[1]

Glasses dangling limply in his hand, Madara rubbed his eyes with his free hand and sighed heavily. Papers littered his desk in neat, organised piles and a spreadsheet of his business's interest rates laid in front of him. Sunlight sidled through the large, floor-length windows behind him and contrasted with the cold white walls of his office.

Throughout his life, Madara had remained a sedulous worker; determined, focused and always ready for the task at hand. Nowadays, though, his focus was eluding him. Perhaps it was down to his fatigue from overworking, or something else. He didn't know what.

Down the hall and around the corner, he knew Izuna probably wasn't working at all and had Kizuka running around for him instead. Being the little smart git Izuna was, he knew how to wrap people around his little finger easily; the pair of them did since their reached their mother's knee.

Just then, someone knocked at his office door.

Madara groaned silently and opened his eyes. "Come in." he told the person. The person obeyed and Kizuka's head peeked around the corner of the door. "What do you want?"

"Izuna wants the spreadsheet for the presentation," Kizuka informed him.

He stared at her. "Which one?"

"He said it would be the one you're looking at right now, the one about the interest rates." Kizuka said before coming over and collecting it from him when he held it out for her to take. "Thank you." She turned back around and headed towards the door before remembering another thing. "Oh!" Madara looked at her standing by the half-open door. "Izuna wants you to know that he's leaving early this evening. Something about a date with a girl or whatever."

"Tell Izuna—"

"I'm not trying to be disrespectful," interrupted Kizuka calmly, "but you have a phone and you have Izuna's number. Call him and tell him yourself or at least write him a note and send it via your personal assistant."

"I don't have an assistant."

"Then get one," answered Kizuka, closing the door behind her. Madara stared at it for a little while before returning to work, and Kizuka continued strolling along to Izuna's office where she also worked. Mainly, though, she spent her time doing what he should have been doing.

When she got back with the needed sheet of flimsy paper, she found Izuna spinning around in his padded leather chair with a giddy smile on his face. Kizuka crossed her arms and waited. It took him a few minutes to realise the door was open, never mind that she was standing there, looking very much unimpressed with him. He scratched the back of his neck, chuckling nervously, when he spotted her. "Kizuka, I—"

"You lazy, little arse, Izuna. You know you should be doing work!" snapped Kizuka, crossing the room quickly and slapping the interest rates sheet on his desk. "Now, work! I've had enough! You do your work and I'll do mine!"

"Or what?" mumbled Izuna quietly.

"I'll quit. I hear Madara needs an assistant." spat Kizuka waspishly, settling herself down in her chair which was near to the door. She began flipping through papers and categorising them into orderly piles, ignoring the pout she was receiving from Izuna. "Work." Izuna sighed and did as he was told.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Don't give me cheek," added Kizuka, making Izuna smile softly. "I'm annoyed with you." she muttered, more to herself than Izuna.

Quietness made the time seem to slow down, putting an uncomfortable strain of tension within the walls of the office. Once or twice Izuna snuck a glance in Kizuka's direction, but received nothing back in return. He pouted slightly. Other than that, unfortunately, nothing really happened; Izuna knew better than to start a conversation with Kizuka when she was annoyed with him, seeing as it often ended up in an argument and Kizuka in tears. So he stayed quiet.

By the time Madara came into Izuna's office, at ten-fourteen, he found a silent and somewhat sulky atmosphere invading the room; Izuna was pushing his bottom lip out as he created a PowerPoint presentation, and Kizuka was busy typing on her computer appointments and other important contacts. Almost instantly, upon coming through the door, he knew something was wrong because of Izuna's pout. "What did he do, Kizuka?"

"He was being a spoilt brat," she answered shortly.

Madara sighed and rolled his eyes. "I know that—I grew up with him—but what did he do?" From where he sat behind his desk, Izuna looked up and stuck his tongue out at him. Madara took no notice.

A vague smile lifted the corners of Kizuka's mouth. "He wasn't working. I had enough and told him what to do."

"Hmm," Madara observed Izuna fidgeting. "What did you threaten him with?" he asked coolly.

"That I'd resign if he didn't work. Become your PA maybe. Just hit a nerve, really." Kizuka continued scanning down the list of clients and found the number of the person she had been looking for. "Excuse me for a minute." She picked up her phone and dialled the number; it took a few rings, but he picked up eventually.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Hello, sir, this is Kizuka Hayashi from Uchiha Corps. I was inquiring about a recent stock deal that might pique your interest. It includes several briefs and a final transaction; it is for the trading of dental goods, which is your speciality."

She waited for his answer steadily. He seemed to be mulling over her explanation. "What does this deal include, stock-wise?"

"Top of the range tooth pastes, floss, imported tooth brushes that haven't been released to the public yet. There's a variety that you can choose from, sir."

Another couple of minutes passed as he thought the deal through. "Very well," he concluded, "When is the first brief?"

"I'm searching this moment, sir," She clicked the mouse a few times and tapped a few buttons. "The first brief is on January the third. Would you like me to take care booking the conference room or would you rather that yourself?"

"Fax the details over to me and my assistant will handle things," replied the man, "You have my fax number, yes?"

"Yes, I do. Would you like—?"

"No, that is fine, thank you." interrupted the man briskly. "Sent over the details. Good bye." Then he hung up on her.

Kizuka pursed her lips. "Damn ignorance of some people …" she muttered to herself, putting the phone down.

Madara scowled at her. "I hope whoever you were speaking to isn't still on the line." he snapped, narrowing his eyes as he loomed over her.

Kizuka frowned at him. "Actually, he hung up on me. So yes, I think that would cover whatever lecture you're about to throw at me." she retorted snappishly.

Interrupted before he could throw an insult back at her, Madara had to make do with glaring at Kizuka silently. Izuna, tucked behind his desk, said, "When you two are finished with your lovers' tiff, I believe you need to look through the PowerPoint, brother?" prompted Izuna, looking at Madara expectantly.

Madara coughed, walked around Izuna's desk and looked over his shoulder. "Show me what you've got."

Kizuka overlooked Izuna's comment and recommenced with her workload, partly pleased that Izuna had completed his work. Typing on her keyboard, she researched the next contact, what trade she specialised in and then rang the woman.

"Hello, is this Miss Yuki Nagasaki?" she asked politely.

"Who is this?"

"It's an employee of Uchiha Corps. I was wondering whether you would be interested in—"

"Is Madara Uchiha there?"

"Err …" Hesitantly her eyes roved towards the spoken male, who was muttering in his little brother's ear. "Why, may I ask?"

Yuki Nagasaki sniffed down the line. "Is he there or not?" she snapped.

"Erm … I'm afraid I can't let him be disturbed, Miss Nagasaki." Kizuka looked imploringly towards the two men at the other side of the office: neither paid her any attention, deeply engaged in what they were discussing. "Perhaps if you arrange a time—"

She hung up before Kizuka finished her sentence. Kizuka huffed, slamming down the phone in frustration, irritated by the woman's rudeness.

"Is something wrong?" Izuna called to her, looking concerned. Madara stared at her, frowning.

"Yuki Nagasaki," was all Kizuka spat, irate.

"Oh, don't bother with her," dismissed Izuna coolly. "She only ever wants to flirt with Madara, so there's really no point. My brother doesn't swing that way, evidently."

Madara quirked an eyebrow at him. "What was that, squirt?"

"You heard," replied Izuna, not missing a beat and not looking at Madara; he was smirking at Kizuka, although he wasn't amused by her. "Anyway, Kizu, ignore whatever Nags said, okay? She isn't the politest person on the records."

"Thanks for your warning," muttered Kizuka dryly. "Though, now you mention it, I could have done with it sooner rather than later."

"At least you got it, right?"

Rolling her eyes, Kizuka continued working. From behind Izuna, Madara muttered in his ear, "Trying to get into her pants, hmm?"

Izuna scoffed quietly, staring at the computer screen. "Madara, you really need to upgrade your thinking. Between you and I, it's not that kind of relationship. We're employer and employee, not lovers. Please, leave your dirty mind at home."

"But have you been?"

Izuna didn't answer. Sighing, Madara leaned back a bit and looked over to Kizuka, who was working diligently at her desk. He pursed his lips when she stood up. "I'm going to copy some sheets," she announced. Madara nodded, while Izuna did nothing. Once she was gone and the door was shut, Madara received an answer.

"That's none of your business."

Quirking an eyebrow again, he said nothing further on the matter. Instead, he straightened up and left, uttering a few words at the door. He knew instructions were akin to the death sentence for Izuna, but he doubted Izuna would disobey him.

"Shoot!"

He turned around midway to his office, surprised to hear Kizuka shouting. A few strides and he was standing in the doorway of the reprographics room. Kizuka was bent over, picking up sheets of paper and a coffee cup. Sighing in irritation, she reached forwards, giving Madara a view of her from behind. Semi-intrigued, he raised an eyebrow in appreciation.

"You should be more careful," he remarked casually, crossing his arms and leaning on the doorway. Yelping, she jumped, dropping several more papers that she had just picked up. She mumbled in frustration. "That was hardly my fault," frowned Madara, hearing what she was mumbling. "You should be more on-guard."

She scoffed. "Perhaps you should have lessons in etiquette." She sent him a pointed look. "It might do you some good, from what I've heard about you."

"Meaning?" pressed Madara.

She smirked. "What do you think, Mr Uchiha?" With that, she picked up the rest of the papers, placed them on the side and took the ones she needed, leaving Madara stood there, thinking.