It was at the gathering of most high-profile people, arranged by his father on his return after years of service, where he first saw her. Wearing a magenta dress, with matching high heels and pink hair, first he had ever seen. With such a unique set of hair, she stood out among the rest of the people and he could not stop looking at her. She was oblivious to him though, chatting with her girlfriend, laughing occasionally. Her friend was no less beautiful either, objectively speaking. But it was something about the girl with the pink hair that captivated him.
He started moving toward her. He was not a shy man. He had wooed women before and had almost always been successful. While he didn't think he was a womanizer, the surprisingly long list of flings suggested otherwise. He always thought he approached women respectfully and it always ended amicably. He did not know what would come out of this, but right now he was interested in this woman and wanted to get to know her.
He was about a few feet away when her friend noticed him and nudged her. She turned around and he stopped himself from gaping. She had the most breathtaking set of eyes he had ever seen. They were green, which complimented her pink hair perfectly. Not to mention the shape of her eyes. Even without the eye makeup, he was sure it was just as attractive. As he looked into her eyes, he noticed them widen slowly as she recognized him.
"U-Uchiha-sama!" She bowed in greeting. "I didn't see you there."
He slightly bowed back to her and her friend. "So, you know me."
She smiled. "Of course! You're the reason we're all here, aren't you? To celebrate your return. I'm sure you're excited to start your journey at the Uchiha Corp."
He knew she was being polite and diplomatic. She was probably wondering why he was suddenly here talking to her, but couldn't say that to his face.
"I haven't seen you before. Are you new in the city?" He actually wanted to ask how she ended up here. At a party atop one of Tokyo's largest, more secure buildings, where only the closest friends and relatives were invited.
"Oh, I am with her", she touched her friend's arm, who bowed to him.
"I am Ino Yamanaka. You may know my father Inoichi Yamanaka."
"Ah yes, the Yamanaka clan. Your family is one of our oldest partners. Your father is a very fine businessman, and I'm sure you will be one day as well." Ino blushed lightly at the compliment and smiled.
He looked at her again. He was interested in this woman and wanted to know her. Ino sensed his intentions and left them alone, giving them an excuse to use the bathroom.
"I never caught your name."
"Ah, it's Sakura. Sakura Haruno." She smiled again. It was beautiful.
"Well, Sakura. Would you like to have a drink with me?" He asked, gesturing to the bar. If people around them had noticed his interest in Sakura, they didn't show it. Sakura looked surprised then nodded, smiling.
"Of course, Uchiha-sama."
"Call me Itachi."
Sasuke stood outside the airport, waiting for his ride to arrive. He gritted his teeth. The idiot was late. Again.
After waiting for almost ten minutes, Sasuke was about to call a cab when suddenly a car took a sharp turn towards the airport. It was an orange and black muscle sports car. The music was blasting so loud that he could feel the vibration at his feet. The car screeched to a halt right in front of Sasuke who closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
"YO, WHATUP BASTARD!" Naruto bellowed over the loud music. Ignoring the stares of annoyed pedestrians around him, he put his bag in the backseat of the car and climbed on the passenger seat. The first thing he did was shut down the damn music.
"Hey! I was listening to that." Naruto protested.
"Yeah, you and the entire airport. Let's just get out of here so I can beat you up for being late." Sasuke muttered.
"I am not that late! Besides, I had to drop Hinata somewhere before coming to get you."
"So, you're still seeing her?"
"Hell yeah! I'm telling you, man, she's the one. This is it for me, believe it!" Naruto was smiling ear to ear when he said that.
Sasuke was happy for his friend, but since he was currently angry at him, he said nothing in return. Naruto pulled out of the airport and they headed toward his house.
"How was your trip? Did you meet anyone? Have some fun?" Naruto asked cheekily. Sasuke grunted.
"It wasn't that kind of trip. I just had to represent the Uchiha Corp at the convention and shake a few hands." Fun was the last thing that happened on his trip. He couldn't wait until it was over.
"That bad, huh?" Naruto noticed the look on his face. "Well, now you're back and we can do something about the loveless life of yours. Now that I am in a happy relationship, I want everyone to be in a happy relationship, ya know?" Sasuke opened his mouth but he cut him off.
"And, with Itachi back you can relax a bit more and let him handle some of your stuff."
"Maybe. How was his welcome back party?" Sasuke asked. He didn't mention how disappointed he was when his family hadn't waited for him to return from his trip and had thrown the party without him.
"It was okay," Naruto replied rather wisely. Knowing full well what Sasuke was feeling.
"Although the word is, he has a new girlfriend."
Sasuke scoffed. "Already?"
"Yeah!" Naruto snickered. "They met at the party and they have been hanging out ever since. She's still to meet the parents though, or so I have heard. I haven't actually met her."
"Hn." Sasuke wondered how Itachi always found time for relationships. Here he was, still waiting for someone interesting enough to spend time with her. He had wondered in the past if he was gay, but after a very awkward experience he would rather not share, he knew he was definitely not. He had tried a few relationships in the past, but none managed to hold his interest for more than a few days. Either way, he wasn't desperate. When the right girl came, he was sure he would know.