Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I am just merely borrowing the characters to use and abuse as I please!

(WAS TITLE: The Application Date)

The Million Dollar Scheme

Chapter 1

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It was a normal busy day in the center of Konoha's downtown. There wasn't a vacant place anywhere since every corner of the street, excluding alleyways, was all filled either with morning joggers, blue or white collar workers, and possibly anyone in Konoha. Designer's shops were in session with few shoppers having difficulties picking an outfit, swaying side to side with an unsure expression adoring their faces in front of the huge mirror and some window shoppers were seen loitering around. Cars, buses, and taxis filled the noisy street akin to cafés with its hordes of people making orders either for themselves or for their superior.

There was a waiting line that started at the foot of one café door, trailing to a street corner to a vestige stop just to attain an espresso or latte found in any other café. But the café with the long line wasn't just any regular coffee shop; it was 'The Petite Café' every man found suitable to indulge themselves in because there was a rumor that the café only hired girls range between…all the categories available: beautiful, gorgeous, sexy, hot, cute, adorable, etcetera, etcetera like a mantra! One man even report as a witness when another male drop-on-his-knees-and-begged a barista, rated a '10', to go on a date with him. That was a crazy story, but those are the words on the street. Some males even declare the manager to change the shop's name to 'The Babe Café' with the song, Pretty Girl Rock for its national anthem! Oh my gosh, how crazy can it get?!

Luckily Hinata quit at the café as a 'cute' barista, that's what the males called her, and was searching for a new job with good benefits and a better pay than the minimum wage at that perverted, harassing café. She was tired of serving demanding customers who were caffeine addicts and it was uncomfortable having eyes on her bosom instead of her face. Hinata once told a customer her face wasn't, she hand gesture around her breast before pointing a finger to her face and informed him while she drew an imaginary circle in front of her face, 'up here'. She was close to getting fire. What a dumb statement if she did! And quite embarrassing if her new employer decided to look over the history of her job portfolio.

Reason: Fired, disobey customer's desire.

Yuck!

—She wasn't a prostitute, she was a barista.

She wasn't just a healthy female that was cute, 5'3, self-conscious, and soft-spoken. She was actually beautiful with long indigo locks that fell straight to the back of her tailbone with some short layers that framed against her heart shape face. She was in possession of some very, exotic eyes that contrast well with her natural hair colour and her soft skin made her appear like a porcelain doll.

All the detail facts about Hinata were unnoticed by her, she claimed to be perfectly average when really she wasn't. She really need to wake up and perceive the truth instead of claiming false information about herself because whenever she was on the street strolling by, she was like a model, short but that still counts, on the runway. Her hair, somehow, would naturally fly up in the air behind her as if a blowing fan was operating when really, it was the wind only. Guys will all turn her way, some look ridiculously dumbstruck, and the others will gawk with their jaws dropping so low it wasn't even possible with their sunglasses falling to the bridge of their noses whispering, "I'm looking at an angle and believe me when I say she got the whole place glowing!"

Akon got that right.

And he was right; she was like a Victoria's Secret Angel. There was a time Hinata was walking down the street and the sun was getting ready to set on the horizon. Its ray decorating the clouds and open sky with a beautiful array of colors ranging from tangerine, pink, and a hue of lavender with a heavy splattering of stars resting over the remaining tinge of light. And again, her hair was flowing behind her in a beautiful wave as she catwalk through the street in a pair of six inch wedge. And the impossible happened, it was enchanting. The lined up beveled light poles placed alongside the walkway slowly lit up one by one once Hinata walk passed it. Bystanders gasp at the unbelievable scene, all their breath was taken away by the lone, fabulous Hyuga just enjoying her stroll through the night life.

She was beautiful. Stole many hearts. But never had a boyfriend. She was more than 5'3, self-conscious, and soft-spoken. She actually mack them dudes up, back coupes up, and chuck the deuce up.

Back to the present.

Hinata was attending a crowded job fair, submitting applications and resumes for whatever job that was available. Well not every job available. She stayed away from fast food booths or anything that deal with assembling food. She strongly dislike the aftershock odor. The smell of food lingering just disgust Hinata so she busied herself in the business segment.

"Hinata!" Ino screeched, flipping through a pamphlet before holding up a page for Hinata to look at, "Uchiha Corporation is hiring! Oh my gosh, it's finally my chance to meet the hottest bachelor and steal his heart!" She was over excited and was yelling breathlessly the second she threw the page at Hinata's face.

Hinata smiled at her good friend and answered politely, "That's good…really good." When really, she thought it was the wildest fantasy Ino had ever came up with. Her friend was speaking of a celebrity, no scratch that, a god named Uchiha Sasuke! He was a whore, a man whore that played with girl's heart for a short period or for a one night stand and will break up with them when they bored him. He's nasty, she concluded.

Hinata shrugged it off and focused on finding the perfect job, but what she didn't catch was a pair of eyes staring onto her figure on the second level.

Below the huge building, Sasuke's gaze scanned over the female population surrounding his booth and sighed deeply because not one lady in the crowd spark his interest until his eyes caught something. She was standing in the heart of the building, motionless while people maneuver pass her. He thought the crowd might swallow her up surrounded by all those ferocious unemployed individuals, but she didn't fade. It was like he was seeing things in black and white with the exception of her only in color. Sasuke examined her again and actually thought she looked like a beautiful flower with shiny indigo hair akin to a flowers petal and her skin as smooth as a stem. She was staring at someone before her eyes shifted upward to train at the balloons that entertained her. Very slowly, her large eyes squint and a small smile made its way to a full grin, dimples appeared on each cheek.

Bu-thump!

Beautiful… Sasuke thought until—

"Teme stop that, you look creepy smiling like that." Naruto who happened to be Sasuke's best friend said.

No, Sasuke didn't look ridiculously dumbstruck nor was his jaw dropping so low with his sunglass falling to the bridge of his nose.

He was in fact very handsome when he smiled, more attractive than his casual smirk.

Sasuke didn't think he was that obvious with his veiled observation. He rolled his eyes with mild irritation and returned his gaze back to her, but she disappeared! He knew if he looked away, she would fade into the sea of people and she did! Sasuke grasped the railings and hunched forward as if it will give him better access to find her.

"Oi, watch it!" Naruto yelled, bracing his friend from committing suicide. Naruto know that Sasuke had an awful childhood, but committing suicide wouldn't do any good. It wasn't like he was going straight to heaven anyway and get accepted right away, Sasuke had sins also. He should know better.

For whatever misleading idea Naruto had, he had certainly misunderstood Sasuke.

"Dope," Sasuke suddenly grabbed Naruto by the collar. "Find a girl with indigo hair and lavender eyes. Have her sign this and escort her to my office."

Naruto looked at him dumbfounded and thought Sasuke had completely gone insane! Did he hear him correctly? Did his friend just order him to mingle in the crowd to find a complete stranger?!

"What?!" At least Naruto caught on faster this time.

"Go!" Sasuke pushed Naruto down the flight of stairs, shooing him away. Is Naruto seeing this or is his friend possess?

Naruto moved his eyes disinterestedly over the mass of people, excusing himself when needed until one woman wearing a low and high maxi skirt with a sequined blouse caught his attention. She leaned on a bare wall away from most of the crowds, a bottle of water that didn't seem to have been drunk in one hand. In her lovely wardrobe and her long midnight blue hair left loose, she looked like anything but a meek lady. He noticed that her eyes, the pale lavender orbs Sasuke spoke of, seemed to be trained on the far side of the room.

Bingo!

"Excuse me…" A blonde stranger who wasn't her friend appeared beside her.

She didn't want male recruiters. All they seem to want was her number instead of actually being informative of the job. She pretended to listen and gave out the pretense that she was, offering a hand in the direction of where she thought the man was. Vaguely she heard him say, "Can you sign this?"

She blinked, looked up, her eyes focused, and found herself the bearer of cerulean eyes.

"Gomen," she apologized for being impolite. "What did you want me to sign?"

"This," Naruto urged the sheet and explain. "I'm a director at the corporation I work at and we are currently opened for positions in accounts management. Your," his eyes would trail down and away from hers with a strange smirk. "Portfolio sparked the President's interest."

"Is the job guaranteed?"

"If you sign…the benefits are good ranging from healthcare and all the other good stuff." Naruto read her expression and topped it off with, "The pay is good. Over sixty and you get overtime."

She was already scribbling on the sheet and didn't wait for him to finish. Naruto was amazed on how quickly she filled in four references and shoved the application back into his hand, smiling breathlessly as if she just came back from jogging. She must be very excited, might even be a fangirl. On the top of the application with bold letters did spell: Uchiha. That one word, but truthfully she didn't even read the title. She was too busy filling in the blanks, didn't want to miss the chance of getting a good paying job. The thought of the café made her shudder in disgust.

Oh shit—Sasuke got himself into deep trouble, Naruto thought.

She had a toothy smile on and a hand held out ready to shake whenever Naruto accept. The Uchiha partially signed up a fangirl and he was always the one trying to escape from their grasp. Tough luck because it won't be Naruto's shit to deal with.

Nah-ah.

"The president wants to interview you."

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She really shouldn't have signed the application. If she knew it was an Uchiha Corporation application, she wouldn't have signed it because of the negative persona she created and saw him as. But never mind that, he was here now. Well he wasn't here, more like she was there at his office. Not just her though, four other ladies and Hinata was secretly crossing her fingers he wouldn't choose her.

Why?

Because she was average, not a supermodel people distinguish her as. She was short, normal hairstyle, petite, and…gosh she just realized her wardrobe was so unprofessional compare to the other four who overdressed themselves. But it was a good thing, a better chance he wouldn't accept her, right? Hinata almost jumped in joy but fought the urge not to embarrass herself.

Sasuke stood behind his large desk to examine the ladies, but kept his eyes mainly on the indigo beauty. Slowly he stride toward the first lady to his right and examined her, making his way to the next before reaching Hinata at the other end. He wasn't going to examine her beautiful face yet, other areas of her body needed attention first. Her feet appeared small in the wedge she wore, tone and creamy slim legs visible provided by the open front of the maxi skirt. Sleeveless blouse with sequin that made her skin glow. Sasuke's eyes met hers for a brief second, producing a faint blush on her cheeks which turned him on, a lot. She wouldn't look at him. Her wedges was more interesting than the attractive—

What am I thinking?! Attractive, yeah right…he's a man whore! Sasuke lightly placed one hand under her chin and put the slightest pressure to steer her in his direction. In possession of some very stunning eyes…

Her mind was hazy, eyes half lidded. His face lower every second and she could feel his warm breath against her skin.

Naruto smiled, knowing when to consider bolting out the door whilst escorting the other ladies out rather than going through Sasuke's mercy.

Click…

The door closed, leaving them in their own privacy.

"You interest me," he drawled. "So you're not a fangirl?"

She ignored the remark. "So, did I get the job?" She immediately saw the glint in his eyes so she forestalled him. "Never mind."

And he laughed softly, "Job?"

Truthfully, it wasn't a job application. It was more of a personal application he created for eligible ladies to have a free date with him. Sasuke was a healthy male and desire what males yearn for also. He didn't want fangirls, but all the females were fangirls. He created the application so he can get information of the girl he wanted, not some psycho. Earlier he looked over her application and her portfolio increased his interest. She'd actually laid a finger on the Inuzuka and Sasuke almost snorted when the Nara's name was written neatly on the reference section. And his eyes almost bolted out seeing the Aburame, including the prestige Hyuga Neji.

"E-eh…? Yes, job…" she answered with a forced smile.

"I mean to have you, Hinata," he said as his face took on a serious look.

"Huh?" she managed to mumble out while she tried to break his fingers off her chin and succeed. "What do you mean?"

"You're actually not as innocent as what your façade says."

"Excuse me?"

"There's Inuzuka," he said, pointing additional fingers as he continued. "Nara, Aburame, and a Hyuga."

"Excuse me?!" Hinata suddenly exclaimed. If it wasn't an application then what the hell did she sign?! What the heck, was he CRAZY?!—declaring that she didn't look innocent. He had no right to judge her because he doesn't even know her! And what he said finally struck her mind, fully understanding his message. "They're my colleagues!"

She pushed him away; the smirk he held never left his face. "What did I sign?"

Sasuke held out the application and explained, "You signed to go on a date with me. You're very eligible."

"Sorry, not for sale." She answered and shifted to exit the office, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Take me seriously," he asked.

She was starting to feel uneasy. She was out of her league, but really she wasn't and she had such a thick mind to perceive that. Never in her life had she been proposed to in such a short time, and with such intensity. Her 'average' looks didn't grant her that kind of attention.

Again, another lie…

So, she decided to bail out. "I'm sorry, Mr. Uchiha, but I'll have to leave."

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