Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, let's leave it at that.

Special thanks to 01Trycia-chan01 for being my brainstorming partner for Rule 3!

WARNING! School is coming to a close and since I won't be babysitting over the summer (as far as I know) there is a possible chance that Rule 3 and all other stories MIGHT go on hiatus over the summer. I don't want them to, but I have no internet at my house and I can't think of any way to get it right now.

Thanks to Beta: Lynn06

[edited 6:12 pm 1/7/2016]

vvv

There was a brief hush that fell over the crowd as Itachi lead me out onto the dance floor. I giggled a little, despite the blush forming underneath my make up. "I take it you've never danced with your assistant before…" I said teasingly, as he spun me around to face him, the skirt of my little black dress wrapping around my thighs.

Itachi's hand gripped mine firmly as his other arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush to his chest. I gasped, all teasing forgotten. The only other time I had been this close to Itachi was during the Akatsuki conference a month ago, when we were forced to share the same bed. Thinking back on that fated weekend, I wondered if it was then that I had started to develop feelings for my boss, or if they had just surfaced. I blushed at the thought.

Itachi smirked down at me. "Nervous?" He asked arrogantly.

I shot him a dirty look. "You're enjoying this," I accused him.

Itachi's smirk turned into a soft smile as the music started and he began the first step of the Viennese waltz. "Yes I am, but not for the reasons you think," he murmured.

My eyes widened as I met his dark ones. Was he trying to tell me something? No! I shook my head and looked away, he was just being nice. There was nothing behind his words, it was just wishful thinking on my part.

I turned my thoughts away, and concentrated on not stepping on Itachi's feet. I wasn't a horrible dancer, having taken ballet classes when I was small, but being in the arms of my boss and crush was making me extremely clumsy and nervous. Luckily, Itachi was skillful enough to evade all my stumbling feet.

"You dance well," I managed to say.

My boss chuckled humorously. "My mother thought dancing was a necessary skill to know, especially when I grew up knowing I would take over Uchiha Corp when my father died." I blinked. Was it just me, or did Itachi sound... resentful? I glanced up at my dance partner and found his expression, which had been open for most of the night, as stoic and emotionless as a statue.

"Itachi... Was your life really planned out for you?" I asked, not bothering to add the honorific to his name. Itachi glanced down at me, a flicker of surprise flashing through his eyes, as if he had forgotten I was there.

Instead of answering me directly, Itachi spun me out, my dress swirling out like a black fan, before drawing me back in, my back pressed to his chest. There was a few moments of silence as I concentrated on not accidentally stomping on my boss's toes, before Itachi said lowly, "Yes. From day one, I was expected to be the next CEO of Uchiha Corp." He spun me back out again before I could answer, then returned to the first position with me pressed up against him.

"It must have been hard, giving up on your dreams," I said sympathetically.

Itachi raised an eyebrow at me. "And what about you? Don't tell me your dream was to be an assistant all your life," he said, though not unkindly.

I blushed and shook my head. "I never knew what I wanted to be really. And after I graduated from high school, I was so used to being your assistant I never thought of trying to be anything else," I confessed.

Itachi didn't say anything as we twirled around the dance floor. Somehow, we ended up in the center of the floor, a soft spotlight narrowing on us as Itachi continuously spun me around and around. I didn't fear of tripping over something or getting my dress tangled between my legs. With Itachi in control, I didn't have to worry about anything.

Finally, he brought me back into his arms. "I wanted to be a police officer or detective. I liked helping people. But then, my father convinced me that becoming a lawyer would help more people, so I gave up on my dreams," Itachi said.

I stared wide-eyed at him, surprised that he even told me what he wanted to be when he was a child. In the seven years I had known him, Itachi was not one to share his secrets. He smiled at me. "And what about you? I'm sure there was you wanted to be something when you were younger." he said teasingly.

I blushed a little and looked down. "It's embarrassing…" I mumbled, trying to dissuade him from asking.

If anything, Itachi was more interested. "Oh?"

I blushed even more until my whole face was scarlet. "I... I wanted to be a ballerina," I said softly, knowing he wouldn't let it go until I told him. I had might as well get it over with.

Itachi chuckled as he once again twirled us around. "You're right, it is embarrassing. Especially since you can barely move three steps without stumbling." As if to prove his point, my left foot got tangled around my right and he was forced to drag me a little before I found my footing.

I glared at him. "Normally, I'm a good dancer! I'm just nervous!" I snapped.

Itachi smirked and spun me again. "About what?" He asked, when I was back in his arms.

I panicked, there was no way I was telling Itachi that I was nervous because of him! That would lead to questions I didn't want to answer. "Be-because I'm worried that if I step on your feet, I'd lose my job," I said hurriedly, before he thought I was lying.

Itachi grinned. "Good thing I can avoid your clumsy feet then," he said easily.

I stared at him with an open mouth because Itachi didn't joke and I wasn't sure if he was being serious or not. "You mean you'd seriously fire me if I stepped on your foot?!" I asked, shocked.

Itachi grinned freely and chuckled at the comment. I might have stumbled a bit, because it wasn't fair that my already drop dead gorgeous boss could actually be even more handsome smiling like that.

That smile should be made illegal.

vvv POV Change vvv

Sakura sighed dreamily while Itachi and Ichigo danced. It was like something from a fairy tale where the rich, handsome man taking a notice of someone who wasn't part of his social class. It was every woman's dream to be noticed by someone like that. And Ichigo was living her dream right now, in the arms of her boss.

Sakura could see it on her face, even from far away. The pink-haired woman had never seen Ichigo look so happy before, nor could she recall a time when she saw Itachi really smile, not even when she was dating Sasuke. She deflated a little at the thought.

Though Sakura wouldn't tell anyone, ever since that stupid prank Sasuke had pulled on her when Itachi and Ichigo went to the Akatsuki conference, her feelings for her ex-boyfriend had reappeared. Sakura looked at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye, wishing that he had asked her to dance as well, but knew that would never happen. To Sasuke, she was just an ex-girlfriend turned assistant. She wasn't even the ex-girlfriend, just one of many. Sakura hadn't been Sasuke's first girlfriend and she certainly wasn't the last, but she was the 'high school sweetheart'.

That had to count for something... right?

vvv

Gaara smiled softly as he watched his sister-in-law dancing with her boss. He was glad that she was enjoying herself. Gaara knew how rare it was for Ichigo to be happy, having been friends with her since grade school when Sasuke and his group started picking on the both of them. He had seen first hand what those jerks did to Ichigo everyday, for no reason except that she was vulnerable as a kid. Luckily, Naruto befriend the both Gaara and Ichigo, so the teasing died down a little, but not by much.

But then, when she started working for Itachi in their second year, it turned ugly that not even someone as popular as Naruto could stop it all. Sasuke took personal joy in torturing his elder brother's assistant. It didn't help that Ichigo's hygiene had deteriorated during those last few years, between the ungodly hours of school and a job, plus homework, gave Ichigo barely any time for sleep, let alone anything else.

Gaara shook his head to rid himself of such memories, tonight was Ichigo's night. The redhead could tell that his sister-in-law was enjoying herself immensely in the arms of her boss. Mildly, Gaara wondered when exactly did Ichigo fall in love with the man she had worked for so diligently without fail for seven years.

^o^

TA-DA! A beautiful fluffish chapter for all my lovely readers. Awwwwww! Gaara is such a loving brother-in-law/friend! Mwahahahahahahahaha, Sakura has feelings for Sasuke! XD Sorry it's short... I've been having a mild case of writer's block. BUT IT'S OVER NOW!

Flame Friendly. I DARE YOU! (except for Fernlight, cuz I know she flames anyway...)