This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Disclaimer: Everything is mine except the names! Sadly they aren't mine to monopolize my imagination with.


Broken Vow

I.

Passing cars. Ant-looking crowds of people. Busy highways. Nosy roads. That's what I've been watching from the skyscraper of Uchiha Corp. It was a fulfilling experience to anyone. Just like how looking down on earth without really putting some effort into could booze someone's self-pride. But the pride that's running not just on my blood but with my whole family is swelling up in my veins, yes. How the shinning glasses that the corporation was made by reflects to every building nearby is simply majestic on the eye. Many were envious of how successful I've become. Being the CEO of the largest corporation someone could ever think of is just one of the reasons. I'm thirty-four and still winning at life, they say.

But that's just where everyone is wrong about me.

The success. The wealth. The popularity. They aren't that fulfilling like everyone thinks about. Because maybe behind all those things I'm happy. Or maybe I'm not. They don't know. No one knows. Because at the end of the day, I still feel incomplete. Like something is totally missing in my life. Like I've let something behind and never got it back. Like I've once held it and got lost at the road of life. But finding it is crucial. Because for the first time, I never really know where to start.

A voice from the speaker phone tells to remind me that there will be a meeting I need to attend to. It would be helpful if I didn't pass the work to one of my most trusted person already. The meeting is to one of our branches that will launch their soft opening of the company's new product next week. We provide gadgets and almost every kind of electronics from today's generation. Even the running software, office word and antivirus that could be installed to most computers were launched by the Uchiha Corp. And next year, a PC Virtual Reality Game would be added in the list if Shikamaru successfully run his works to Shino's newest PC Utap design that he plans to launch next year. And Shikamaru that's been working for the past two-years on his idea plans to launch it the same year and had the game be only bought on the said PC. Maybe it'll be available on different pc's but it will surely be pricier than what could be bought on the company's own U Store that's only designed on any latest U gadgets.

"Gaara is coming so lunch is on Neji today. He's about to do something really important with just the two of them but then he changed it all in last 2-minutes and wanted some moral support. Gonna come?" Shikamaru asked with his most laid-back tone.

"You mean Temari will be there so you'll come?" I slightly teased back. He's one of the people I trusts that's why it was so easy to open some emotion in front of him.

"That too. Will you call back Kiba? It'll be troublesome tho." He slumped back on his seat across from me on my working table and closed his eyes. He looked tired, yes. But there's nothing different from what he usually looked like everyday. The man is lazy. No question about it.

"You're the one who puts good things about him into words and hired him." I smirk at him.

"I didn't say for you to be friends with him. Now he run like a liberated dog in the company and you can't do anything about it." He taunted back.

"He's good at programming, one look and he's able to understand what's the advantages and disadvantages of something." I simply answered while putting my suit back on and proceeded to the door.

"He's still troublesome."

I didn't reply to that remark because naturally, for Shikamaru, everything is troublesome.


The restaurant is buzzing from the local citizen that filling the whole place. This is not the type of my crowd but I can't go turn on my back now. And besides the point that I'm cousin with Neji, he is my best friend too, so we came as pack and bulldoze ahead when it's about something life changing. And he's about to change his life now. Good thing is, it's a semi-private booth of the restaurant he reserved. I stand on his left at the entrance of the booth where he was fidgeting. For those who doesn't know the man, they would think there is just a lone man standing and staring stoically at the entrance. But to me who have known the said man most of my life years, he looked like a fidgeting dog in down ears and tail and totally shaking. Maybe Shikamaru could see it too because he just gave an encouraging tap on Neji's shoulder then got his self on inside.

"How old is Sasori now again?" I asked, still beside him at the entrance while pocketing my both hands.

"He's four now, turning 5." He answered fidgeting, one hand on his left pocket.

"And how long have you been together with Gaara?" I raised my eyebrow taunting which earned a confused frown from him.

"8 years?" He answered a little soundlessly.

"And you already had a child with him and you still not have the courage to ask that life-changing question? It's not like he's going to reject you flat out. But he might this moment because you're so unromantic." I teased.

"Damn it! You're not helping!" He hissed.

"Really, man, just do it." I encouraged.

He keeps silent for a while then turned to me and asked, "How did you do it?" How did I do it? Is that even up for a question? I stare at him and he only sighed back. "Don't mind that." He suddenly took back.

We both know I couldn't have done it any better. Because as things as they are, commitment is just like one of my business. A work. As for Sakura, I like her. Legit. She's bold and smart and the sex was good, every time. But she lacks something. She's plain. Not that plain, but whenever I visit home with her, she would talk with my mom on usual women stuff that my exes never got the courage to do before. But that's it. I've never seen them bonding like how Temari and Shikamaru's mom do whenever they were around each other. I don't know much about women stuff, but those two were usually laughing together or ganging up against Shikamaru.

Even Kiba floats better with his relationship on my cousin's family, Hinata, and she has a more stuck-up father than myself. And if you count her brother, Neji, there are two of them and they still got along well.

Still, I had to do it because I'm not getting any younger anymore. I could have had a child with her a little more years ago, but it didn't come up as discussion and I know she'd stick to marriage before baby. And marriage it is. Heaven knows how much she brought up that topic and when I gave her a signal last week, she's suddenly up and now busying herself for the preparation.


The bubbling of excitement was still ringing in the air after Neji's proposal. There's no engagement party like Sakura who's planning to have one. And I know it's for public's eye. Gaara wanted to wed as soon as possible because it's been a decade and half late, he says.

The chattering `re still going when I felt vibration inside my pocket, so I excuse myself for a while and enter the smoking area. I put my phone on my ear while pulling a stick of cigarette. But it didn't as much as touch my lips when it fell on the ground after hearing what Sakura said on the phone.

"Apparently, there is no wedding that's going to happen anytime soon. Because God, help me, when do you plan on telling me you are married, Sasuke!?"