple of papers into his hand.
Her resignation papers. "I've had them typed up for weeks," she sneered, enjoying every bit of his reaction. Oh, his blood was on boiling point. And the look from the repairman at the fireplace added to it. The man quickly went back to work if he valued his job.
"So...I've been paying you all this time for nothing," Sasuke hissed, his fingers crumpling the paper almost to bits. "And judging by the date of this, I don't have to make up for those last few weeks, do I?" She gave one more spit to his face, literally, making him cringe and wipe it off with disgust, before she took the papers from his hand and stalked out of the house, slamming the front door behind her -
- at the same time the sound of pottery smashing was heard. Sasuke whirled around, livid to his bones now, as he saw what happened: the repairman, whose name was K. Haruno on his shirt tag, had stood up but didn't see that he'd knocked into an antique vase that found its way into pieces on the polished mahogany floors. The Uchiha's temper erupted with a vengeance. The clumsy fool!
"IDIOT!" He stomped in and dove to the mess' side, gathering them all up just as the other man took his portion. He was not going to listen to the useless apology he heard all his life for anything. "You didn't mean to do this, did you?! No one tries to be an idiot; it always just happens! Do you have any idea how much this -" He held up the pieces in his hands. "- is worth?" It was, in fact, worth the lives of ten people."
"Uchiha-san," Haruno said, trying to keep his calm, "I really am sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?"
Oh, he wanted to know what he could do to "make it up", did he? He could not possibly do enough. Tomorrow he was going to do the rational way of phoning this man's boss of his clumsiness. He could start looking for a new job, for all he cared. Hearing this, the man's eyes widened with pure, unadulterated horror. "No! Sir, please, I need this job! Not just for myself, but also for my daughter -!"
This thing was broken enough as it was, so Sasuke dropping all the pieces made the fool stop speaking. "I couldn't care less what you need. My day is full as it is, and you're to blame for adding to it. Get out before I call the police," he growled.
He half-expected K. Haruno to protest more, but he took the threat seriously - and Sasuke really considered it, but the truth was they couldn't do jack about something petty like this - and picked up his equipment case before leaving the same way Karin had done that day.
~o~
When Sakura got home just as the sun was going down, the cold air rushed over her face and whipped her short hair. Snow from Christmas break remained on the ground, some melting away. Her father was home and waiting for her to get dinner started, but when she passed by the living room, she halted when she saw Kizashi laying back on the recliner, staring at the flatscreen with depression in his eyes. She swallowed. She hadn't seen him like this since Mebuki died.
"Dad," she said, sitting across from him on the closest end of the sofa, "what's wrong?"
Seconds passed before he answered. "...I need to start looking for a new job, kumquat." The nickname he gave her when she was a little girl rang a tee; the peel on the outside of the small orange fruit was sweet, but the core itself was sour. But then he said he was going to look for a new job, it could mean one thing: you got fired. There were no words to describe the shock she was in.
"Why...what happened?"
"It was an accident, honey. I broke something at Uchiha-san's; he said he would call my boss in the morning to have me fired."
She was furious - no, livid...actually, she couldn't think of the word for her smart brain. Her dad had been called in to fix the fireplace at the home of the last living Uchiha, the man everyone called "The Beast", and he got into trouble when he didn't mean to. Now he was going to lose the one thing that both he and his daughter, Sakura, depended on. "Dad, did you try to talk him out of it?" she asked, gripping the armrest of the floral-patterned couch that her mother personally picked.
Kizashi nodded, eyes distant. "Of course I did. But the man's a...beast," he said disgustedly. "And he threatened to call the police on me." Uchiha...you bastard...beast...or whatever. And it was a damned accident! Only with what her father was telling her, the man clearly didn't see it that way or even gave a damn. "Sweetheart, I only had this job for a few months." How could Kizashi just let this happen to him without a fight? And what was more: how could Sasuke Uchiha think he could get away with anything?
The Uchiha was a powerful man, a spiteful one, and everyone knew it. In church, in schools, town - everyone. He was notorious. And it was because of what happened to his parents when he was a young boy.
Sakura could remember her parents talking about it when she was eight, the age she was when it happened. The details were so brutal that the youngest had to be shielded until they were old enough - but she'd gotten a hold of it a few years later. It was said that the oldest son, Itachi Uchiha, had done it, but he disappeared before police could catch and question him. He was listed as a prime suspect since his younger brother, Sasuke, was the only one to see him and was a sole witness...but he hadn't been there to see Itachi commit the crime. He'd only gotten home to find his parents' corpses in their own blood, in the middle of the foyer.
This said, Sakura had a feeling that something could be done. Her mother was dead, his parents gone - did anyone try to reach him using that? It's not going to be straightforward. But if I don't save my dad, we lose our home and our life. Who does this man think he is to treat us like this? "Let me see what I can do."
"No, Sakura," her father insisted, "this is my problem." But she would never take no for an answer.
"Dad, I work and go to school, but even that's not enough to take care of this house. We need you to keep this job." By "we", she meant the two of them. And if her mom was here, she would definitely agree. "If there is something I can do, then I am doing it."
She was going to Sasuke Uchiha's secluded mansion further up the hills, near the forest. But after she made dinner for her father and herself. She would not give that man a lesson on an empty stomach. And before you said anything, she never got nauseated with worry. Nothing did that to her anymore.
Nothing surprised her anymore when she saw the great gates opening to show a place that could have been created by a Western architect, for its classical columns supported the roofs that honored this country, and the rest of it which was covered about with pristine snow was a zen garden paired with more lush flowers, like rose bushes? We're not here to admire the scenery. So she parked the minivan at the gate when she was close enough to the call box.
"Yes?"
The voice that answered sounded like a young male, but it couldn't be the one she was here for, right? "Is Sasuke Uchiha available?"
"Your name?"
"Uh, he doesn't know me. I'm Sakura Haruno. This regards my father from the repair company today."
There was a pause before she was graced as the gates were opening on the other end. "Just walk around the back of the estate. You'll find Uchiha-san there." Sakura could hardly contain her excitement - well, not for long. But the anticipation made her stomach roll with the food she ate. And it was with mixed reactions.
She found the path she was told in no time, which was cleared for walkers, and there were garden lights to illuminate the way. Putting her hands in her heavy coat pockets, Sakura proceeded to walk down, looking for any man since she didn't know what he looked like...
"What are you doing on my property?"
Sakura just about jumped out of her skin. She turned around at the source of the voice, and there sat the man on the bench. He regarded her stonily with glassy dark eyes. He was pale, with aristocratic features almost feminine-like, a thin nose like hers, and his black hair was swept up in the back like a duck's rear. "Are you Uchiha-san?" For a second, she was distracted just by the sight of him, before reminding herself that his appearance couldn't deter her from her objective.
His eyes narrowed, scrutinizing her, not answering. "I came here to ask you...not to call my dad's boss." His eyes widened a fraction with recognition.
"You're the repairman's daughter. Well, you must be an idiot, too." She bristled internally. Well, it wasn't like this was going to be smooth from the start.
"Excuse me," she said, "but that's uncalled for - as was the way you treated my father."
This guy was as much a jerk as he was said to be - no, now that she was in front of him, the opinion doubled. "You want me to reward him for breaking priceless art?" he sneered.
"No, of course not. But please don't call his boss." She hated begging, but if that was necessary, she would do it. Her father was all she had left, and she was doing this just for him. "Our family relies on him; we need him to keep that job."
The Uchiha really are unreasonable. "Do you know how much fine art costs, girl?" he demanded. "Girl"? Why, she was very much the same age he was! "That was handed down in my family from my grandfather's time."
"Yes! I am the only one in college, but even that and my job I have right now isn't enough to care for our house," Sakura went on, only for him to speak up without regard.
"What about your mother?"
She gritted her teeth. "My mother died years ago. Like I said, Uchiha-san, I do what I can, but my father's job is all we have until I get my degree in two more years."
For a moment, she thought she'd gotten through to him...but how wrong she was. "Lovely sob story," he said sarcastically, "but it changes nothing. I was wrong to even think your father was competent." Now she snapped.
"It was an accident! And if you want it made up to you, I'm sorry. We can't pay anything close to whatever the art was worth."
She got a smirk out of him, but it was unpleasant. "It would make me feel better," he said, leaning his head back by an inch.
So, he would feel better only if they paid him back in money so he could get a replacement for a piece of junk? She didn't mean for that to sound cruel, but he had no idea what family was like since he lost his. "Would it? If we can't pay the money the way you want, there has to be something I can do. Anything you want me to..."
Anything to make this right.
The silence that followed was painstaking and straining that she feared he would once more refuse...but it turned out the negotiation was worth it. If you could call pleading and desperation "negotiating". The Uchiha stood and looked her down. He was taller than her by a couple inches, which surprised her. "Alright. I just fired my assistant today. You can replace her and work for me until I feel the debt is paid off."
Why was she not surprised? Sakura could not imagine how many assistants before this one he'd gone through. She tried to brace herself for what would be ahead of her now. But there were also a couple problems. "But I also have another job," she reminded him just as he was turning to walk away.
"You want me to call your dad's boss?" Ugh, the bastard got her there! Hastily, she shook her head. "Where do you work?"
"The orthodontist's office. I'm a part-time assistant."
He stiffened. "You work part-time, you say you go to school, and you claim your family is desperate," he stated bluntly. She nodded, which seemed to get him to rest his case. "Then on whatever your days off, you come and work for me. I guess you have your work cut out for you, don't you?" He then turned and made way for the back door that was before them. "Leave the way you came in," he called over his shoulder before closing and locking.
She stared for a few seconds, unable to believe what had just happened. But either way... "Thank you," she feebly called out, though knowing he wouldn't hear her and wouldn't give two rats' asses.
Sakura Haruno got herself a second job, and she was going to work for none other than the Beast himself, Sasuke Uchiha.
Reviews are much loved. :D Lots o detail or maybe enough.
