Summary: Haruno Sakura thought she was the most unfortunate person in the world not until she saw a raven-haired man about to jump off the Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo. She wasn't sure if it was on impulse or her morals and principles in preserving life that forced her to scream, "I'll give you a reason to live." SasuSaku
A/N: I had to take down what I uploaded earlier. When I checked and discovered the progress I made was not saved, I was forced to write it all over again.
Common Mishaps
Chapter I :: Divergence
Sometimes Haruno Sakura wonders how her best friend Yamanaka Ino could blabber nonstop for four straight hours and still go on about the same topic for another four.
"Pig, give me a break. You've been bugging me about this emo band since last week." Sakura rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time while leaning on her right hand which was holding a neon yellow highlighter.
"They're not just emo Forehead! Did I mention how smexy and gorgeously hot Nara Shikamaru's body was? If I could just eat him alive, I would!" Ino started giggling.
"Oh please, smexy is not even a word. And stop it you're giving me the shivers Pig." She said disgusted while reading and at the same time highlighting important words in her pathophysiology textbook.
"Why are you even studying? It's a Saturday and it's time for shopping and more shopping!" Ino grabbed a hold of her book and tossed it in Sakura's queen sized bed. Sakura stood up and let herself slump to her bed beside her best friend and sighed.
'No it's time for you to annoy me with your endless yapping Pig.' she mused.
"You know how much I've been dying to see this band Sak, just please go with me. I promise I won't pester you for a month. And besides we don't even hangout anymore!" She kneeled beside Sakura while placing her hands together and flashing her puppy dog eyes.
Ino's deal sounds appealing to her. If she agreed to accompany her to this concert, then she could seriously study in peace for four weeks! She had her final examinations coming up and Ino being at her house for the last two weeks at exactly seven in the morning was not helping her AT ALL. She was close to biting Ino's bait, but when she thought about it once more she changed her mind.
"Why don't you ask Haruka-chan, Michiko-chan and Akio-san instead? I don't even know one of that band's songs like they do!" While sitting up the bed and making an effort to go back to her study table and continue what she was supposed to be doing if Ino hadn't been such a nagger and a manipulative .
Ino sighed. Persuading her best friend is one hell of a job but she had yet to give up. She would and mark her words make Sakura go to this concert with her! Whether she liked it or not.
"I asked the three of them alright but I got rejected three times too! Haruka said she has to go help her mom manage their shop while Michiko and Akio wants to go together. Just because they were already an item I become shunned out I don't even get how they wound up together. I mean best friends weren't supposed to..." She continued her rant in slight annoyance and anger.
Sakura laughed so hard up to the point that she was clutching her stomach. She got to admit she missed her best friend and her loudness. She thought about how they got separated because of college and their schedules barely matched up to the point wherein she eventually got a new set of peers and so has she but that did not stop Ino from reaching out to her.
"Why are you even laughing?! I've been pleading to you for the past five hours! How can you be so cold hearted Sakura? I know I hadn't been the perfect best friend but I'm all you got! Remember when we were still kids I helped you with what's his name? Oh well, whatever! I helped you a couple of times too but here you are not even lending me your ear! You're always -" She was cut-off when the door to Sakura's room opened.
There at her door was Haruno Ryouichi standing while clutching the doorknob.
"H-Ha-Haruno-ojisama! Good evening!" Ino stood up and bowed her head nervously in greeting and respect after all, it was Sakura's dad.
'Damn. Did he hear me?'
"Otousan! How many times did I remind you to knock first before you enter my room! It's invasion of privacy you know!"
"Hai hai. Anyway, I got the tickets you really wanted Sak!" He said while grinning and waving the two tickets.
Sakura eyed Ino and she just grinned while holding up a peace sign. She knew this would happen. Ino was smart and a great tactician after all! Now, she wouldn't have an excuse to not go! Ino even had the audacity to let her father buy them their passes!
"Thank you so much Haruno-ojisama!" She said while reaching out to grab the tickets from Sakura's dad.
"I thought we have passed through all the formalities long ago, Ino-chan. It's Ryou for you! You are most welcome. When you mentioned how stressed and weary my poor baby was from all the studying, I immediately rushed to buy these tickets!" He exclaimed excitedly as if he was the one attending the said event.
"Dad, you can go now." Sakura ushered him out of her room to prevent him from causing her further embarrassment.
"Hai Hai. Sakura you know I accept you for what you are but please keep it PG while Kanon is still awake." He winked at her while laughing before closing the door as he went out.
"DAD!" Sakura yelled in frustration.
"Whoa. I can't believe this but I knew it! Hahaha." Ino jumped up and down in excitement and in happiness. Sakura raised her eyebrows and eyed her in question.
"Your dad bought us VIP passes!" She exclaimed happily while hugging her at the same time jumping up and down. "I knew he would do anything for his beloved baby." She teased.
"Shut up." Sakura punched her arm.
"Finally I would get to see them play live and I would get to stare at their handsome faces at close range!" Ino put her hands together and sighed dreamily. "Haaaa~"
Sakura pulled her out of her fantasy. "I thought you had a crush on my Dad?" she asked while chewing a cookie.
"Oh I do alright! He was the kindest, awesomest and handsomest Dad I've ever met! Remember when we were still kids he would always wear those muscle shirts and his biceps and abs are totally sticking out for me to see! And his soft locks was to die for. How I longed to caress his smooth, long, red-" Ino was at her own world again and Sakura has to drag her back out of her reverie soon. After all, she was already starting to choke on her chocolate chip cookie.
"S-STOOOOP! Pig! You don't actually realize that he is still my Dad and I'm her daughter and what you are telling me could be potentially psychologically scarring?" She faltered and coughed when a small particle of her cookie lodged down her throat. She drummed her fist on her chest.
Ino stared at her in disbelief. "I was gonna say hair! And please, you are already twenty years old! You are old enough to live on your own! Not to mention, marry a hot dude! I know I am, can I marry your dad?" There she goes again, it was like a cycle. It never ends.
"There is no way I'm ever going to let you be my mother! She turned her back on Ino and started reading the page she has been stuck for the past two hours. Picking up another color of highlighter, she shaded the word 'Pneumothorax'.
Ino was instantly beside her again nudging her shoulder with her elbow causing her neon pink highlighter to fall out of her grasp. "Oh come on Forehead!" She picked it up and ignored her. "Oh well, I can still have Kanon." she rushed toward her door but she came blocking it in a flash with her hands spread out to prevent her from yanking the door open. Ino kept on screaming inside Sakura's six cornered room, "Kanon! Yoohoo."
"Pig! Stop being delusional! Stay away from my little brother!" She yelled and brought her back to her room while carrying her and supporting her weight.
"Okay okay. You didn't have to be so-oh no. I missed a call from my darling baby." She said while scanning her phone for any recent messages. "I'm going to call him back."
She rolled her eyes. She totally forgot Ino was dating Aburame Shino for the past year. She would have never thought they would last long considering Ino's short temper and attitude. Speaking of temper she can tell they were currently fighting over the phone. Sighing she resumed her reading.
"I told you I'm at Sakura's house!"
"Why the hell are you shouting?"
"It's your fault for reminding me this late!"
"You'd just have to cancel!"
"What did you just say!"
"Fine!"
"Hmp!" Ino shouted while throwing her phone on Sakura's pillow. "The nerve of that guy. I mean, can you blame me for forgetting? I'm used to him not taking me on dates! You know how I'm such an understanding woman and I let him do whatever the hell he wants and then he has the-" She fumed.
"Hey Pig, did you know that a woman uses about 20,000 words per day while a man uses about 7,000? It says here on the book. But I think I had to mail them that I proved their theory wrong considering the fact that you just doubled in less than a day." She tried explaining while stifling her laughter. Well, it appears Ino was disinterested for she has a bored expression plastered on her face.
A knock and a voice behind the door disrupted them from their conversation. "Sakura-sama, dinner is served." Following a, "Hime, dinner!" was heard.
"Whatever forehead." She and Ino got up and raced towards the door. Spending the whole day just talking and mocking each other was tiring and starving indeed.
" Are you absolutely sure you wouldn't want me to marry your dad? I mean..." Yep, the cycle never ends.
Saying Uchiha Fugaku was pissed was the understatement of the year. He was irritated alright. He just lost $100M because his rival company, Kurosu Industries got the deal he's been working on for so long and so hard for. He got to admit his oldest son leaving did nothing but the worse for them. Without Uchiha Itachi leading their company and his declining health, there was no way he'd manage to run the company on his own. His oldest son was their most valuable asset and amidst the development for further expansion of their company in various fields, his son decided to elope with some commoner, someone with no background, no education and most importantly someone he did not approve of. His only chance was his second son, the rebel, defiant and the egoistic Uchiha who inherited his father's arrogance and intellect in formulating strategies and battle plans when it comes to business. He failed once but he will not fail again in pursuing him and getting him to take responsibility of their name. He will not let the company be handled by anyone outside the Uchiha family name.
"Ano, excuse me Uchiha-sama here are the remaining business proposals that needs to be approved." A gray haired man with black rimmed glasses carrying a stack of files and folders slowly and carefully approached Uchiha Fugaku's desk.
Fugaku ignored him and took his silence as a cue to place the stack of folders in the right side of his wengé colored executive desk with melamine finishing. He bowed his head and proceeded to head for the door but was stopped when the CEO of Uchiha Traders Incorporation asked, "Did my wife call?"
He turned to face him nervously for he knew he wouldn't like the answer he was about to hear. "No sir."
"Very well. Proceed." He hurriedly reached for the door knob and exited the room. He knew very well to stay out of Uchiha Fugaku's wrath after all, he had seen enough to terrify him. Yakushi Kabuto has been working in the Uchiha Traders Incorporation for the past ten years and he still hadn't seen the man smile, or even flash a smirk to anyone of the employees in the company. Of course, he knew what his boss has been dealing with at home and he can't bring himself to think of any other reason as to why the company's condition hasn't been the best lately. "That has to be it." he thought to himself.
"Yakushi-san, your mom is waiting on line three for the past fifteen minutes." His secretary Kin patted him on the shoulder and pointed at the phone on his mini desk. He sighed and strode towards the phone, picked it up and pushed the red button. He knew he wasn't in the position to think of anyone's problems for he has enough to deal with at home.
Uchiha Sasuke was annoyed. His phone has been vibrating for the nth time and the same name constantly flashes and appears on the screen:
Mom
What could his mother possibly want from him now? He knew she's going to come at him again with the same problem. She was such a nuisance, constantly asking to be picked up and leaving him to deal with her predicament. But then again he knew he won't be able to resist her and that he is sure she also knew rather well.
He was pulled out of his reverie when he felt a hand touch his arm. "I think you should answer the phone Sasuke-kun. I'm sure she's waiting for you." A raven haired beauty from a prestigious lineage, the Hyuuga family, uttered softly to him.
"Yeah! You've been staring at your phone for a while now Teme! Just pick it up already! You and your attitude acting like a damn princess..." Uzumaki Naruto stuck his tongue out when Sasuke flashed him one of his death glares.
"Shut up moron." He grunted. He instantly got up and evaded the drum stick coming at his direction. Okay now he did it. He picked it up and threw it back at his best friend, Naruto hitting him on the buttocks.
"Owww! That hurt like hell Teme!" He groaned while rubbing his sore behind.
"Serves you right. That would ought to teach you a lesson to stop attempting and pulling antics like that on me. Quit being childish moron." Sasuke replied in a much subtler way. The deal with Sasuke is that he could loathe you in a second and just forget about it after a minute.
Hyuuga Hinata sensing that a fight would soon ensue, attempted to stop them but failed. "A-Ano-"
Naruto puffed and jeered in a serious tone, "You're the one being childish Sasuke, your mom probably only trust and relies on you for her to be so persistent. She needs you Sasuke and not unless you get over your senseless anger and resentment towards your family, then you're the one who's naive." He finished his piece and tugged the wrist of the wide-eyed girl out the door and left.
Uchiha Sasuke was taken aback. That is the first time his idiot of a best friend talked some sense into him. He got to hand it to him, he really did look mature and cool in that moment. He knew he was right and as he stared at his vibrating phone he realized he never should've dragged his mother along with the mess his father and him made.
He dragged the slider of his phone and received the call.
'Another meeting.' Uchiha Obito mentally sighed. Being the Lead Financial Analyst of the Uchiha Traders Incorporation was a pain in the ass. Due to the deal that they lost to the Kurosu Industries, they were holding and cutting off the budget for the different sections that they cater. A lot of modifying and changing of business plans and allocations were done which meant, piles of paperwork for him.
The members of the board were getting a bit cranky too, after all it has been the fifth time that the CEO called for a meeting. Obito was not stupid he knew they were displeased and already doubting Uchiha Fugaku if he is still fit to lead the company.
"If he continues being indecisive then we should intervene." Homura Mitokado, one of the board members, sitting perpendicularly of him, was conversing with another board member named, Koharu Utatane who was smitten with the idea stated, "His lack of discipline and authority toward his sons pushed them to rebel against him. Now, he is left alone to face and deal with his own dilemma."
'As if you weren't intervening. You keep on opposing Fugaku-san's proposals.' Is what he's been wanting to say all along but then again he couldn't. He would be deemed disrespectful after all, they were considered as the elders in the company after long years of contributions and guidance they so freely gave to the past and different CEOs of the Uchiha Traders Incorporation.
As the doors of the conference hall opened, he noticed how the bickering and chattering immediately died down and the air was filled with awkward silence. 'How pretentious could these people get?' Uchiha Fugaku mused.
He cleared his throat and proceeded on the discussion of a new business strategy. When his assistant Yakushi Kabuto finished setting up, he turned to the screen where diagrams and charts were shown. He started, "In this table, we can see how we rose up higher by 15.63% in the food section compared to the previous year while our sales dangerously decreased in the clothing section by 30.88%. Which means we have to vastly improve in these department for that reason I-" Just when he rummaging through the files and folders he was cut-off when Homura interrupted him with queries. On the inside he was annoyed all right.
"If I may ask, why do we have to focus on something that had significantly decreased our profit? I see you have a new business proposal. Are you confident that it would bring about the improvement you were mentioning? If these plan that you are devising would further depreciate our sales and would cause great reduction in our part then I think it is not a good idea. We should target on expanding more of the food department wherein we are convinced that it can somehow increase our sales and profit without causing any casualties." It seemed like he hated him.
Homura bombarded him with inquiries he knew that would easily persuade the members to disagree with him. However, he also know that this business proposal that he was about to present will bring them back up to the top. So he countered, "In my perspective, due to our clothing department declines in sales, the more reason we have to get it back up to its feet. Currently there aren't any business proposals pertaining to the food section that would ensure us an increase in income while we have these. So while we devise another plan for the food section I suggest we proceed with this proposal." He said while raising the folder.
Obito raised his hand and questioned politely, "Excuse me Fugaku-san, but how are we going to loan for a capital when the bank rejected us?"
Fugaku smirked inwardly. "Simple. We wouldn't need any help from the bank, I would just take 50% of the shares of the board members and use it as a capital."
Upon finishing his statement, the board members went frantic.
"This is preposterous!"
"Who does he think he is?!"
"Did he think he can do whatever the hell he wants?!"
He expected this kind of reaction that he pulled from them. He admitted that he is placing the company on a huge gamble and they had yet to return back to the bank a total of $120M due to their previous business venture that failed to bring back exceptional results.
"We would certainly not agree to this. You are clearly putting the company on the line and one wrong move it could all fall into jeopardy! How as a leader, could you possibly think like that?!" Homura being the spokesperson, retorted back at him. He can see the others silently agreeing with him and nodding their heads.
He frowned. He was close to losing his cool because this simple minded imbeciles does not accept reason. "I am the CEO of the Uchiha Traders Incorporation and it is my job to make decisions that may or may not benefit the company. Being the one leading puts a lot of pressure on my part. The company is close to shutting down and if we keep on playing safe and remain stagnant, we would not be able to rise up higher and succeed. If you people are so keen in refusing my proposal, I suggest you stand and replace me immediately." He glared at almost everybody in the room. He was Uchiha Fugaku all right and whoever challenges him would have to deal with the consequences that lies after.
This shut the crowd up. Who after all, would want to be put the blame on if it fails? They weren't confident themselves that is the reason why they remain on the sidelines watching and agreeing to whatever he commands. And most importantly, who would want to deal with Uchiha Fugaku's wrath?
Uchiha Obito felt like the white painted walls were closing in on him. It's getting harder to breathe. He can feel Uchiha Fugaku's glare at his direction, he swallowed slowly. 'Why is he glaring at me? I didn't even say anything.' A frown was evident in his face, the face that can be mistaken as a stone-carved artwork. It was that cold and hard expression he was giving off that ticked off the people in the four cornered room.
A few minutes passed and no one dared to talk back at him or even attempted to take his place. When he raised his eyebrow, the crowd started muttering and formulating their decisions. Just when he completed gathering his things, Homura spoke.
"Would you mind expounding on the business proposal regarding the clothing department you mentioned?"
He smirked.
He rang the doorbell of the three-story white mansion while supporting the weight on his arms. The raven-haired lady in his arms was sleeping softly while frequently turning to close in on the source of warmth. He got to admit she leveled up. The last time he fetched her down Roponggi, in a bar named, Amrta she passed out with a bill of ¥15,000 or so and now she successfully doubled its sum. He wasn't the type to complain when it comes to paying her expenses especially on alcohol but he knew too much intake of anything is bad. As he wondered what was probably causing this woman's misery, the door opened and the housekeeper came into his view. He noticed she was holding a cleaning duster, she must've been in the middle of a chore when he rang.
The girl in her mid twenties was rather shocked when he saw him and bowed her head as if in reflex. "Sa-Sasuke-sama! Are you in need of assistance?" she offered as she reached out to place her hands in support of his luggage but quickly withdrew her hands when he rejected her.
"No. I can manage." He said nonchalantly as he advanced towards the grand foyer and into the grand staircase heading to the direction of the master's bedroom. Upon reaching the mahogany varnished door, he placed her gently on the king-sized bed covered neatly in a black and white sheet with a matching comforter. He grabbed a hold of the remote and turned on the air condition.
He stared at the master's bedroom. It has been the same since the last time he was here the only thing constantly changing were the bed sheets. The ecru painted walls were fading in time, he can vaguely remember the times when he and Itachi used to sleep beside their parents whenever they were scared of thunder. Suddenly he felt nostalgic, how long has it been since his mother pulled him into an embrace? It has been too long and he can't remember.
"Sashuke-chan, Idashi-chan! S-stop.. running arawn!" Uchiha Mikoto mumbled it in a slurred but rather playful manner. That was the first time that he saw her smile that genuinely. She was reaching for something in the empty space beside her but she can't seem to take a hold of it. Clearly she was dreaming and Sasuke stared at her wide-eyed. He suddenly felt like he was glued to where he was standing. He noticed how beautiful his mother was even if wrinkles started appearing on her supple cheeks. A hint of emotion flickered through his onyx orbs but it was long gone before he even had the chance to recognize it.
"Puth your clodesh on!" she exclaimed, still reaching for nothing. That's when he remembered a distant memory from his past, back when everything was in order, was peaceful and they were happy. The memory his mother was dreaming of was when he and Itachi were running around the house practically naked while their mother was running slowly trying to catch up to them. And when she caught him she hugged him hard and showered him with kisses. Back then he was just a six-year old kid and his mother's expression and proclamation of love for him did not bother him and make him uneasy at all.
He strode towards the door and quickened his pace when he heard her rustling through the bed. He doesn't want to hear any more than what he had. It is painful enough seeing his mother relieve the days back when they can still call themselves a family that's full of life, joy, dreams and ambitions. The same goals and ambition that destroyed whatever they had, and turned them to people they never even envisioned of becoming. As he descended down the stairs, he debated whether or not to stop by the kitchen. In the end he made a left turn and headed toward their grand kitchen and opened the door of the refrigerator, and rummaged through the contents. Then he checked the cupboards and when he finished preparing the materials he needed, he started making the hangover drink for his mother.
After he accomplished his task he glanced at his watch and noted the time: it's half past midnight. He was so absorbed to what he was doing to take notice of the time. When he proceeded to clean up his mess the door opened.
"Sasuke-sama, I'll take care of this you should be on your way it's late." Their head maid stood on the door and slowly approached him. She looked rather old, wrinkles and eye bags were evident on her face. He silently wondered why she was still serving their family. She put a hand on his shoulder and grabbed the knife he was holding out of his grasp.
He nodded and gave her a tablet. "Have my mother drink this and give her painkillers when she awakes." He then exited the kitchen.
Upon arriving at the grand foyer, the door to their mansion opened and along came his father who was frowning when he saw him. He took a halt and bowed his head slightly and proceeded to exit the door. He paused his movements when his father did nothing to let him pass.
"How much did she drink today." It came more of a statement demanding an immediate answer rather than a question. Fugaku stared at him blankly.
"Enough to get drunk." He stated nonchalantly. His expression can rival those of his father's.
Fugaku made a 'tsk' sound and stated in an accusing tone "This wouldn't have happened if you and your brother decided to heed my orders."
He grunted disbelievingly, "Are you even hearing yourself? You forced us to handle that stupid company when we don't even want it." He was close to yelling and raising his voice to his father. He doesn't even know why he shows his respect for him when in reality, he had none.
"As an Uchiha it is your duty and responsibility to impose glory and honor to our name. The company is struggling without Itachi and it may continue to cause an uproar. I heard you were taking a break, maybe you can still put all the money I'd spent in educating you to a much greater purpose." It was his father's own way of pleading him to go help him manage "their" company.
"I stopped taking responsibility of that name the moment I turned eighteen. I established a name and made a mark on my own and got to where I am standing now without your help and I see no reason to start associating myself with you seven years after." He then turned to leave and was stopped on his tracks when his father whispered a very sensitive matter to him.
"Your mother... was diagnosed a serious case of depression and alcohol abuse." He stated in a matter-of-fact way. He knew he was pulling the guilt card on him but he has yet to be swayed by his words.
He glared at an empty spot beside his father and decided to get on his way, he walked briskly and said his final mockery towards him when their shoulders slightly brushed, "And whose fault was that?"
Mitokado Homura wanted to wipe that smug look off Uchiha Fugaku's features. They were currently on the production area of the clothing section. He watched as the head production manager approached Fugaku reporting on the ratio and number of stocks they managed to yield in the span of three months. He observed how Fugaku nodded his head in understanding to the informant.
As Fugaku came up to him he said blankly, "The product would be ready by the end of the day and is ready for launch and distribution tomorrow." He smirked and then turned to leave.
Homura was enraged. No one really can really decipher what than man was thinking. Is he planning on taking down the Uchiha Traders Incoporation? He could only hope that this new product he imposed in on them would turn out for the better.
It was a great day. The air was warm as it gently blows his hair and the sun shining in his smooth face, engulfing him and giving him a warmth he craved so long for. How long has it been since he felt this refreshed? He spotted children running around the park, he waved at them and he beamed at them. There's no denying that Haruno Ryouichi was in a good mood.
"Haruno-sama, we have arrived." His chauffeur informed him as he opened the door of the car.
Ryou climbed out of the car and thanked him. A man greeted him at the entrance of the building made out of mostly glass, and opened both its glass doors to reveal plentiful of employees lined up in an orderly fashion. They addressed him properly as they bowed in synchronization to display their respect to the CEO of Kurosu Industries.
He grinned as he returned their greeting by waving and bowing his head countless of times. Their young CEO was lively as usual. Who would believe that he already has a twenty year old daughter while he was still on his mid-thirties?
A blow to his head made him clutch his throbbing head in pain. "Shizune-san! There is no need for violence!" he said while groaning.
"Baka. You should be hurrying, you had a lot of paperwork to accomplish today! Sheesh. You're always making up excuses to leave early!" she said angrily while dragging him towards the elevator. The other employees sweat dropped. Only Shizune could get away like that after hitting their CEO.
On their way to the office she asked, "So how was Kanon-chan's piano rehearsal?" He scratched his head and looked at anything but her piercing eyes.
"Uh. Uh. I don't think Kanon knows how to play the piano." He forced laughed as she eyed him as if she was ready to kill him that moment.
She shouted and pointed her index finger to his torso. "I knew it! You lied to me again!" To her anger she folded her arms and walked ahead of him. She opened the door of his office and gathered the folders on her desk and proceeded to hand it to him. "Here! Give these back to me at noon!" She practically shoved it to him.
He smirked. "Now, now Shizune-san," he whispered seductively while reaching out for her right hand. She blushed like crazy. "We can settle this in a much delightful way." He continued as his left hand found its place on her waist and pulled her closer to him. As he leaned in to close the gap on their lips, she panicked and when all the ability to comprehend left her she settled to close her eyes shut.
When she realized the absence of contact between their lips, she gently opened her eyes and found Haruno Ryouichi struggling to stifle his laughter but failed and burst out laughing like a mad man. She blushed as red as a tomato, ashamed. She glared, clenching her fist, she shouted, "Y-You were teasing me! You flirtatious b- manwhore! Hmp!" and she stormed off to her office and slammed the door.
"Gomen, gomen Shizune-san!" As he then proceeded to enter his office and stopped to sweat drop when he heard her shout, "Fuck you Haruno! You better give those back to me on time!" Then he laughed and wondered if this day would get even more interesting.
Haruno Ryouichi yawned and glanced at his office's wall clock. It read: 11:45pm. He was so engrossed on his work to take notice of the time and even after endless hours of reading and signing, he still has a lot left. He sighed and leaned his head on his awaiting palm. His hand phone rang displaying the name: Hime-chan along with three pink hearts upon seeing this he excitedly picked up the phone.
"Hai Hime-chan! To what do I owe the honor of this call?" he said playfully at his daughter.
"Daaaaad..." she replied. He noted the slurring of her speech.
"Hm?" he hummed sweetly as he waited for her answer but was then rewarded a loud thud that caused him to pull the phone away from his hearing range. Did she pass out? he wondered.
And then he heard someone breathing through the phone, "Come pick meee uuuup. I'm at Baaath Raid near Thinbatchy." then the line went dead. He sighed and glanced at the window of his office to see Shizune sleeping in front of her computer. He stood up at once and left his office stealthily.
The moment he reached the basement's parking lot, he climbed in his car and drove off. He turned the GPS of his phone on. 'Thinbatchy? I think she meant Shinbashi' He typed while driving. 'Where the hell is Bat Raid?' he mused while he browsed through all the places near Shinbashi, Tokyo. As he drove slowly through the establishment nearing him, he read a sign: Bar Rage. He sweat dropped. He parked cautiously and turned off the engine.
Upon entering the bar, a sea of women surrounded him instantly blocking his view. He was bombarded with proposals of different kinds. He responded a "No but thank you." as he fought to swim his way out. He then spotted her sitting on the bar stool along with five guys vexing her. He slowly made his way to her and put his arms around her shoulder. Women eyed him distastefully while the men growled. "What the hell is your problem man? We saw her first!" a blonde hair man probably in his late twenties shoved him away.
"Daaaad!" Sakura circled her arms around him. That statement scared the guys away. He mentally cheered his daughter. "I failed an exam because I fell asleep in the middle of taking it." she whined. He knew that even though Sakura grew up into a fine, young, charming lady that would make her mother proud, she will never be too old to be his baby daughter.
He comforted her while smiling, "It doesn't matter. I know you'll do better next time."
"Noooo... It's not... o.. kay." then she drifted off to dreamland. 'Still like a child.' he thought as his lips formed a satisfied smile and he carried her in a piggy back ride.
He hustled his way out and bumped to a middle aged woman. He managed to maintain their position but the woman fell on her butt and her phone flew out of her grasp, he picked it up right away and rushed to help her. "Are you alright?" he asked worriedly as he handed her the phone. She took it gently, nodded her head in shame then stumbled to walk to the parking lot while grabbing a hold of the rails.
He shrugged and proceeded to his own car and laid his sleeping daughter on the back seat. He beckoned to leave, but when he glanced at the rear view mirror, he saw the same woman asleep on the cold, hard ground. He battled with his conscience to either help her or not but in the end, he got out of the car and took long strides towards her.
"Excuse me, it is not safe to stay here at this time of the night. Where do you live?" he tried to ask but the woman only turned to find a much comfortable position. He sighed, 'This is troublesome.' He carried her bridal style and arranged her in a cozy position on the passenger seat. He reclined the chair and put on the seatbelt for her. He started the engine and drove off. He tried asking her again as he gently nudged her to wake up, "Where do you live?"
She croaked, "Setagaya."
She replied! That's a good sign! He tried again, "Where in Setagaya?" He got a soft snore for a response. He slumped his shoulder in defeat. He reached for her phone in an attempt to contact anyone but to his dismay, it was dead. He settled on the decision to bring her to his house and let her sleep in one of the guest rooms instead.
The jet-black haired woman awoken at the rays of sunlight slapping her face. She was then greeted with a splitting headache. She laid back down and that's when she noticed that she was in an unfamiliar bedroom. She hurriedly checked for her clothes and undergarments and when nothing's is deemed out of place, she held out a breath she has been holding. She was startled when she heard a peculiar female voice.
"Don't worry my Dad maybe a flirt and a womanizer, but he's not a molester and a rapist." The source of the voice came from the bathroom door. She gasped and sat down properly. "My bathroom was under renovation, so I used yours. Do you mind?" she asked while wiping her hair with a towel and formed a cone. She shook her head.
"I'm Haruno Sakura by the way." she greeted while extending a hand for her to shake.
She took it and acknowledged her, "Uchiha Mikoto."
"Come on let's get breakfast!" She gestured out the door. Mikoto stumbled to follow Sakura through her headache and sought support on the walls. When the dining room came into view she saw a red haired man reading the business section on the newspaper.
Sakura cleared her throat in order to warrant her father's attention. He greeted her right away, "Ohayou!" When he saw their guest struggling to stand up he advanced towards her and held her elbows. "Are you alright?" he whispered somehow feigning concern. His breath fanning her face and sending shivers down her spine. She blushed and turned her head in shame. Suddenly she felt dizzy, as if all her strength left her and her knees weakened.
"DAD! You're making her feel uneasy!" Sakura fumed. "You are such a gigolo!" She took Mikoto out of her father's hold and maneuvered her to the chair.
"Hai hai. Gomen..." he grinned and apologized. She continued for him, "Mikoto." He nodded while he flashed her a seductive smile, "Mikoto-san." he repeated and took her hand and kissed the back of it. She blushed as red as an apple again. Seriously, this man was such a lady-killer.
"Ahem. Is it painful for you to act normal just for once?" she questioned while reaching out to grab a toast. She is fully aware that her dad was such a heartthrob among females but she can't seem to fathom why.
He huffed. "That my daughter is how you gain new friends! You should learn it sometimes!" he exclaimed gladly while he drank on his black coffee.
Sakura eyed him disbelievingly, "I would never! You seduce your friends?" she gasped when he heard his answer.
"I even kiss them! Hoho!" his dad laughed like a maniac when he saw his daughter's expression. She was clearly ashamed of him but he was just joking. Well, jokes are half meant.
Sakura rushed to cover Mikoto's ears while she continued bickering with her father. Mikoto watched as Ryou used a pancake to shut Sakura up while she tried to pinch his nose in an attempt to get back at him but fell on top of the table with the cream, coffee and other food scattering and hitting them in the different parts of their body.
When a feminine laugh reverberated through the room, all movements came to a halt and they quieted down. Mikoto was laughing so hard there were tears forming in her eyes. Both Harunos stared at her and soon they all erupted into a laughing fit.
The door opened and revealed a six-year old boy rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Oh Kanon-chan! Did we wake you?" Ryou asked as he instructed the housekeeper to prepare an orange juice. He shook his head and said, "Onee-chan kept me up all night with her snoring."
Sakura blushed in embarrassment and countered, "I do not snore!" and he gently hit his head. "Ow!" Kanon yelped in pain as she stuck her tongue out at him.
When Ryou motioned for the housekeeper to pour Mikoto coffee Sakura intervened her medical instincts kicking in, "When one is dealing with a hangover, you must not drink coffee or any beverages containing caffeine. You see, alcohol already had you dehydrated and drinking caffeinated drinks could further aggravate the situation. I suggest you drink orange juice for it is rich in Vitamin C or drink water it is much safer that way. Also, you should take in lots of minerals and essential nutrients to your body, that's the reason I had Ayaka-san prepare bacon and vegetable salad. Also, take note of the aspirin you are taking for example acetaminophen and Ibuprofen can cause bleeding for it is a blood thinner it can either damage your liver or your stomach. Use it cautiously." she finished. It was as if she copied and read it straight from a book by the way she gave out those health teachings.
Mikoto gawked at her and spoke softly, "Are you a doctor by any chance?"
Sakura was flattered and crossed her arms forming an X, "Not yet. I'm studying to be one though! Haruno Sakura, 20, I specialize in Surgery in Tokyo University!" she said in a miss- universe-kind-of-way while waving her hand. Ryou clapped his hands, "That's my girl!"
Kanon sweat dropped and Mikoto giggled. She got to admit that she was glad she got to meet this kind of people. She felt complete in a way and realized what she has been missing all along. A family that loved each other. Somehow she felt enlightened and at ease for the first time in seven years.
Mikoto entered the threshold of their household with a smile etched on her face.
"Where were you?!" It is more of a command rather than a question. Fugaku was standing at the grand foyer next to a vase. He noted the clothes that she has been wearing and came to a conclusion that it was not hers. She was dressed in a navy blue tank top and a black skinny jeans. Wondering how she got those clothes pushed him over the edge. He has an inkling feeling and he decided to not entertain that idea but after he heard her response, that's when all his patience exploded.
"Why do you care?" she retorted back at him. She silently pondered as to why he was home at this time of day. She watched as his expression shifts to a frown to a snarl every ten seconds. She knew he was pissed off at her but she was not in the mood to pick a fight with her husband but if he continues to be so demanding and controlling then he would get what he was looking for.
Her response fueled his anger. He quickly advanced towards her and grabbed her arm, "Why do I care? I am your husband!" he fumed.
"Are you now?" As soon as those words left her, she felt as if time had slowed down and now she was left to deal with the aftermath. Her cheek burned, he had slapped her hard. She fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. She pushed his chest and got him to loosen his vice-like grip on her arm.
He was instantly in front of her again. This time he titled her chin violently and yanked it close to him. She looked at him with pure consternation, "Listen woman, you can sleep with anyone you want. But if you dare drag me down with you and attempt to stain the Uchiha name with your despicable and vile actions, you better wish you hadn't crossed me." then he stormed out of the mansion.
When she heard him leave with his car she let herself drop to the floor. After all those years they had been together he would accuse her of cheating on him? All her pain, sorrow, misery and frustration clouded and blurred her vision and after seven years of holding it all in, she finally let her tears fall.
"I knew it! You were planning on sabotaging me Forehead!" Yamanaka Ino shouted in exasperation. They weren't going to make it to the Black Aperture's concert. It was already half past 9pm and they were stuck on traffic. She scowled for the nth time that night. How could her best friend be so calm about it? She was going to miss the concert! The concert she was dying to see and has been anticipating for months all because of her stupid best friend's night class!
Sakura folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "It wasn't my fault my professor suddenly decided to extend for two hours!" she spat back.
Ino kept on glancing at her watch while impatiently tapping her foot which was wearing a red high-cut converse. "This won't do, we'd have to run!" she said while searching for her wallet in her silver sling bag.
'Is she losing her mind? We weren't even halfway there' Sakura mused and continued to give her a what the fuck look. It appears the Pig was serious. She commanded the driver to halt, tossed him some bills, grabbed a hold of her wrist and dragged her out of the cab. "What?! No way!"
-and they began running as if their life depended on it.
That stupid stupid emo band! Argh!
Uchiha Sasuke has never been so nervous in his entire life. While Uzumaki Naruto and the other members of Black Aperture continue to mock him by laughing at him.
"What is this your first concert Sasuke? Straighten up your panties!" he jeered at him while checking his make up on the mirror.
"Shut up idiot. Is everything in order?" he asked Neji who was leaning on the wall waiting for them. He smirked and nodded.
"It's almost time, Sasuke. How much longer are you planning on letting them wait?" Nara Shikamaru reminded him as he pointed at the screen showing the audience that were growing impatient and started chanting for them to come out. Heck they even took the liberty in inviting the media, what if they suddenly backs out? 'Troublesome.'
He unclenched his fist and nodded they took it as a cue to get ready but as they were heading out Sasuke said, "Before anything else, hand me that paper bag."
And they groaned.
When the concert hall came into view, they rushed to give the guards their passes and ran to the VIP area. When they reached in time, they panted and tried to catch their breaths. "Good thing we made it!" shrieked Ino.
Sakura gawked. 'There's a lot of people!' she thought as she looked around and all she can see were blurred dots. 'That's a lot of heads!'
Ino laughed at her, "Is this your first time?" She nodded her head while still staring in amazement. 'Just how famous is this band to have the ability to gather such a huge crowd?' Just when she was about to ask Ino the lights dimmed and eventually the hall was filled with darkness. The crowd started chanting, shouting, and yelling. They both got excited as they heard footsteps approaching the stage.
When the pyrotechnic gerb turned on and sparks were used to light up the stage, the crowd went ecstatic and frantic as they saw the members of the Black Aperture. As the band started playing the intro, the crowd went absolutely wild and when Uchiha Sasuke stepped on stage to show himself and sang the first line the crowd went wilder. "I'm tired of being what you want me to be..."
Sakura gaped in shock. She would've never thought a gorgeous man who's perfect in every way is even allowed to exist like that. She watched as Ino jumped up and down as she sang along with them. She can't avert her eyes away from Uchiha Sasuke, she followed him with her eyes and when he came to stop in front of her, practically an arm's length away from her while singing these lines, "Cause everything that you thought I would be..." she swore they made eye contact and then he reached out his arm, just before she can touch him she was shoved away by his other desperate fans. She cursed under her breath as she watched him walk on the other side of the stage and extended his arms to his other fans.
Ino held her hand as they jumped in excitement when he repeated the chorus for the last time. She can't describe what she was feeling at that moment, when he screamed from the top of his lungs, normally she would think of it as noise but as she grasped the meaning of the lyrics, she somehow thought they connected in a way and she almost felt like they shared the same sentiment, the feeling while he was writing and singing the song. He ushered the crowd to sing along with him much to Sakura's amazement, the crowd was so powerful because they knew the exact lyric to the song. And as the first song ended, the band gathered towards the front and bowed. Uchiha Sasuke sat down and grabbed a bottle of water.
"WHAT'S UPPPPPPPPP TOKYO?" Uzumaki Naruto, the drummer practically screamed through the microphone as he played a beat. He then laughed. "I think we didn't get to introduce ourselves earlier, just so you know... We.. are... the BLACK APERTURE!" This earned him yells and shouts. The band members waved and threw a flying kiss at random people.
"Now the next song that we are about to play won us multiple awards." Inuzuka Kiba the pianist started as the crowd responded by yelling upon hearing the intro of the song. Sasuke interjected, "We'll kick it off with One Step Closer." he shouted as he got up grabbed his microphone.
"Oh my god! It's Shikamaru's part!" Ino pointed enthusiastically at the man who was rapping while playing the bass to her best friend. When she failed to pull a reaction from her she looked at Sakura who was glued to her spot and her eyes fixed only on Sasuke who was now screaming at the top of his lungs, "SHUT UP WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU! SHUT UP!" as more fountain fireworks lit up the stage. She along with the crowd started jumping and bumping at each other. Suddenly she felt like she knew the song all too well, as she also screamed at the top of her lungs. She had never felt so alive in years!
As she listened to their songs and watch them perform, she finally understood what music is like. She used to think of it as only noise and now she was glad she went with Ino. Due to her spacing out for a while, she hadn't realized that they were ending the show as they mentioned how glad they were to have performed. She was pulled out of her thoughts when Sasuke spoke, "I wrote this for a very special person in my life. We were at a friend in LA it was 3am and I can't fall asleep, so I grabbed my guitar and..." he continued while he started strumming.
The crowd kept on shouting and they haven't even noticed the absence of the other band members. It was only Uchiha Sasuke sitting, holding his guitar and strumming the chords and started singing, "You touched these tired eyes of mine..." the crowd quieted down and swayed along with the song. The screen changed and no longer flashed his face but there was something going on at the back stage. He continued singing as the video flashed the members of Black Aperture escorting a blind folded girl with a wide smile on her face to the stage. And upon reaching their destination they made the girl stop and halt her movements.
Sakura couldn't believe what was happening. Is she going to witness what she was thinking of witnessing?
Uchiha Sasuke smirked when she saw her blindfolded and saw her nervous form. He continued through the chorus as Shikamaru untied the blindfold, the girl gasped in shock when she realized she was on stage with an audience of 40,000 people. Their eyes met and she put her hands in her heart as she heard him sing while still sitting, "I may not say the words as such..." And then that's when he stood up Uzumaki Naruto took his place on the guitar as the instrumental part drew near.
As Uchiha Sasuke advanced towards her as he finished singing, "I'm yours." she can't help but feel shy and nervous. Her heart was probably beating a thousand times per minute. She didn't notice the hand absence of his other hand as he closed the gap between them and knelt. She swore she was close to fainting. The crowd went wilder than before. Girls started screaming desperately, some started crying in despair, some fought with the bouncer to get on stage.
Sakura has never felt so jealous in her life but still smiled as she thought how lucky that girl was to be treated so specially. She silently wished a fairy tale ending of her own too. And as she glanced at Ino, she saw her with her tears falling on her cheeks. She rubbed her back."Hey. Are you okay?" she asked her worriedly.
Ino sniffed and wiped her tears, "I was just so happy for her. She's lucky to be treated as a princess." It was just like every girl's dream, to be swept off her feet by the man that she loved.
"Hyuuga Hinata, will you marry me?" Sasuke spoke to the microphone she took her left hand and brought out a velvet box with a 7.03-carat fancy vivid blue modified rectangular brilliant-cut diamond. Then confetti splashed around them enveloping them. It was such a magical moment for all the people who were present to witness the event. Hinata started shaking, her eyes downcast. She was crying tears of joy! The crowed awwed in response.
Time seemed to have stopped for Uchiha Sasuke when Hyuuga Hinata withdrew her hand, shook her head and muttered a soft, "I'm sorry." then ran away leaving him dumbfounded and speechless. When he realized she rejected him, he got up and ran after her.
The crowd went silent after witnessing that event. Uchiha Sasuke was rejected in front of 40,000 people while on live broadcast on National TV.
Greetings dear readers! It is I, underappreciated adding another fiction to the many works of SasuSaku! This idea has been bugging me for a year now and I promised myself that I would find time to write it and voila here it is!
Also, these are the IMPORTANT THINGS that YOU NEED to KNOW:
1. I hoped you noticed that in this chapter, my main purpose was to establish Sasuke and Sakura's background, their struggles, and their predisposition. You see I just wanted to prevent any confusion and inquiries as to why this happened bla bla bla and stuff in the future. I mean, I planned every detail of this story and I don't want to overlook even a single one. So, take note of every little thing that has been happening. Who knows? Maybe it would play a vital role in the later chapters. wink wink ;)
2. Pardon me for my lack of creativity but I've been staring at my laptop for hours thinking of a better band name than, Black Aperture. I know you think it's lame but whatever -_- it's all I've got.
3. All those business shizz were all complete guesses. -_- I cannot even explain how I finished writing that section. I know nothing that's why I kept it all generalized so I will be spared the duty to further elaborate. Don't ask me anything about that, I didn't even know how I passed my accounting subject back in high school. Mwahaha. But, uhh, I can safely say that you can expect more expounding when it comes to Sakura's expertise which is the medical field. ;)
4. Oh yeah! Squint squint for hidden pairings *evil laughs* and I know you've been expecting for a SasuSaku interaction but please understand that I cannot rush this or it will leave out important details. So bear with me. But I assure you all that in the next chapter you will get what you are looking for. :)
5. I don't think there would be problems in terms of my update schedule. So expect an update next week or in two weeks.
6. The songs I "implied" in the story were: Numb, One step closer- Linkin Park and I'm Yours - The Script
7. If you wish to see what Haruno Ryouichi looks like visit my profile I'll post a link.
8. Of course, last but not the least! Don't forget to REVIEW or what I just really wanted some feedback. But if you choose to flame me, it's fine by me just as long as it's signed and it contains constructive criticism.
See you in a week or two!
Review review review la la la~