Ok guys. First off, this is a serious, over the top, uber AU. That means, there's no ninjas, or kunais (well actually there might be..), well…so no ninjutsu! That ALSO means that the characters will probably be really OOC. Especially Sasuke. I mean, there's no mass family murder here. (Thus he's not detached and heartless. And bent on revenge.)
Moon River – Infatuation
The sky over New York City loomed gray and lifeless, a stark contrast to the events taking place downtown in the metropolis. The apartments and lofts lining the famed 5th Avenue glittered festively with expensive lighting, boasting the inhabitants' extravagance and wealth.
A young woman stepped outside onto the sidewalk and headed into the heart of all the activity, towards the lavish French and Italian designer boutiques 5th avenue was known for. It was the week before Christmas, and well, she had procrastinated far too long for comfort.
The air around the city was crisp, and Sakura breathed it in greedily. It refreshed her spirits, and soon she was within the lush confines of the Louis Vuitton boutique. She saw a small handful of women gathered around a glass case, captivated by something inside. A few women motioned to their husbands, who loitered awkwardly against the walls. Sakura discovered what enthralled them so greatly: the recently released Damier leather Papillion bag.
She too fell under the spell of its luxury, and her eyes roamed over the handbag's barrel-shaped structure. And then the price tag. A cool $1,500.
Sakura strode over to the lighted counter and set her hands over the glass. She decided that the bag would make for the perfect personal Christmas present and smiled.
"I would like this one." Three staff members clad entirely in black turned their heads simultaneously. The female employee reached her first and smiled.
"The Papillion, mademoiselle?" The woman's voice was sugar-coated and heavily laden with a French accent.
"Yes ma'am." Sakura replied. The French woman lifted the Papillion and placed it within a duster bag as Sakura handed the woman a Mastercard.
Taking holding her purchase, she headed towards the exit. As she was weaving through the crowd of mainly women, Sakura bumped shoulders with a passing man, dropping her purchase. "Oh," she said without looking up, "I'm terribly sorry."
"No, don't be." The man reached down for the bag and handed it to Sakura. "I should really get my wife that purse for Christmas," an impish smirk took over his features. "mind if I buy if off you for half price?"
Sakura chuckled. "I wouldn't count on it. I could get a better deal on eBay." She looked up at the man's face to thank him. She breathed, astonished by his striking appearance. She was drawn to his charcoal eyes and powerful aura he posessed.
"Hrmm?" The man was worried at Sakura's expression. She looked at him wide-eyed, as if an insect were crawling up his face. "Am I that ugly?" He relaxed as she smiled at his joke.
"Oh no! You're quite handsome!" She laughed nervously, placing her arm on his. She inwardly smacked herself, feeling like some kind of stereotypical schoolgirl.
It was then that Sakura spotted the wedding band of white gold, and the stunning blonde with a matching ring who snaked her arm through his.
"Honey, would you come look at these pouchettes? They're absolutely adorable." She eyed Sakura, and then her hand on her husband's arm. "Sasuke-kun, who's this?" Sakura drew her arm back quickly as the blonde narrowed her cobalt eyes.
"I'm Sakura," She offered and quickly bowed, to avoid having the couple see the red in her cheeks. "I'm terribly sorry. Thank you for helping me collect my items." She smiled and strode out of the boutique.
As she made her way towards the simplistic-looking Chanel boutique, she thought about the handsome man…Sasuke, was it?
"Dear, I thought you only pulled those old jokes on me," cooed Ino. She tightened her grip on Sasuke's arm and led him towards the counter. Sasuke simply squeezed her hand and shrugged.
---next day---
Sakura grinned uncontrollably as she entered her office building. She knew this was the most rewarding part about spending nearly half her month's paycheck on a leather bag. She could feel her female coworkers' envy oozing over her as she opened the door to her personal office. Money was indeed a very strong element in the urban world.
Around noon a blonde male knocked and entered. "So I hear you've got the most coveted piece of cow hide in this building." He smirked at his own wisecrack.
Sakura smiled and looked up from her desktop. "Well, Naruto, that's what being the boss of this floor allows me to do. You should be doing some of that work I assigned for you to complete, you know." She wagged her finger at him and resumed typing at the Dell.
"Work shmurk. C'mon. It's lunchtime!" the male gave her a boyish grin and continued, "Where do you want to eat today, Sakura? I assume you're buying, with all the money you have, ya know?"
She laughed and said nothing as she grabbed her coat and Papillion. As she approached the young male, she put her forefingers to the corners of her eyes and pulled upward. "I feel a bit like sushi today."
"Yes! Miso ramen! Nice thinking, Sakura-chan." Naruto nearly skipped out of the office. Sakura simply followed him, shaking her head. She wondered why anyone would spend so much at a Japanese buffet to only eat ramen noodles that could be purchased at a convenience store.
They headed down Wall Street towards a new Japanese buffet that had opened right next to Battery Park. As they entered, Sakura spied tempura hand rolls and immediately felt her mouth water. She glanced at the blonde and found him scanning the buffet line for any sign of miso soup and noodles. The waitress seated them quickly and without delay, Naruto bounded off towards the buffet line.
Sakura decided to wash her hands first, seeing that she would have to be handing hand rolls and finger foods of that nature. She had just stood from the table when she heard someone shouting her name. Turning, she saw the handsome man from the Louis Vuitton boutique and a group of four other males. Sasuke exchanged some words with the man behind him and headed towards her.
Sakura smiled at him, waving shyly. "Well isn't it a coincidence to see you again. And so soon as well." She watched him nod and run his fingers through him hair. God, his hair looked perfect. Perfect for running her own fingers through when… Sakura inwardly slapped herself, forcing her mind to remember that he was a married man.
"I agree. It seems that this place attracted nearly every Japanese man and woman in the New York area." Sasuke glanced down, seemingly nervous. "Hey, are you eating by yourself? Come sit with us."
"Well, I'm actually eating with someone else…" Sakura was about to continue when Naruto approached the table and sat down. Seemingly unaware of the man talking to Sakura, he began to eat.
"Itadakimas!" Naruto broke his chopsticks apart and began to eat. Sasuke just stared at the young man wolfing down ramen. Sakura kicked Naruto underneath the table and threw him a questioning look.
Naruto whined, glowering at Sakura. It was then that his eyes widened at the new addition to the table. He spat out whatever ramen he had in his mouth and jolted from his seat, knocking the chair over.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!" shouted Naruto, causing several heads to turn. His cerulean eyes hardened into an uncharacteristic ice blue as he glared at the man venomously.
The blonde's anger only grew stronger as the raven-haired man smirked. "Just here to eat my lunch," he turned to face Sakura. "Sakura, will you be joining us?"
Sakura stared at the two men, speechless. She never had the chance to give her answer, because it was then that Naruto's fist collided with the side of Sasuke's face.
