Chapter Ten: Must Have Done Something Right

Disclaimer: We own nothing except for the plot.

Author's Note: We apologize immensely for the inexcusably long delay! We were distracted by schoolwork until June, and then we each went on vacation so we hardly had a chance to meet until recently. There were also other complications regarding various illnesses that hindered the writing process. In any case, we sincerely hope you can forgive us and that you enjoy this chapter!

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"Teme!" Naruto called, stepping into his boss' office. He was ignored completely by Sasuke, who sat at his desk flipping idly through the spring wedding edition of HUKI magazine. Gaara really does need a tan, he looks so pale in his black suit. Neji looks becoming, but that's to be expected.

"Teme! Teme, teme, teme!" Naruto chanted annoyingly.

Sakura looks rather elegant in that dress…I must tell Iruka to have more made like that.

"TEME, TEME, TEME, TEME, TE-"

"What. Is. It?" Sasuke finally replied, fed up with Naruto's persistency.

"I'm bored, teme," Naruto sighed, allowing himself room on his boss' desk.

Sasuke shut his eyes for a moment in order to keep his composure.

Not waiting for a reply, the blonde continued, "Sakura's on her lunch break and Kiba's sick today so I have nothing to do."

"How about your job?" Sasuke retorted.

"You know that's never a priority," Naruto said, waving his hand as though throwing the very idea aside.

"There's no one you can complain to other than me?"

Naruto ignored his boss' question and continued.

"I thought you and I could have a nice chat, seeing as you're always caught up in work."

Sasuke knew nothing good would come of this conversation.

"So tell me. You think Sakura looked pretty hot in that wedding dress, right? I mean I bet you couldn't stop staring at that shot in HUKI mag-"

There was a loud clanking noise before Naruto hurried out of the room, rubbing his already bruising forehead frantically. Sasuke swiftly picked up his stapler off the floor and placed it back on his desk.

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Sakura pressed the "up" button on the elevator from the first floor as she finished the last of her sandwich. Two minutes left until my lunch break is over, I'm right on time. The elevator door opened and she walked in, left alone in the tiny cubicle. As she rose past floor number five, her cell phone started ringing. She flipped it open quickly and put it to her ear.

"Sakura speaking," she stated professionally.

"Hey there, forehead, long time no talk!" Ino's voice rang out cheerfully from the other line.

"Ino?!" Sakura cried, startled, "what are you doing? You know I'm at work!"

"Well, you said my name so I'm going to assume you're alone."

"…fine. Well I'm in the elevator so you have about 30 seconds to spit out whatever you have to say."

"Oh, chill out. I just wanted to check in with you and the whole seducing thing. It's been a while since our little café encounter."

"It's…getting there…I told you all about the fashion show, remember?"

"Yeah…but nothing since then? Come on, Sakura, get with it!"

"I know, I know. It's just…I want to get to know him better, you know? I want to learn his hobbies and his favorite foods and-"

"Sakura. Need I remind you that all you're doing is seducing him so that you can persuade him to merge with YOUR company? Please don't get emotionally attached, that's not the plan! We can't let your emotions get in the way of saving Haruno and Co., alright?"

Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat for a second, but regained herself instantly. "Of course, Ino, you know how I am, though. All those clubbing days made me an expert in flirting."

"Right, I can see how well that's working out for you," Ino replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh shut up, Ino-pig, I'm on it, I swear. Gotta go though, I'm back on the 50th."

"Fine, Sakura, I'll check in with you later. Hinata sends her regards and Shika told me to tell you not to screw things up. And I agree with him," she suppressed a laugh as she hung up the phone. Sakura shut hers as well, but not before looking at it for a moment, rethinking Ino's words.

"Don't get emotionally attached." Ino's voice replayed the phrase over and over in Sakura's mind as she stepped out of the elevator.

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Thankfully, Naruto didn't notice Sakura's slight uneasiness as she took a seat.

Sasuke had granted Sakura a desk of her own so that she and Naruto would stop chatting so loudly when they were stuck sitting next to each other. The whole situation had "annoyed" him and prevented him from "working efficiently." Unbeknownst to Sakura, Naruto oftentimes chided that Sasuke did the whole thing because he was jealous of the time he and Sakura always spent together, which in turn resulted in vicious glares from the CEO and more stationary objects being thrown.

"Hey, Saku-chan!" Naruto chirped, bringing Sakura out of her own thoughts and back into the monotony and reality of the office.

"Hey, Naruto," she replied, giving him a soft smile. Her eyes traveled to his forehead, where a large purple bruise shone blatantly. "What happened to you?" she asked in alarm.

"Oh, this?" he asked, gesturing at the bruise, "ah, nothing important. You know, me and Kiba are always getting into some sort of mischief."

Kiba's sick today…

"Anyway, Sakura, I just want to remind you that our company picnic is coming up. Don't mention it to teme, though. He always hates it."

"Oh yeah, you told me about it a while back. But why not talk about it in front of Sasuke?"

"He has to pretend to give a damn about the other male modeling agencies, and you know he's pretty misanthropic anyway."

"That is true. But why are other modeling agencies going to be there? I didn't even know there were that many!"

"There aren't. Only the higher ups are coming, and their agencies are located all over. We're the only one in Konoha, though. Honestly, the picnic is more or less a time for Uchiha Inc. to show off our 'talents', so to speak," Naruto grinned suavely.

"Right…" Sakura said, not really understanding, "and when is it again?"

"This Saturday. It's only going to be you, me, teme, Kiba, Neji, Lee, and Gaara, though. It would be too messy if everyone from Uchiha Inc. attended. Usually, it's just me, teme, and the guys, but Sasuke decided he wanted you to get to know the company better," Naruto flashed a sly smile.

He wanted me to come? Sasuke specifically asked me to come? Hah! So I AM doing a better job than that Ino-pig thinks!

"Dobe, I don't see you working," a cold voice echoed on the loudspeakers above Sakura and Naruto. The blonde rolled his eyes as he picked up his pencil. He gave one last grin to Sakura before the two of them went back to doing whatever it is Sasuke wanted them to do.

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The rest of the week passed by quickly enough, and two or three games of strip poker helped keep things interesting. Finally, six o'clock on Friday evening arrived and Sakura felt the weight of the office lift off her shoulders temporarily. Alright, just the picnic tomorrow and I'm free for Sunday!

The pink-haired girl picked up her bag and set off towards the elevators when a voice stopped her.

"Sakura," came the Uchiha's suave call from his office. Sakura turned around, slightly surprised and faced the half-open door. She walked back towards it.

"Yes, Sasuke?" she asked as she stepped into the spacious room.

"Naruto told you about tomorrow, I trust?" he said as he placed folders into various drawers of a filing cabinet against the wall.

"He did," she said, wondering if this was all he wanted.

"Good," he said as he put the last of the folders away. Sakura shrugged to herself and began walking back out of the door, when his voice stopped her again.

"Be sure you arrive at Konoha Park at ten," he said as he turned back to his large desk, the bullet hole from Halloween still visible in the dark wood. "The CEOs from the other companies will be coming later, but dobe wanted us to be able to get to know each other in a more casual environment."

What? Just the two of us?! Like…a date?

"So…it'll be the two of us?"

"No…the others will be there." he said, raising an eyebrow.

Damn…

"I will see you promptly at ten, then," Sasuke finished, turning to face her. His hair looked perfect, and his face more handsome than Sakura had ever seen, if such a thing was possible. Either that or her mind was playing tricks on her.

"Alright, Sasuke, I'll see you tomorrow, then," she said and smiled at him before leaving.

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Saturday morning arrived and Sakura was busy skimming through her closet for a nice enough outfit, hair still wet from a quick shower. Dammit I should have woken up earlier instead of hitting snooze like ten times. She glanced out of her bedroom window and saw large gray clouds in the distance, a foreshadowing of the summer rain storm that was expected later that night. Hope it doesn't rain until the meeting's over… She shrugged to herself before diverting her attention back to her wardrobe. After going through most of her clothes, she settled on a pale yellow skirt, pink tank, and white cardigan, and quickly left her apartment for Konoha Park.

She had been to the park a few times before with Shikamaru, Hinata, and Ino for informal business meetings and the like, but it had been a little over a year since her last visit, as she had been working at Uchiha Inc. The park was huge, with a crystal blue pond resting in the middle and trees grown together to create intricate pathways. There was an ornate gazebo near the pond, where the business meeting was to be held. The park itself was empty today; passersby probably knew today was the big meeting, and none of them were willing to felt the wrath of Sasuke Uchiha.

Sakura made her way to the entrance, where she was only met by Kiba, Naruto, and Sasuke.

"Hey, everyone," she greeted, "where are the others?"

"Dobe apparently forgot to tell them to come early," Sasuke replied, looking irritated.

"Ooops," Naruto said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head, "they're still coming, though, so don't worry. They'll be here when the other CEOs arrive. Anyway, it's only going to be thirty minutes before they're here and we can kill time easily enough." Naruto flashed his eyes at Kiba for a moment before looking back at Sakura.

"How are you doing Sakura?" Kiba asked her, smiling.

"Well. Thanks, Kiba."

"That's good."

"…yep."

"…"

"…"

Sakura readjusted her purse in an effort not to look as awkward as she already did. I've been working with these guys for a while now! How is it that I have no idea what to say to them when we're outside of the office?

The sky grew slightly darker, and more awkward silence ensued before Naruto hastily broke the tension.

"Oh, shit!" he cried, slapping a hand to his forehead. Sakura looked at him in alarm. "I left the wine back at the office!"

Sasuke looked at him, even more irritated than before.

"Is it that big of a deal?" Sakura asked naively.

"Of course it is! The other CEOs always come here in their most impressive suits, bragging about how much money their companies are making and what type of yachts they've invested in. They expect the best from us, so we get the finest wine in Konoha as a small way of showing off. It's crucial that we have it!" Kiba and Sasuke both nodded slightly in agreement.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Stupid, rich bastards.

"Dobe, I'm expecting wine here in twenty minutes," Sasuke warned coolly. Naruto stepped back slightly, not wanting to get strangled in case Sasuke lost it.

"I have an idea," Kiba began, "let's split up. Naruto and I can return to the office really quickly to get the wine, and you two can stay here until the rest of the guests arrive."

"Good idea, Kiba," Naruto agreed, grinning, "let's leave now as to not waste any more time!"

Before either Sasuke or Sakura had time to interject, the two men had hailed for a cab and set off for UchihaInc. Sakura turned to face her boss, whose eyes traveled the speeding car off into the distance. He turned towards the park, not meeting her gaze.

"Do you come here often?" he asked her, in an attempt to rid any awkwardness still present.

"Well, I used to when I still worked at H-," she caught herself, "I mean, before I started working for you. Do you?"

He didn't answer for a moment while he swung open the gate to the entrance. "Sometimes after work." Sakura raised her brows in surprise, which he didn't notice. "It's peaceful, and I don't often look forward to going home."

Sakura didn't know how to respond at all; this piece of news about her boss had left her speechless, and even more so since it was coming from him.

Sasuke turned to her as he held the door open, allowing her in before himself.

"Why don't you like going home?" she asked finally as she stepped in.

"My bastard of a brother is always making a mess of it, along with his…ardent friends. The maids leave by six so there isn't much company when I'm there," he replied as he shut the gate behind him.

"What about your par-"

"My parents both died when I was six," he stated calmly as he walked forward. Sakura watched his advancing figure in front of her with sadness. No wonder he doesn't like large groups of people, he's always been so alone…

Before either of them had said anything more, the clouds rumbled with thunder. Sasuke glanced up slightly as a drop of rain splashed on his shoulder. Sakura did the same and saw a dark sky with clouds thick and heavy, threatening to give way. They picked up their pace slightly along the intricate pathway, trees on either side of them. The drizzle quickly transformed into mist and less than a minute later it had began raining and a clap of lightning lit the sky. The sound startled Sakura as she tripped slightly.

"We need to hurry before it starts pouring," Sasuke warned as he turned around to face her. Without saying more, he took her hand in his and began leading their way to the gazebo at an extremely fast pace.

His hand is so warm and strong… Sakura smiled slightly as she followed him. Another boom of thunder echoed and the rain began to fall more heavily. Sakura felt her damp hair fall lifelessly and hit against the sides of her face as they increased their pace.

Suddenly and without warning, she tripped over a stray tree root and felt herself tumble on top of her boss. Surprised, he let go of her hand as he fell right onto a large puddle of mud.

FUCK.

Sakura quickly climbed off of the CEO's back and helped him up. He was completely covered in mud, his expensive suit ruined. For a moment he didn't say anything and simply wiped some mud off of his face. Sakura could not help it any longer, and let out a giggle.

"What. Is. So. Funny?" he asked her coldly as he glanced down to examine his clothing.

"You look so funny!" she laughed as her boss looked at her with the most professional gaze he could muster, still covered in mud.

"Oh, really?" he asked, eyes narrowing. He bent down swiftly and before Sakura realized what he was doing, a large clump of mud hit her in the shoulder. She let out a gasp as Sasuke stifled a grin, still attempting to look affronted.

"You- You-," she began, but couldn't find any words to describe the crime he had just committed against her. Instead, she, too, picked up a handful of mud and thrown it at him. It didn't make much of a difference, as he was already covered in it, but she had to retaliate somehow.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes even more, and Sakura backed up slightly. Uh, oh. He flashed her a smirk, and before she knew it he had grabbed her in an awkward sort of embrace, covering her in some of the mud that he had on him. She shrieked slightly as mud covered her hair and clothing, but laughed all the same.

Unfortunately, they hadn't realized that they were inching towards the forest and this time Sasuke tripped on a tree root, bringing the two of them down into the mud once again. Even he could not compose himself and let out a laugh, the first one Sakura had ever heard. It rang out warmly against the cold rain now splashing on them. He sounds so happy when he laughs, I wish he would do it more often! Sakura smiled broadly and she, too, joined him in laughing, and for a moment the two of them forgot that it was raining at all. Sasuke stood up and quickly lifted her off of the ground as another streak of lightning illuminated the dark sky.

"Damn! The meeting!" Sakura cried as she remembered that the guests were to be arriving in less than five minutes. Sasuke, completely calm and composed, took her hand once again and they began sprinting the rest of the way. The gazebo quickly appeared in sight and they were quickly sheltered by the white roof. A table stood towards the side, classy looking finger sandwiches set on top of it.

Sakura looked at Sasuke and he looked back at her. The two of them looked as though they had been stranded in the wilderness for months, covered in mud and leaves.

"I'm so, so sorry," Sakura began apologizing, since the whole thing was her fault for tripping over the tree root in the first place. Sasuke put a hand up to silence her.

"I'm well aware of how clumsy you are," he said apathetically, "I should have expected it."

Sakura narrowed her eyes and wanted to retort to his statement, but rolled her eyes instead and kept her mouth shut, secretly glad that the tree root had been there.

Barely a minute had passed when Naruto's voice chimed out against the storm. "Hey guys, we're ba-" He fell silent against the sight of his boss and cousin standing under the gazebo, covered in mud. Sakura blushed slightly and she and Sasuke inched away from each other. Yeah…I bet this looks REALLY awkward. She glanced down at herself for a second. Dammit, now I have to go buy new shoes! These were so expensive, too. Damn mud.

Naruto, holding on to two bottles of fine wine, stood alongside Kiba, who held an umbrella overtop the both of them. Behind the two of them stood Lee, Gaara, Neji, and the guests, who were being sheltered by umbrellas held by their chauffeurs. No one knew what to say for a moment.

"Thank you all for coming," Sasuke said as he stepped forwards, acting as though nothing was out of the ordinary as another boom of thunder roared. "As you can see, today's weather is in no way appropriate for a business meeting, so I'm afraid you all should go home."

The guests and the rest of Uchiha Inc. stared back at him.

"…are you serious?" Kiba asked, forgetting about the umbrella as he dropped his hand slightly. Sasuke gave him a do-I-look-like-I'm-not-serious? look and the guests turned towards their chauffeurs. Sasuke turned around and walked back towards the gazebo and left his guests standing, baffled. They muttered to each other as they turned around and quickly left. The rest of Uchiha Inc. stood still, waiting for Sasuke to say something.

"Well, I'm not letting this wine go to waste," Naruto decided as he walked in to the gazebo, Kiba behind him. Neji, Lee, and Gaara shrugged to each other as they followed suit. Sasuke turned around and saw his employees helping themselves to the food laid out on the table. Sakura walked over to him and held her plate out in front of him.

"Just because there isn't a meeting, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy the picnic," she told him as she smiled. He looked at her closely for a moment as though he were going to say something, and instead picked a sandwich up off of the plate.

There was a loud pop as Naruto undid the corkscrew of the wine bottle and fizz oozed out of the top.

"Hehe, oops!" he grinned as he poured wine out into six crystal wine glasses. "Come on, everyone. I didn't go through all that trouble of getting this wine to drink it myself!" He passed a glass to each of the men and then handed one over to Sakura. Before long the gazebo was filled with casual chatter as everyone became more relaxed.

Naruto walked over to Sasuke.

"So it looks like you and Sakura had some fun while I was gone," he winked as he nudged his best friend gently in the arm.

"Just a small trip," he said coolly as he suavely sipped his wine. Naruto glanced over at Kiba, who was busy talking with Sakura. He caught his gaze and grinned broadly and Sakura turned around to face Naruto. She turned from Kiba to Naruto and then back to Kiba.

I wonder if…oh, never mind. I'm sure they didn't plan for this to happen. Besides, it's no like they knew I'd trip over that tree.

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Flashback

I wonder if Kiba's here yet, I told him to get here ten minutes before Sasuke was supposed to. Naruto stepped out of the cab and walked over to the entrance of the park where Kiba was waiting for him.

"Okay, you know the plan, right?" he asked him.

"Of course I do, I helped you come up with it," Kiba grinned as he opened the gate. They walked a fair bit down the path and came to a halt. "You know what, Naruto? We should get jerseys, 'cause we make a good team."

"Let's wait and see if this works first. Those jerseys can be quite pricey if you ask me. Hm. Sakura's really clumsy, so I'm going to count on her to trip on this," Naruto stated as he pointed to a tree root lodged into the ground. Kiba smirked as the two of them bent down and lifted it higher off the ground.

"In her heels there's no way her foot won't get caught in this. And then Sasuke will become really concerned about her ankle and…" Kiba didn't finish. He stood up alongside Naruto and the two of them grinned again as they walked back towards the entrance. Kiba glanced up at the darkening sky.

"Do you think it's going to rain today?" Kiba asked Naruto as they shut the gate behind them and stood waiting for Sasuke. Naruto shrugged in response as he saw Sasuke approach them from his limo.

Let's hope it does.

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Preview: "I can tell this isn't you, your cover's blown."