First Story: 2-shot with a follow-up story. Base on James Patternson's Sunday's at Tiffany's. Hope you like it. Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto - because if I did, it will be focusing more on just SasukexSakura's moments. :3

She raced down the streets of Konoha without looking back. She ran as fast as her feet and legs can. He was dying and she felt it. How can she be so stupid? Instead of staying with him all the way out, she left him in hopes of avoiding death but no. She gave him another pain to bear as if he wasn't been in pain for the past years.

"Please. Please, be safe!"

She ran and ran more - faster with each turn. She didn't care if people were staring at her like crazy. She didn't care if tears were streaming down her face. All she cared for at the moment was to see him. See him safe and sound. If not, be there for him in the last step of his journey - death itself.

My Imaginary Friend

Sasuke's POV

"Yes, I agree"

"And you know what? They-"

Listening to the endless chattering of these strange people wasn't really my thing. I mean, where have you seen a 9 year old kid like me ever successfully mingle around with adults? No. Not now, not ever. Even if you try to talk smart, adults will just ignore you unless you have an IQ of 300 at my age.

But I can't help it. My father usually brings me over to his business talks in order to keep an eye on me and as he says it "should get to know how the company works". I'm freaking 9, old man. And to think that the company means countless establishments. Yes, es-tab-lish-mentS. How rich can we get? Pffft... Let's see: it looks like we own more than 75% of Konoha's land with all our offices and shops around under the Uchiha Group of Companies or Uchiha Corps. for short (which we own by the way) and we have 2 mansions on either side of the said city and a dozen cars, too at home within a very big garage... and so on. So, yeah. We're not rich. We're filthy, freaking rich.

My father, as you may have guessed, is the one and only Uchiha Fugaku - one hell of a businessman and a father; strict and perfectionist to the core, always busy and has the 100 qualities of a terror person children around the world can think off then list down.

As for me, the heir to the throne, his successor to be exact: Uchiha...

"SASUKE!"

I suddenly snapped out of my trail of thoughts to face the bubbly pink-haired girl at my right. She was the reason why I was able to endure these little trips - she made them bearable by staying beside me and keeping me away from the depths of boredom. It was high unlikely for me to have friends because of my status and my attitude... but she was my friend - she became my friend. Probably the only one I will have in the world.

Sakura. My imaginary friend.

"I've been calling you for what seemed like a hundred times already, Sasuke-kun! I was practically shouting in your ear, too!"

Cheery as hell with a smile that takes my worries away, always smiling with those rosy cheeks showing, always caring as if my problems were hers to bear - she started becoming my friend when my mom died because of heart cancer; the time when everything changed while I was just enjoying my 4th year on earth. My father became a work-a-holic, hardly having anytime to spend time with me, and pushed my brother into the edge of learning how to handle some of our properties at the age of 17. Not yet being able to recover from mom's death, because of so much pressure and changes within the family, Itachi-nii ran away from home a year after, leaving me behind.

I became lonely. I hardly made friends with anyone or talk to anyone at all - except my father, perhaps, who usually pressures me down with my grades. I thought I forgot how to smile but then Sakura came along and reminded me how to. Even with all the pressures and expectations I had to meet, even with all the things I have been through, she was always there for me. And I know she'll be there for me always.

"HELLO! Earth to Sasuke-kun! What are you thinking anyways? And mind you, you're staring," she said, calling me back to earth again.

"Nothing. Just thinking about random stuff. And I'm not staring."

"Yes, you were"

"No, I was not"

"Were"

"Not"

"Were"

"Not"

Sigh. So damn persistent.

"I was not staring, okay? And I were, it would only look I was staring off to space, if you know what I mean," I said with a small smile and she replied with her rather large one, plastered on her face. I turned my head to face the table we were sitted in. I grabbed my spoon and dipped it into the ice cream dessert I ordered while waiting for my father's return from the other table located at the end of the room. Tch, another business talk of his.

"Anyways, we're here almost every week, if not almost every other day, but I never get enough of this place. It's like a very large and beautiful castle," Sakura said, striking another conversation.

"Well, we do own the place," I said with a rather large grin.

"Yeah, I know, but..."

Crimson Hotel - the overly popular 5-star hotel here in Tokyo and one of the Uchiha family's finest establishments that started from scratch. My mom was the one who thought of having Crimson Hotel and planned every single detail of the place. From the crystal clear chandeliers and the soft velvet red carpet to the exquisite and unique design of the furniture, ceiling and table cloths. Heck, even the table wares are uniquely from this establishment and you won't see it anywhere but here. She also planned the floor plan of the building, making sure that everything was in the right place and the designs of each suite. And don't get me started on the menu's line-up because the original list, aside from the added ones already, was made by her.

Well, that's what my brother told me before he left, anyways. That's why I know these things.

"And it's not like you get enough pf your strawberry ice cream with hot fudge sauce and cherry on top which you always get here, right?" I cut her off teasingly.

"Hehehehe... You can't get enough of your vanilla ice cream, which I think is very plain by the way, either" she replied with a smile and finished eating her ice cream.

After eating, Sakura snuggled closer to me as if seeking my warmth out of the air-conditioned place. She has done this countless times even when we were not here in Crimson Hotel. At first, I wasn't use to it but I gradually became comfortable with it. And truth to be told, sometimes, I even enjoy it and looks forward to the times when she will - not that I would say that out loud, you know.

"How come your father usually does his business talks here, anyways?" she asked.

"Why? Getting fed up here already?" I asked in reply, nudging her teasingly.

"No! What I mean is that... he can do the business talks at the main office, right? He can even do it in your mansion's study hall, too. So... why here in Crimson Hotel?"

"Dunno. Because of the ambience, perhaps?" I thoughtfully said. But deep down, I knew why. It was because it holds my mom's memory in it and working here makes him think more clearly - feeling as if mom's still here with us, smiling and looking out for us.

If not every week, we were here every other week whenever my father has business talks. Usually, he'd pester me to sit with him with his colleagues ad listen but I'm pretty stubborn, as Sakura says, and always get what I want. Therefore, I get to spend more time, as if I'm not spending time everyday, with Sakura, eating ice cream and talking about random stuff.

"Let's change topics again!" Sakura suddenly blurted out, lifting her head, as if remembering something. Sigh. And I was just starting to enjoy the silence.

"Okay. Bring it," I replied, smiling, waiting for her to start talking again.

"Do you know what is so special about the day, two days from now?"

"You don't know I don't keep dates in check"

"Baka! How could you forget your own birthday?"

That had taken me aback. How stupid could I get? I hastily grabbed my wallet and looked at my mini calendar and realized that two days from now is July 23. Because of too much school work and extra lessons, I forgot my very own birthday - my 10th birthday.

"You re turning 10, Sasuke-kun. Gosh, you're getting old" she said and laughed afterwards.

That's when it hit me. By that time, it will be Sakura's 6th year with me; 6 years of being my imaginary friend. Without realizing it, I smiled. I'll be looking forward for another year with her.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hm?"

"What do you plan on doing on your birthday?"

"I don't know..."

"You always answer with you don't know"

"It's because I don't know"

"How come you don't know? It's your birthday!"

"Perhaps your dad will throw you a birthday party again, no? And give you lots of gifts again!"

Yeah. Well, that was a yearly tradition: a birthday party is held every time a year is added to my life; together wilth lots of gifts that I don't even really need. Honestly, I look forward to it. Because every birthday, even when mom died, dad would always be by my side.

"Who knows? I mean, it's always like that every year so, yeah. Of course, there's going to be a birthday part," I said with a big smile on my face - looking forward to dad's plans for my birthay. Hmm... I wonder what its gonna be like this year?

"What do you want for your birthday this year?"

"I'm not really sure. I mean, I've got everything I want so far. Also, I have a friend like you."

We both smiled with that remark and got lost in our own thoughts afterwards, still comfortable with each other's presence. Until...

"Sasuke..."

"Mm?"

"Your dad's coming this way. I think he's already done with the business talk."

"Oh. Well then" I started whispering, "...look invisible."

Dad walked like a businessman should walk across the hall - straight body posture portraying a lot of confidence with his head held up high. After a few minutes, of course, he stopped in front of the table where I was - what did you expect? For him to stop in the middle of his trip to my table just because some fancy old lady around his age threw I flirty glance at him? Hn. As if. Just because every one knows him as a rich widowed man doesn't mean he'll throw himself at a random lady's mercy.

"Sigh. Why must you always order two desserts every time that we are here, Sasuke?" This is actually not the first time he had asked that question.

"Come on, it's not that bad, dad." I said with a small smile, "Not to mention, it doesn't seem that I get fat even though I order two, right?"

"Whatever, I don't want to argue in a place like this. We'll talk about this eating habit of yours at home."

"Don't be too worked up about it. After all, the strawberry flavored ice cream isn't mine." I told him.

"Yes, yes. I remember," said Dad, sounding obviously bored, "Sakura, your bubbly and always-there-for-me imaginary friend." And with that said, he looked at the 'empty' chair beside me and said, "Why, hello, Sakura. How are you today? I do hope being with my son is not a burden to you."

"Hello, Mr. Uchiha. I'm fine, thanks. And no worries. It's nice to have Sasuke around as friend," Sakura replied despite knowing very well that he wouldn't be able to hear whatever she is saying.

Me? I held back a laugh by simply smiling.

"Anyways, we're done here. The business talk got through and we're gaining more and more partners. And next time, I really would appreciate it if you will show even just a bit of interest in the family business even in a very young age."

"Hn."

"And keep your schedule for school and trips vacant two days from now. There's going to be a party at the villa."

Well. At least, he remembers.

To be continued...

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Chapter 2 Preview

"You're kidding right?"

I couldn't bear to look at him straight. His eyes were telling me not to and yet I have to. It's one of my duties as an imaginary friend.

"No. I'm not. I'm really sorry, Sasuke. But it looks like our time together has met its expiration date today."

"No. You're not going-"

"I'm really sorry-"

"STOP IT!"

It's our last night together and it has to end this way. And you know what hurts more? He won't be remembering any of it. Not even me.

.