(For the sake of the story, let's pretend Karin isn't an Uzumaki. For the sake of Naruto as a whole, let's pretend Karin isn't an Uzumaki.)

AU, SasuSaku, One-sided SasuKarin. Possibly one-sided NaruSaku. Please note that one-sided SasuKarin=/=Anti Karin.

Also, this starts out slow (and does seem to focus on Karin in the 1st chapter?) but it is a SS fic.

For as long as she'd known her, all Karin would do was ramble about her "dearest" Uchiha Sasuke, the man she was officially engaged to. Unfortunately, her personal maid Haruno Sakura has to listen to Karin's ramblings until she and Sasuke wed. After moving to the other side of the world to the Country of Leaf, where Sasuke resides, Karin's love soars to the heavens, but Sasuke finds himself unable to fall in love with (and even tolerate) his new fiancée. His best friend Naruto enlists the help of - in other words, forces- Sakura to bring the two together, however while Sakura takes on the role of Cupid and conducts multiple attempts to bring the two together, Sasuke finds himself paying more attention to his fiancée's maid than his fiancée.

Standard disclaimer; I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does. However, I do own the plot.


When it was announced that the Uchiha family were looking for a fiancée for their next heir, Sasuke, Karin was flabbergasted, as Sakura recalled. She was a real pain in the ass, too. Even moreso than usual, and that was saying something.

From what Karin had told her, it seemed that Uchiha Sasuke was a God. Or the next best thing, she reckoned. He was blessed with a perfect body (though Sakura wasn't sure on how Karin managed to see it), perfect looks and a perfect status. He was just perfect perfect perfect. After his father retired (or died, whichever came first), Sasuke would become the head of the Uchiha family. He'd be the wealthiest man alive and he'd have so much power- power over everything and everyone. Karin was sure that once Sasuke became head, he'd be able to control even death itself. To this, Sakura snorted.

Despite Sasuke being 'so perfect', and seemingly like the ultimate man fit for a woman, Sakura wasn't at all jealous of Karin- From what she'd heard (she found that the grapevine that was, of course, other peasants forced to live a life of misery, was extremely knowledgeable about anyone of importance) the nineteen year old Uchiha heir was an emotionless asshole, and besides, she loved the fact that as soon as Karin wedded, Sakura would never have to see her again.

But really, Karin had been screaming in Sakura's ear about her future husband non-stop. Constantly talking about the boy, who was two years younger than her (But she didn't mind, his perfection excused the age gap); How he was perfect in every way possible, how she, out of the 46 candidates, was the only one suitable for the role of his wife. This was quite true, Sakura supposed, as Karin managed to obtain the title of his fiancée.

"Make sure to get inbetween the toes." Karin hissed as two servants washed her feet. "I can't have my big day ruined just because you don't know how to wash feet!" Ah, yes, today was the big day- not the wedding, but the day she'd fly from Sound to the Country of Leaf, quite literally to a country across the world, to meet and move in with Sasuke. Sadly, Sakura had to move there too. Her role as Karin's personal maid brought her all sorts of unnecessary tasks. On the bright side, she'd move back home once Karin was officially married, meaning that Sakura's role as Karin's least favourite peasant would be filled my a member of the Uchiha workforce. Well, filling her place would be a little much, Sakura thought, as she was sure that there was no one on Earth that Karin hated more than her.

Karin frowned as she glanced at her clock, red eyes narrowing. "Sakura! Sakura? Godammit, where is she?"

"I'm here, Karin. And so is your dress." Sakura walked into the room. In her right hand was a red mermaid dress. "You're late!" Karin snapped. How dare she be so tardy! Was she trying to ruin her special day or what? The red head snorted; Of course she was. Karin knew for a fact that Sakura envied her. She was soon going to be wife of the most powerful man in the world- of course the younger girl would be jealous. It was only natural. Karin had it all and she was soon in for more, but Sakura? She's a commoner. Nothing more and nothing less; a child of poverty.

Karin, on the other hand, was the daughter to a wealthy weapons dealer, destined for greatness, Sakura was destined to live in the shadow of whoever she worked under. And she had pink hair. Karin thought it was atrocious. She found it somewhat amusing, however. The fact that Sakura's hair colour was just a washed out version of her own. In all her twenty one years, Karin had never seen anyone other than Sakura with pink hair, and as much as she hated it, she couldn't deny herself the truth of the fact that she was jealous of all the heads her maid turned with her unique hair colour.

Sakura rolled her eyes as Karin began to rant on about her tardiness; how if she were another minute late her schedule for the day would be ruined, how Sasuke would have a bad first impression of her... She zoned out afterwards. It only took his name to cause Karin to gush about the boy.

The younger girl let out a sigh as a hairdresser attempted to tame Karin's fiery red hair. Karin's hair had always confused Sakura. One side spiked up, the other was almost perfectly flat. Neither one of her parents had spiky hair (then again, Sakura noted that Karin didn't share a single quality of her father when it came to appearances)- no one was sure where it came from . But it made life harder than necessary. Karin screamed out vulgar things as the hairdresser roughly pulled the brush through her red mane. Karin sneered at Sakura as she watched on. Sakura's long, silky pink hair was so easy to manage. Karin hated it. She'd always watch as Sakura effortlessly put her hair into a ponytail. And her hair was so long, too. Just above her waist. She could do so much with it, but Karin (as she thought about this, she let out a grumble)- her hair only just went past her breasts. Whenever Karin tried to put her hair into a ponytail, she resembled her balding uncle, who refused to cut off the few strands he had left.

Because of this, the hairdresser had put extensions in Karin's hair. It was woven between different parts, to make sure it looked natural. Tayuya, the hairdresser, after successfully managing to get it into a state in which it would cooperate, swiftly slicked the red hair into an elegant bun. A few hair ornaments were added and Karin's hair was finished. Now she needed to put her dress on.

Sakura found that this step would be a lot easier if Karin actually attempted to wear it, rather than stare at it.

The older woman, on the other hand, made no such attempts. Karin's scarlet eyes stared at the dress with such intensity that Sakura was sure it'd create holes (holes she'd have to sew up).

"I don't like it."

"But this is the one you wanted. The one that was tailored on your requests."

"It looks atrocious!" Huffed Karin.

Sakura frowned. "You couldn't've said this yesterday, when we checked up on it?"

"But what if Sasuke doesn't like red?" Karin whined, changing the topic. The fact that she was twenty one years of age was hard to believe.

"Karin," The rosette exhaled. "You have red hair and red eyes. If Sasuke doesn't like red, you wouldn't have secured the position as his fiancée, would you? Besides, Sasuke prides himself on his colour changing eyes- his eyes that turn red."

Now, Karin wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to punish Sakura to remind her of her place and for speaking out of turn like that, or thank her for reminding her of her place; Sasuke's soon to be wife.

She chose the latter.

Taking a deep breathe, Karin closed her eyes.

In 4 hours, she'd meet the love of her life.

Sakura, on the other hand, could not seem to stop shaking. While her employer vainly posed in front of the mirror, she stood in the background, as pale as the silk curtains. She'd left the country before due to Karin's trips, but this was different. This wasn't a trip to a country right off the border, this was the Country of Leaf, and it was quite literally across the world. She knew not a single person here, and her anxiety tripled at the thought of her new owners (because to the rich, she would always be a doll to order around and throw wherever they goddamn pleased) and their possible attitudes, as well as the nature of their work staff. What if the other maids hated her? What if they all hated her? What if they were all dark haired, dark eyed beauties who thought her pink hair and deep eyes were hideous? Would she be bullied? Would the Uchiha's abuse her? Dear God, did they hit their servants...?

Her hand gripped tightly against the bed post as she calmed herself down. Her thoughts weren't allowed to mean anything; she was to stay at the Uchiha Mansion for the next 2 years regardless of how she felt.

She sucked in a breathe.

In 4 hours, she'd start a new, hellish chapter of her life.