| Author's Note: |

| I don't own Naruto. |

CHAPTER ONE

Sasuke opened his eyes to a plain white ceiling. It was a Wednesday morning. A dreadful Wednesday morning. As he began to blink some of the tiredness away, he sat up, his hand resting on his head as if it would make the migraine leave. Each pulse of pain showed a glimpse of a certain dark-haired woman and he would wish it would go away the more he decided to get his ass off the bed.

He finally sat on it with his feet touching the floor. That Wednesday morning was probably on the ticking clock of 6:00 AM. Somehow Sasuke's body would always rise at that exact hour, no matter how late he slept. And precisely the night before, he spent hours drinking with Naruto and some other men from his team. It was a celebration of a closed deal. Uchiha Energies was an oil company, a powerful one, with its influence spreading over Konoha and other nations. When a country officially declares dependence on someone for resources, it means you've won. And Sasuke won. He always wins.

Except for one.

When the thought came, he would see her again. Flashes of memories sort of haunted the man, over and over and over until he felt the need to shove it down somewhere. Part of the reason why he chose to drink the night away was to try to forget her. Sasuke was doing his best to let go of the fact that he lost her. Will he ever be able to, though? Every time when something would remind him of her, he would begin to see images. How her smooth skin touched his. How she always smelled of lavenders and mint. How she spoke softly towards him.

With a grunt, Sasuke stood up to head towards the shower. In the early morning, he turned on a cold one and quickly stepped in after kicking his clothes aside. Shit, he would murmur, almost as if he regretted the temperature. It did the job done because it woke him up, and after a few minutes, he was out of the shower, ready to get dressed. Life for the Uchiha seemed mundane because it was. After he got dressed, he would eat his breakfast. After breakfast, he would drink his coffee. After coffee, he would brush his teeth. After all the necessities, he would leave his home to go to work. Like everyone else in Konoha.

He lived well. His father built the company which was now his responsibility to continue. Both his parents decided to retire and would often travel around. That left Sasuke alone in Konoha to manage the company while Itachi, his brother, managed another branch in another nation. Itachi was doing way too good outside of Konoha and it made the whole family agree to him staying there. Meanwhile, Sasuke had to stay in Konoha. He didn't mind. He got to travel once or twice a year and it would be a reward after months of hard work. He didn't feel isolated and he didn't feel he was lacking.

Sasuke got into his car, where he would sit in silence as he scrolled through his phone. So many new messages he had to get back to. Frustrated, he tossed his phone to the seat next to him and turned his head to look out his car's window. The view was great; green from the grass and blue which reflected the sea. The Uchiha house was located right on a cliff, where he could hear faintly the sound of the waves crashing onto the rocks. Then another memory was evident.

"Sasuke," she would say, face puzzled, her gentle fingers brushing through his dark hair.

A rough sigh escaped him, his fingers rubbing his forehead. He hated when a painful memory forced its way into his conscious mind. It had been 4 years since he last saw her, right before their graduation. She was a fierce woman clothed in softness. She had passion unlike any other because he could see it deeply hidden through her eyes. And she treated him like he was more than the identity given by his parents. She was otherworldly. The more he let his mind wander into his memories, the more he felt like unleashing anger. So to maintain calmness, he decided to start his car's engine and began to drive to the office.

It would take him around 30 minutes to get to his workplace. His driving had always been fast yet safe, passing through many trees to transition to a city-like area. It was soothing to know that his family decided to live rather further from society in general. There was a certain comfort in knowing that one's most vulnerable space would never suffer from being contaminated by unwanted guests.

He worked in a tower with 20+ floors, and when he finally got into his office, his assistant walked into the room to give him a printed paper with a list on it. The list presented meetings for the day. Sasuke took the paper and read it briefly before frowning; there was an unexpected name on his calendar.

"Hyūga Neji?" Sasuke said to his red-haired assistant; Karin.

"Yes, sir."

The Hyūga never gave Sasuke the excitement whenever a chance of a meeting would occur. Neji wasn't really a pleasant person to be around. Sasuke started to think that maybe he gave off the same vibe, too. However, Sasuke liked to think that he was better than Neji in every way. Still, the request was too odd to start a dreadful Wednesday. The middle of the week had always been the hardest time in the corporate world, and yet, Neji successfully piqued Sasuke's interest. After an exhale, the Uchiha said, "Why did he request a mee-" and soon got cut off when his office doors swung open by none other than his best friend, the blonde-haired idiot; Uzumaki Naruto.

"Uchiha! Good morning!" The blonde would say. Naruto walked in with two cups of coffee in his hands. He would then place one on Sasuke's desk as he sat on a chair facing the man. Sasuke didn't even blink and proceeded to ask Karin the same question, ignoring the dobe. "Why did he request a meeting?"

Karin had her gaze on Naruto as if feeling disturbed. But it seemed like the staff of Uchiha Energies found it to be a usual occasion whilst trying to get used to the surprise every time. She then turned her gaze to the Uchiha, "He said he had a business proposal to discuss with you, sir. He did not tell me any details after that."

Naruto was sipping his coffee, accustomed to Sasuke ignoring him. Yet, he looked at Sasuke as if he knew something relating to the meeting with Neji. Sasuke recognized the look on Naruto's face and immediately, politely to be exact, asked Karin to leave the room. Once the doors were closed, Sasuke leaned back in his seat.

"Are you not wired to send me a message before you dramatically enter my office? Do government people visit others that way?" The Uchiha said, almost mumbling.

"Before you go blaming me with stuff, maybe you should upgrade your replying-to-text-messages skill. Or the actually-reading-unread-messages skill." Naruto said, chuckling. "Drink that coffee I made you. Hope it tastes good!"

Sasuke took the mug to respect the idiot because the whole region of Konoha knew that Naruto was a horrible barista. "It's disgusting." He would say.

"Disrespect." Naruto shook his head, taking a sip of his 'horrible' coffee. Oddly though, the caffeine helped Sasuke's migraine by a little bit, and that made the Uchiha down the drink. Finally, he placed his mug back down on his desk.

"Naruto."

"What."

"What do you know about Neji's meeting request?"

"What do I know? Watchu talkin' about?" Another sip from the blonde. Audibly.

The Uchiha had to roll his eyes. His patience would probably be thrown out the window, too. "You know what I'm talking about. Neji and I don't really have the best relationship, especially in business. So why is he requesting to meet me? Why are you here anyway, aren't you supposed to be in your office trying to run the country? Or is this meeting so important that it might affect politics in Konoha?" It might very much be that, Sasuke thought.

"Hold up, which one do you want to know more about? 'Cause that hangover's throwin' lotsa questions." A loud sip from the blonde.

Sasuke had his hand resting on the table, and as a sign of patience running dry, his finger began tapping his desk. Naruto was one to enjoy making the Uchiha wait. It was a hobby, almost. And somehow it was the only emotional reaction he could get out of the man these days. Sasuke had grown to be colder ever since graduating from university

"How are you coping lately?" Naruto decided to ask.

With a shrug, Sasuke took the mug to have a sip, trying to think of a way to change the subject. But he soon realized he had finished the drink and was surprised that he found himself looking for more. After knowing he wouldn't get any last drop and understanding that he wouldn't want to go through the torture of drinking more of Naruto's creations, he placed the mug further away from his reach. "Barely."

Naruto would nod, his eyes lingering elsewhere. The silence was awkward mainly because Naruto wanted to say something but was afraid it would come out wrong. Sasuke noticed this. So he said, "Relax, dobe, I'm not depressed if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that. How's your love life?"

Sasuke lifted a brow. "Not interested."

"And what about the girl you brought home last week?" Naruto would ask, finally grinning. It somehow made Sasuke feel better. Maybe the idiot really had no idea about Neji's intentions. Still, he would try to squeeze some information out of him.

"Never saw her again. She was good company for a night."

The Uzumaki laughed, finding himself interested to change the subject. "I'm not in my office for a reason. Which would take a toll on my career, honestly. I'm this close to running as president." Naruto said, indicating a small size with his two fingers.

"I'd say that it's your fault." Sasuke blurted.

Naruto scoffed in disbelief. "Are you sure you're my friend? I'm hurt!"

"Mostly, I'm not very sure myself." Sasuke would jokingly say. If he would ever express positive emotions, Sasuke would think that sarcasm was his best one.

"And I promise you'll be my designated survivor once I get elected." Naruto finally said.

"I'm flattered."

The soon-to-be president nodded. "And as for Neji," He paused, shifting in his seat, "It's important you close this deal. That's all I've got to say. And yes, it will tremendously help my career."

"Why on Earth would a Hyūga want to do business with me?"

"I guess you'll find out, and," Naruto lifted his wrist to look at his watch, "I believe the meeting with him starts now." With that, Naruto stood and took both their mugs. "I can't believe you finished it. I must be really good at this." The Uzumaki said, which made Sasuke a little irritated, considering how horrible the coffee tasted. When Naruto left the room, Karin peeked in to remind Sasuke of the scheduled affair. The Hyūga was waiting.

Sasuke could only blink a few. The Wednesday became even more dreadful. Moreover, he couldn't figure out why, of all people, a Hyūga had a business proposal. That day was going to be interesting. Sasuke shook his head to check if his migraine was still there to find it was gone. Guess the coffee worked. The dobe knew.

He fixed his tie and stood from his chair before walking out of his office. He then shifted towards Karin's desk, which was located not too far from his office doors. "Where?" He would ask quickly. "Meeting room number 2. He's inside."

Sasuke walked towards a door with "Meeting Room 2" marked on it. He still tried to understand why Neji wanted to meet him. For years the Hyūgas weren't pleased with the Uchihas. They were thriving in their banking system which benefited other nations as well. But they couldn't bend nations as the Uchihas could. Mainly because of their traditional outlook on business and life, or even politics in general. It was fair to say that the tension between the two families was on the basis of competition. In some things, the Hyūgas were better than the Uchihas, and vice versa.

Once he opened the door, Sasuke's expectations were met when he saw Hyūga Neji sitting on a seat prepared precisely for him. Sasuke knew him well. Too fucking well. He was the cousin of a girl Sasuke had tried to forget but never could. And after 4 years of working his ass off to make his way to the top, he just had to be forced to act civil with his long-time rival from his school days.

"Good morning, Uchiha," Neji said, standing up. Sasuke waved in a mannered way, motioning to Neji that it was unnecessary for him to stand. However, the young Uchiha extended a hand anyway, as a formality. "Good morning," Sasuke said.

They both took their seats, and a wooden and modern-cut desk stood in between the two. Neji seemed composed but observant. It was annoying because that was Sasuke's trait and it always had been. Whatever this Hyūga dude was observing, Sasuke had to be more observant. And one thing was for sure; whatever Neji wanted to negotiate must be something too important.

"I see that the company is doing well." Neji began, breaking the silence.

Sasuke nodded. "My team is great. Though it is quite rare for you to visit me here. What do you need?"

Neji managed a smirk, and whatever he was thinking, Sasuke knew it wasn't a friendly thought. The rivalry between the two never seemed to leave. However, Neji seemed under control of what he was about to say. And when Neji was calm, it meant that he felt he was the one in control. Sasuke wasn't having it.

"Yes, I came here to ask for your cooperation. Hyūga Financial Corp. is having great momentum, excelling in numbers we never thought we could achieve. I see it is the same with Uchiha Energies?"

Sasuke gave the man a nod.

"Unfortunately, the nations we would want to work with are not in the best terms with 'trusting' our services… if we don't associate with one of their most trusted oil companies."

"And how does a banking company relate to an oil company? Trust is something you earn through networks." Sasuke replied quite frankly.

Neji nodded. "Correct. You're smarter now than I remembered."

"I try to be." Sasuke would then reply, folding his arms together.

"Good. Because we would need to partner with someone like you in order to create alliances with governments. The Uchiha family is famous for their success, and so is the Hyūga family. Now, we are yet to achieve our greatest potential as a nation through expansion. It is important for the world to know that in Konoha, two powerful families can work together despite our histories."

"All for the name of a 'harmonious' nation, I see." Sasuke finally said, initially intending to cut Neji's sentence. Now it made sense to Sasuke why Naruto would come over and say that it was important for them to close this deal.

"Are you not interested?" Neji would challenge the Uchiha. Of course, Sasuke was interested. All he wanted was to succeed so well without having to boast that it was all his doing. He wanted to prove to his parents that he was as good as Itachi. But he didn't want anyone else to control him, let alone Neji. Konoha being a harmonious nation meant potentially the whole world would cooperate with Uchiha Energies, and that would be the biggest win ever. And of course, Sasuke's father had already made a deal with Hiashi. Neji being in the Uchiha's office was just a formality. With that thought, Sasuke decided he didn't want to answer Neji's question.

"My interests do not matter since I believe you've talked to my father."

"Hiashi-sama did. However, your approval might matter a little bit. You're invited to the Hyūga compound tonight for dinner, where we will discuss further our cooperation." Neji explained. "7 PM."

With a nod from Sasuke, both men stood up. "I believe that is all." Neji extended a hand and Sasuke shook it briefly before walking over to open the meeting room's door. When Neji left, Sasuke stepped out of the room with his phone vibrating. He took it out of his pocket to see a message from the girl he had spent the night with last week.

Hana

Text Message

Today 9:41 Am

Hey, it's been a while. Are you free for lunch?

Sasuke stared at the text. Did he want to? It would surely not hurt to do so. He would never meet the girls again after a one-night stand. That was his policy. Mainly because none of these women intrigued him anyway, yet, Hana seemed like a person who wanted to hang out with no strings attached. So Sasuke decided it was alright to have lunch with the lady.

Hana

Text Message

Today 9:41 Am

Hey, it's been a while. Are you free for lunch?

Yes. 12 PM at the ramen booth across from my office.

Great. See you!

But of course, the lunch turned into a session of sexual intercourse. Sasuke was there only to fulfill his stomach until the girl began seducing him. He was sure she planned it because not long after they finished the meal, he was in his car driving them to his house. A simple "I need to grab something" text to Karin was enough to excuse himself smoothly out of his working hours. Not that he always needed to be there anyway. His team was well trained that they could function without him.

Sex with Hana felt empty. It was purely to satisfy his manly needs. He would often dream of experiencing this intimacy with someone else; a girl he tried his best to forget. Yet, it was useless to desire such things when he knew there was no chance to ever acquire such gifts. For Sasuke, nothing felt normal ever since he lost her. He was also positive that nobody would ever be able to make him feel the way she had.

With Hana pinned against the wall and her bare butt sticking out, Sasuke took the opportunity to ram into her until his cravings were fulfilled. This was okay, this was good, he thought. A little relief before the dinner at the Hyūga compound would definitely help him. As emotionless as he could be, Sasuke finished off before pulling his member out of her. The sex was too fast than what Hana had hoped for. The girl turned around with a disappointed look spread across her pretty face.

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

She laughed. "What's gotten into you, Uchiha? You lasted hours the first time."

Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair, trying to get some strands away from his face. "I'm not that interested right now." He said, walking over to his bathroom. "The door's unlocked." Shrugging, Hana proceeded to put the rest of her clothes back on. "I'll text you." She said, finally leaving after knowing Sasuke wouldn't respond. It was convenient. No hard feelings and Sasuke liked it. Was he in for another meeting with the girl? Hell no.

Hours passed since he showered again. He felt tired and decided to take a nap which in turn left him to sleep until office hours were over. Being the successor of the company led to many benefits. One of them being able to dip out whenever he felt he needed to get away. He was probably exhausted because he couldn't wrap his head around what might happen with the business cooperation the Hyūgas were so eager to discuss. It seemed so serious that Naruto had to come beforehand to convince Sasuke. That wasn't like Naruto at all. As long as politics existed in the real world, being skeptical was Sasuke's wisest trait. And he intended to do, maybe.

It didn't take too long for the Uchiha to get ready. He put on a black buttoned-down shirt with a pair of pants. He wasn't one to always dress formally and he didn't care if it was a Hyūga dinner. And the driving to the compound didn't take too long either. He arrived just in time for dinner to start.

Walking into the compound's entrance, he was ushered by a butler who led Sasuke into a dining room. The Hyūgas certainly knew how to live a tranquil lifestyle, because every corner of the house felt like it was created by Mother Earth. Lots of wood and green. However, Sasuke's attention to all the details came to a halt when he saw a certain someone standing by the window. Someone he knew very well.

She must have felt his presence when she decided to glance over at him. It seemed like she wasn't expecting him at all, judging by the expression she had on her face. She was genuinely surprised. Her body turned away from the window like she was eager to walk towards him but somehow had to hold herself back.

Sasuke definitely had his eyes fixed on her. She looked beautiful, as always. Her hair was longer than he last remembered. Her dress was a simple olive green satin silk, accentuating her body yet maintaining her modesty. He couldn't believe she was standing right in front of him.

For a moment, it was just the two of them in that room, until Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Hiashi entered the room. Sasuke wasn't aware that his father decided to visit Konoha, but he guessed he must for the sake of the cooperation they were about to discuss. Each human being decided to grab their own seat while tension could be felt in the room. Sasuke agreed to sit next to his father, while the girl sat next to Hiashi.

"Good evening." Hiashi greeted. "Thank you for setting aside time to meet us, Uchiha." With that, both Sasuke and Fugaku nodded as a response. "As agreed, we are here to resume dinner whilst discussing our matters. It has occurred to me that for the first time ever, in a good way, both our clans will need each other in order to achieve more for the sake of Konoha."

"That's right." Fugaku agreed.

"And I am also aware that with your presence here, Sasuke, meant you are also on board with this plan?" Hiashi asked him. Sasuke still had no idea what this was all about and he had no explanation as to why the girl had to be among them. But Sasuke managed to keep his gaze on the man and nodded as a yes.

"Very well. It has come to my attention that this could have been done sooner. I believe there is no reason to fret about what could have been done now as we speak, rather, it's important to discuss further what we will do." Said Sasuke's father. He seemed very optimistic about whatever project they both had in mind. Knowing their families were rivals, it was foreign to see them finally working together.

"Sasuke, as you know, this is my daughter, Hinata." Said Hiashi.

Sasuke glanced at the girl, knowing her too well, it was unnecessary for Hiashi to introduce her. "Hello, Hinata." He would say, trying to balance the atmosphere. Suddenly all the memories they shared together became too evident. She became familiar… as if she never left. Hinata, however, seemed like she felt like running away. Her cheeks flustered a bright red as she noticed Sasuke looking at her. With a timid voice, she answered, "H-Hello Sasuke-kun."

At that particular moment, Sasuke felt like he was flooded with questions. He wanted to ask her so many things; why she left, how she was abroad, why she came back, and the list went on. If it were up to him, he would yank her out of the room and just talk to her. As long as they were in the room, that would be Sasuke's main desire.

"You have known each other since childhood, so we figured this was the best partnership to forgo our plans." Hiashi said, glancing at Sasuke. When he thought Hiashi would continue his sentence, his father did the job by saying it so evidently.

"And it involves you and Hinata to marry."