Author's Note: This is my first story on FF, so please give constructive criticism :) Not much to say otherwise - it's an AU with very mild SasuSaku. Enjoy!
I stare blankly at the blonde ditz in front of me. She's dancing around, singing off key to an already bad song, and generally making a fool of herself. I sigh deeply and take another sip of my dry vodka martini. Being a talent scout for a major music company isn't the dream job it sounds like. For every one person I approach I have to listen to thousands of talentless, and usually drunk, morons. My boss, the (in)famous Hatake Kakashi, has recently been harassing me though; apparently I'm too picky, as I haven't made contact with any singers in six months. It's not like I'm not trying though; I've gotten desperate enough to be hanging around a karaoke bar on the University of Leaf's Konoha campus during spring break.
After the blonde stumbles off the stage, another young woman steps up. She's kinda pretty, with short, pastel pink hair and a small, slim figure. She has a mildly embarrassed look on her face, but stands up straight and looks out at the audience.
"I'm doing this on a dare," she glares at a blonde in the crowd, the one from before and no doubt the friend that put her up to this, "so I apologize for the song." She gives a sheepish grin as a generic techno background starts up. A couple beats later and this girl is belting out a 90's classic. I'm absolutely shocked. I don't go in for the pop genre, but she is a very impressive singer. I quickly drain the rest of my martini and tip the bartender. The house gets pumped up (people actually dance rather than watch and laugh). I stand up slowly, ready to make my move. The song ends, with much cheering and the like. As the girl gets off the stage, I walk up to her quickly.
"Hi, my name is Uchiha Sasuke. I'm a recruiter for Uchiha Industries. I'm sure you've heard of our record label. Can I talk to you for a minute?" She seems off put by the abrupt arrival, but considers my offer. I show her my card and an id, and she agrees to talk. The girl disappears to tell her blonde friend she's leaving. We walk out of the bar together; I point out a coffee shop across the street where we can discuss a deal.
"I'm really sorry," she says as soon as we sit down after purchasing drinks, "but I can't accept whatever offer you're making. I made a deal with this creep from Sound Records last year. I never heard from him again, but I can't break whatever I signed." A couple choice words go through my head.
"What was his name? The guy who scouted you?"
"Yakushi Kabuto." I clench my fist. Of course Kabuto would do that. That's how Sound operates – tie up every remotely talented person, and when your current pop star burns out you have a bunch in reserve to fit into your little mold. I actually like this girl too, and that's rare. She seems smart and confident, has a sense of dignity, unlike many women I deal with in my business. I have to see what I can do; I don't want to loose her.
"What's your name?"
"Sakura."
"Do you have a copy of this contract you signed?" I get the feeling she's the type of person to carry such things around, and am proven right when she starts to dig through her purse, pulling out a neatly folded up packet. I pour over the contract, looking for any obvious holes and taking notes on my yellow legal notepad. Sakura looks mildly uncomfortable and fidgets as she sips at latte. I notice right away, and narrow my eyes. "You're lying to me about something. Have you heard from him recently?" Sakura looks unsure, and then opens up at my sharp look.
"…Yea, last week. He's trying to put me as a front to this new girl band. I don't want to do this, but he says it's in the contract. I can't say no. I went full-ride to the University of Leaf as a med student. It's one thing if I can pursue music seriously, and do what I want, and another to be forced to sing shitty little pop songs like some barbie princess!" She growls out the last lines in her speech, taking a vicious bite out of my muffin. I ignore the fact she stole my food to focus on this new information. Kabuto is an ass through and through. We went to the same high school; I was a freshman when he was a senior, and the two of us have hated each other since our first meeting. He was all talk, no substance. I'm rough on the edges, but if I make a promise, I keep it.
"You got a last name?"
"Yeah, Haruno. Haruno Sakura." I nod, and write it down.
"This is off the record." She nods, curious. "I like you. I don't like half these bimbos I sign. They're talented though, so I work with them. But you? You're smart, come off well spoken. I know Yakushi quite… personally. Give me your phone number or some way to contact you. I'm going to get you out of this deal." Sakura's eyes open wide. She hugs me from across the table. It's out of the blue and awkward and strange, because to my surprise I find myself returning the hug as best I can.
"Thank you so much! When I first met you, I thought you were just some pretty boy at the bar, and then you came off kind of creepy, appearing out of nowhere like a freaking ninja, but you're actually not bad." She gives me a broad smile. I blush lightly, embarrassed by her sort-of complement.
"I'm going to ignore the insults there. So, what else can you tell me about yourself?" Sakura smiles, then goes on to tell me her whole life story. She's the same age as me, 23, soon to graduate from med school. She was currently working as an intern under the famous Dr. Tsunade. We talk well into the night before parting ways. As I walk away from the coffee shop, I pull out my phone. I hit the speed-dial, ignoring the fact it's past one in the morning.
"What the fuck dude! Do you have any idea what time it is?" My obnoxious blonde best friend, Uzumaki Naruto, yells at me from the other end of the line.
"Shut up, moron. I need a favor." I look both ways before crossing a street, heading back to my hotel and car. "I need you to get Yakushi Kabuto to break a contract."
"Him again?" (Naruto is an old childhood friend; we went to high school together too.) "Is he active on this one?"
"Yes. This girl is too talented to be stuck with that ass. She's pretty smart; I don't know how he even got her to sign that thing…."
"Ooo! Did you like her?" I give a non-committal grunt. "Ha! You like a girl!"
"How old are you?"
"23."
"I meant that figuratively."
"Oh, shut up."
"Get Kabuto off this case. The girl's name is Haruno Sakura. I'm hanging up now." I close my phone to the loud protests of Naruto as I enter the hotel. Despite everything, I give a slow smirk. This will be interesting.