DISCLAIMER: naruto is not mine. if it is, i would make a cameo appearance and kick sasuke's ass for making gaara cry...


Uchiha Sasuke stormed through the double doors of Uchiha Towers as though he owned the place. In a way he did. The tall, classy hotel was the property of the Uchiha Group of Companies' CEO. Better known as his father.

"Good afternoon, Uchiha-san," greeted the receptionist, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously.

Sasuke stopped mid-stride to address the woman.

"Hey, um…" he peered at the nameplate in the woman's uniform. "Tsubaki, this is Hyuga Hinata. She's my new assistant."

He pointed at his right but stared in surprised realization that Hinata was not there. The door opened once more and in came panting was Hinata herself. She marched towards Sasuke.

"U-Uchiha-san!" she breathed heavily, "Y-you w-w-walked… t-that f-f-far?"

Sasuke and Hinata went back to the place where she held on for dear life a few hours ago after eating to get her stuff and to announce her desire to leave. Unfortunately or fortunately, the moment Hinata showed her face, her supervisor was livid. The stout middle-aged woman was rambling on and on about how clumsy Hinata was. And then she gave Hinata the sack. Hinata walked away without another word. After all, a better employment was waiting for her already. Not to mention the fact that her now-boss was waiting impatiently for her outside.

Sasuke proposed that he better show Hinata where she would be living. She was due to move in with him the next day but Sasuke wanted to discuss the details of her job as soon as possible so he invited her over to his apartment.

When Sasuke went out for a walk prior to the whole falling incident, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. He somehow had this notion that it was a short walk. And so he suggested that they go back to his place the way he came – on foot.

"It wasn't that far," he remarked, frowning down at the panting girl.

"I-it w-was," Hinata argued softly, "T-that w-was 4 k-kilometres away. It t-took us a-an h-hour just t-to get h-here."

Sasuke blinked at her. "I didn't notice. Anyway… Tsukasa, this is my new assistant. Hyuga Hinata. Come on. Let's go."

Without further ado, he headed for his private elevator. Hinata bowed in acknowledgement at the receptionist before running after Sasuke who was holding up the elevator door for her with an impatient stance.

The security guard walked closer to the receptionist.

"Wanna bet how long she'll last?" he asked in amused anticipation.

"Hmm… a couple of months, maybe?" said the receptionist, looking thoughtful.

"I'll say three weeks," replied the guard.

"You're on."

XXX

"Uchiha-san!" Hinata breathed as she caught up with him.

"How many times do I have to remind you never to call me Uchiha-san again?" he said the moment Hinata came in the elevator.

"S-sorry," she apologized. She was still trying to catch her breath.

"You need to exercise more," Sasuke commented, staring at Hinata. She just smiled sweetly in response. He grunted as he turned away from her.

The first time they met was when the Screwed Up Kids officially retired to go back to school. They were ten years old.

It was a boring afternoon. Sasuke, Naruto and Gaara were on their way home after school one day when they had their first encounter with big bullies. They stared curiously but remained passive. They just wanted to watch the bullies in action to get the feel of real life until they noticed with a start that the little girl being bullied was from their school. She has a short, boyish midnight blue-colored hair. Her head was bowed low and she was trembling with fear.

Sasuke and Gaara could only sigh in exasperation as they watched Naruto charge at the bullies. Naruto warned them to leave the girl alone but the bullies only laughed at him. After all, they were older and bigger. Although, one of them stared at Naruto and then at Sasuke and Gaara who were walking closer. He recognized the members of the Screwed Up Kids immediately. To say that the bullies became overly excited would have been an understatement. One minute they were bullying a helpless little girl and the next they were asking for autographs. One of them even whined that he forgot to bring a camera.

Naruto agreed to sign those autographs on the condition that they would never bully one of their schoolmates again. The bullies said yes at once and after having their schoolbags signed by the band, they mumbled a quick apology to the little girl and took their leave.

Sasuke stared in disbelief as Gaara approached the little girl. Gaara never made the first move in anything.

"Are you alright, Hyuga-san?" Gaara asked politely.

"Wait," exclaimed a confused Naruto. "You know this girl, Gaara?"

He looked at Naruto pointedly. "Her name's Hyuga Hinata. She's from our class."

Sasuke and Naruto's jaws dropped to the floor. They gawked at the girl. She was small for a ten-year old. Her eyes were pearly white with a tinge of lavender in them.

"I-I'm f-f-fine, Gaara-san" she muttered in a quiet voice. "T-thank y-y-you f-f-for h-helping me."

Naruto grinned hugely and gave her a thumbs up. "No problem, Hinata-chan! My name is Uzumaki Naruto, by the way. I'll be the greatest rock star in Japan! Believe it!"

She blushed furiously. "I k-know w-who you a-are. Everybody d-does. C-can I a-ask you s-something, though?"

"What?" Sasuke snapped in annoyance, "Another autograph?"

"Shut up, bastard!" yelled Naruto.

"N-no," answered the nervous girl, tapping her fingertips. "A-are y-you really t-that f-famous?"

"She doesn't know about us?" a shocked Naruto asked.

"She hasn't even heard any of our songs," stated Gaara. He actually sounded as if he was offended by that.

"WHAT?!"

"Shut up, idiot." growled a scowling Sasuke.

"Hey! Who're you calling an idiot? Sasuke-bastard!"

"U-uhm, e-excuse me?"

"Yeah?" smiled Naruto kindly. Hinata's blush intensified.

"I h-have t-to go n-n-now. Thank y-you a-a-again. I-I'll see y-you at s-school. Bye!"

They became friends after that. Well, except for Sasuke. He was cordial and treated her with respect. He was never rude to her as he was with any girl that came to his vicinity, either.

In high school, he kept his distance. He stayed away from her and whenever they were in the same room, he remained aloof. He gave way. He buried whatever it was that nagged at his subconscious in the deepest corner of his mind.

At this moment, as he gazed at her smiling face from the corner of his eyes, he wondered if the forgotten feelings would remain forgotten. Or was being with her 24/7 going to rekindle what he once had for her?

He was snapped out of his reverie when the elevator came to a halt. Sasuke had the top floor solely to himself, just the way he liked it. There were no nosy neighbours to bother him.

When they stepped into the apartment, a loud snore greeted them. Sasuke let out an infuriated sigh as he strolled towards the living room with Hinata trailing behind.

A grey-haired, masked man was sprawled on the black leather couch, sleeping soundly.

"This is Hatake Kakashi," Sasuke said so loud that the man jumped to his feet in alarm, "my manager."

"Oh, it's you," Kakashi mumbled in dismay. "Do you have to shout?"

"I live here," Sasuke returned sarcastically. "This is Hinata. Hyuga Hinata."

"N-nice to m-meet y-you, Kakashi-san." Hinata bowed respectfully.

"Hyuga Hinata?" Kakashi asked, looking curiously at the girl before him. "I heard that name before."

"Probably from the idiot," Sasuke said, collapsing down on the couch. "She's Naruto's ex-girlfriend. And my new assistant."

"Really?" exclaimed Kakashi in shock. "I mean, she's Naruto's ex-girlfriend and now your assistant? How did that happen?"

"She fell on me," Sasuke said impassively, closing his eyes.

"Oh…" Kakashi said, nodding his head in comprehension.

"N-no!" denied a flustered Hinata. "T-that's n-not what h-he m-meant! W-what h-he meant is t-that I f-fell d-down on him earlier. F-from a third storey window. He c-caught me. I would h-have been d-d-dead by now."

"Is that so?" said Kakashi slyly, "So that's what the 'I'm saving the world' thing you were talking about. Who knew you could be so romantic, Sasuke. Saving a damsel in distress."

Sasuke's eyes shot open and he threw a heated glare at his manager.

"I'll show you your room," he said, getting on his feet. And without waiting for Hinata again, he stalked off in annoyance.

Hinata gave Kakashi a bow before following Sasuke. "E-excuse us, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi waved at her, watching her trail after the annoyed Sasuke. His eyes narrowed in thoughtful contemplation as he went back to lounging on the couch. As Sasuke's manager, it was one of his tasks to provide him with a trustworthy assistant. Kakashi failed. The last woman who walked out of the apartment crying earlier was his 22nd failure. And for the 22nd time again, he found himself in a dilemma once more. How or where in the world would he find someone who was immune to Sasuke's allure?

He was pleasantly surprised to see Sasuke bringing a woman in his apartment. He never brought any of his 'women' in here. He would even throw a fit if Naruto tagged Sakura along with him in Sasuke's place.

Uchiha Sasuke has everything handed to him. He didn't have to work hard just to live comfortably. And Sasuke never had to turn the world upside down looking for a person reliable enough not to jump his bones in every opportunity they got. That was Kakashi's job. Sasuke doing Kakashi's job was unheard of. Not that he was particularly upset that Sasuke managed to employ an assistant on his own. He was, to say the least, dumbfounded.

Kakashi could tell that Hyuga Hinata was different from every assistant that came and went. Maybe it was from the way she held herself. She was timid, soft-spoken, her whole aura screamed innocence, her eyes were very kind; and most importantly, she didn't seem fazed by the fact that the most-wanted heartthrob was just a few feet away.

The thoughtful look on his hidden face disappeared to be replaced by apprehension. He has been with Sasuke, Naruto and Gaara since they were six. Being with them was certainly not a walk in the park. Naruto was exhausting, Gaara was bearable, and Sasuke was enduring. Sasuke would try every last ounce of patience of a saint. He was rude and it seemed to triple in intensity whenever there's a stranger with him.

Even though Hyuga Hinata was not a stranger, Kakashi sincerely hoped that she had more patience than a saint because she would need it when working and living with Uchiha Sasuke. She needed it. Badly.

XXX

Sasuke glanced at the woman behind him. She didn't seem at awe with her surroundings. Instead, there was a gleam of appreciation in her eyes. She touched a delicate piece of art hanging on the wall.

"T-this is a rare artifact, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

"No idea," he murmured indifferently.

His mother employed the best interior designer in the country to decorate the whole apartment. She also handpicked every furniture and artworks.

"I-it is," Hinata confirmed smilingly, "T-this is a c-collection of ten. I t-think we have t-the four."

Sasuke merely grunted. I guess I don't have to worry about her stealing anything. He stopped walking when they reached the room and he opened the door. He stepped aside for Hinata to proceed.

"Your room," he said languidly.

The bedroom was smaller than her room in the Hyuga mansion but absolutely bigger than the one she has been staying in these past couple of months. Hinata didn't think the design of the room suited her, though. For one, the bedspread was silk and scarlet. And so were the pillows. Everything in this room was so dark. Hinata's eyes were roving around and they landed on the prominently large poster of a half-naked Uchiha Sasuke on the far wall. Sasuke noticed this as well and he flinched.

"That bitch," he growled threateningly.

Hinata, who was used to his fan girls, simply smiled in discomfort. "S-she m-must be a f-fan of yours."

"I'll have Yamato change this room," Sasuke said, ripping off the poster.

Hinata gasped. "Yamato Tenzou-san? I've h-heard about him. H-he's the best interior d-designer in the country."

"Everything will have to be disposed of," Sasuke continued, ignoring Hinata's comment. "And it must be disinfected. Your predecessor was a very dirty woman."

Hinata nodded her head in understanding, completely missing the sarcastic tone in Sasuke's voice.

"I k-know what you mean,"

Sasuke paused in what he was doing – shredding the poster to pieces – and stared at Hinata. "You do?"

"Y-yes," she answered seriously, "My sister, Hanabi, she is very m-messy. She w-will just t-throw her things around her room. S-sometimes all over the house. Neji-niisan always c-complains about that. E-especially when one of Hanabi's shoes ended up under his p-pillows."

Sasuke blinked at her then shook his head. Her innocence was as astounding as ever. And Sasuke relished at it. Hyuga Hinata was without a doubt the best woman for the job.


surprise! hehe, this was supposed to be the prologue of the sequel but i decided to put this here. the sequel will kick off six months after hinata's employment. i wanted the sequel to stand on its own somehow.

again, i wanted to express my gratitude to those who reviewed. thank you so much!

sorry for the mistakes. i rushed writing this... hope y'all like it! ^.^

sequel's title is 'By Your Side'