Hey everyone!

It's been a while for this story. I'm a little stuck on Entropy and I've been busy with Sweet Cinnamon and Honey and The Only Thing I Know, but I think someone religiously guest-reviewed this story and I kind of felt obligated to update...DO NOT GUILT THE AUTHOR! PLEASE! IT SUCKS FOR HER!

Anyways, I guess this just shows I have a weak heart. :( Nonetheless, here's a new update. No specific time table as to when the next update will come, but hopefully in the next two weeks or so. Enjoy!

3

-Ulterior Motives-

The shopping trip with Ino had gone splendidly and Sakura had returned home with her purchases—despite her otou-san's promotion, she had tried not to overspend. The dress was perfect for the occasion and coupled with the new heels, she was fully prepared to make Kakashi proud to have her as his daughter.

At exactly 7:30pm, they hailed a cab for the ride over to the bistro. It was a short ride because despite the exorbitant price of apartments for living so close to the center of Tokyo, their apartment was one of the better-priced living arrangements. Sakura could not rightly express how happy she was as she sat next to her father in the back of the cab, going to celebrate this wonderful occasion.

A stinging pain in her heart reminded her that her okaa-san should be here, that she should be sitting on her other side and taking part in the joy of Kakashi getting the job he'd always wanted. Sakura was very thankful that Konoha, Inc. had been merged with Uchiha Corp. Vaguely, she wondered if she knew who headed the large, multi-billion dollar corporation; she was rather close with the Uchiha family through Sasuke, even though their name was so famous that her position to know them was highly coveted by many. It was a factor that only exacerbated Sasuke's multitude of fangirls—he was part of the Uchiha clan, one of the most ancient clans lasting since the Meiji era. They had vast political influence and she could only think that Uchiha Corp.'s CEO might be one of the most powerful non-political figures in Japan.

They arrived shortly at Akimichi and Kakashi paid their fare without a care in the world. Stepping out of the cab onto the busy sidewalk, Sakura couldn't help but notice that there was already a wait line that went out the door.

Akimichi Bistro was one of the most prestigious restaurants in Tokyo and it had a chain of restaurants that spread throughout Japan, although it was rumored that none of them were as good as the original because Akimichi Chouza, the owner and head chef of the bistro, only worked at the Tokyo location. Sakura was eager to find out what kind of food was offered that made the place so coveted—she had heard that there were a number of completely original dishes that had never been seen before in Japan. Of course, other restaurants had tried to copy the style, but no one could compare to Chouza's prowess in the kitchen.

They walked in and were greeted cordially before being led to their table. The place was decorated beautifully but had a more modern, westernized style of decoration. The tables were covered in pristine white tablecloths and the place settings were a combination of forks, knives, spoons, and chopsticks. At every table was a lit candle and a bouquet of fresh flowers. The walls were painted navy blue with white trim and elegant chandeliers hung from the ceilings. The tile was a beige marble, complementing the dark oak wood of the chairs and tables.

Sakura sighed at the beauty of it all.

"It's wonderful, papa," she said delightedly as they took a seat. He nodded in assent, adjusting his black scarf, which blended well with his tuxedo. The dress code at Akimichi was formal business and called for only the nicest of clothing.

"Your waiter will be with you in a moment," said the hostess before bowing politely and returning to the front to help the next customer.

Sakura's eyes wandered the restaurant, observing the patrons. Everyone was dressed to the nines and it was clearly a place that was mostly frequented by the wealthiest of Japan. She couldn't help but feel a little out of place, even though technically her clothing fit in; she knew instinctively that she did not truly belong in the place.

Pushing the feeling aside, she looked up at the waiter when he appeared.

"Konbanwa," he greeted with a large smile. "My name is Yoko and I will be your server tonight. Is there anything I can start you with?"

Sakura glanced at her otou-san for permission and he waved his hand, signally she could get whatever she wanted. Glancing at the drink menu briefly, she tried to choose something that would not be too expensive. She already knew that this was going to cost a fortune; no need to make it worse with expensive drinks.

"I'll have the plum wine, please," she said politely. The waiter nodded and turned to Kakashi.

"A pot of sake, hot," he told the man, and without writing anything down—it just showed how good Yoko was at his job—the waiter bowed and went to go fetch their drinks.

Suddenly, Kakashi was on his feet, bowing in the direction behind her, and there was a murmur that went through the crowd of both seated patrons and those waiting outside. Sakura's brow furrowed curiously before she turned around to see what the source of the commotion was.

Her expression lit up when she noticed it was Uchiha Madara, a man she had met at Sasuke's birthday parties. All she knew what that he was a relative of her friend's, but the times they had talked he hadn't divulged much about himself. She remembered that he had always been friendly to her, but she hadn't seen him in many years. The recollection was vague at best, but when she realized he was headed in their direction, she smiled at him widely. He met her eyes and smiled back gently, but the way he was looking at her made her blush just a little.

"Uchiha-sama," Kakashi said formally.

"Ah, Hatake-san," Madara replied in his deep, baritone voice. "How good to see you here. Enjoying the perks of your promotion?"

Suddenly, Sakura's face was aflame. No…it couldn't be.

Could it?

The way that people were looking towards the Uchiha with interest and admiration; the way her otou-san had risen so abruptly to greet him when he approached; how Madara had known about Kakashi's promotion; the fact that he was an Uchiha…

Could Madara be the CEO of Uchiha Corp.?

"Yes, sir," replied Kakashi. Madara glanced at her and Kakashi immediately cleared his throat and motioned to Sakura. She stood quickly, bowing. "This is my daughter, Sakura."

Madara smirked. "I believe we've already met, Sakura-san?" He grasped her hand and kissed the top of it softly.

Sakura decided she probably looked like one of the very-ripe tomatoes that Sasuke liked so much. How could she…she had treated him so casually when they'd met! She'd had no idea that he was such a prominent figure of society! It was a wonder he hadn't scoffed at her disrespect and thought her the rudest, most ignorant chit he'd ever met.

Realizing that eyes were on her and she had said nothing, stunned as she was, she nervously cleared her throat and said. "H-hai, we've met, Uchiha-sama."

His eyes gleamed in the lighting. "I believe we're beyond surnames, don't you think?"

Swallowing with great difficulty, Sakura blushed more deeply—was that possible at this point?—and nodded demurely.

He seemed to find this amusing because he chuckled lightly before turning to Kakashi. "I believe you're perfectly suited to the job," he told her otou-san. "I was surprised that Tsunade had not seen fit to promote you before now."

Even Kakashi's cheeks tinged pink at the compliment, although it was mostly hidden by the scarf. "Thank you, sir. I do my best."

"I expect it of my employees," Madara agreed. "But I'm sure you will exceed those expectations, hm?"

"Hai," Kakashi replied confidently. Sakura smiled at her father, a reassurance of his confidence.

"Now," Madara said lightly, "It seems my date has stood me up and I have a table with no one to share it with. Would it be too much trouble to join me? Reservations are so hard to come by these days, no?"

The room seemed to be silent upon hearing the Uchiha Madara inviting someone to his table. Sakura was confused—how would anybody dare to stand up someone who had probably been featured as one of the most eligible bachelors in Japan? She herself did not partake in that kind of celebrity gossip, but it would be hard to imagine that he hadn't been featured at least once.

He was definitely handsome enough—of course, it seemed all Uchiha men were blessed with some kind of uncanny, entirely unfair attractiveness gene. It clearly ran in the family, given Sasuke, his aniki Itachi, and Madara's stunning beauty. Even Fugaku, Sasuke and Itachi's father, had probably been a looker back in his day.

The thought made her wonder just how old Madara was. He was clearly older than Sasuke's parents, that was certain. But Fugaku looked much less youthful than him.

He had long, spikey black hair that was probably unbecoming of a businessman of his stature, but she had to admit it looked good. His onyx eyes were deep and wise. He had high cheekbones, an aristocratic nose, and thin lips that complemented his strong, angular jaw. He was well-built with broad shoulders and narrow hips and it seemed there wasn't an ounce of fat on him; it was apparent with the fitted suit he wore.

"We'd be honored," Kakashi replied, although he sounded rather uncertain as to Madara's motivation. Madara glanced at her, as though for approval, and all she could do was nod.

The waiter chose that moment to return to the table, carrying their drinks. He paused when he saw Madara standing there.

"Konbanwa, Uchiha-sama," he said politely.

"Yoko-san, have them moved to my table, and put their meal on my tab," Madara commanded imperiously.

In that simple sentence, Sakura could easily see how Uchiha Madara had become so powerful. His tone brooked no room for dissent and the way he spoke just made you want to listen to him, to obey him.

Personally, Sakura wasn't sure if she liked that or not. Still, it was probably a useful skill in the business world, being able to carry oneself and act like a king.

Yoko bowed deeply and led them to the very back of the restaurant to a private room. The place was dimmer, almost having a romantic atmosphere. There was a dimly lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the candle at the table flickered a yellow light. She supposed it was more fitting for a date than the front of the restaurant, although she couldn't help but think that not many people were allowed into these private rooms.

Madara sat down at the proverbial head of the table, given that the table was entirely square. Kakashi sat at his right and Sakura to his left and light conversation ensued. Sakura imagined that in any other situation it would have been awkward, but Madara seemed unwilling to let such feelings ensue. He was genial and even funny at times and she found she was greatly enjoying the conversation that went on. She could tell her otou-san was wary of something because of his stiff posture, but what it was she had no idea. All she knew was that she was greatly enjoying talking to the Uchiha and it occurred to her that maybe not every single Uchiha man only talked in monosyllables.

Taking another sip of her plum wine, Sakura couldn't help but feel a little bad that what was supposed to be private celebration between her and her father had been interrupted, but when she looked at Kakashi questioningly, he only smiled and nodded, telling her it was okay.

She promised herself she'd get him a card and cook dinner for the both of them tomorrow night to properly celebrate the occasion. No matter how much fun she was having, this wasn't really fair to her otou-san.

Still, she smiled and went on as though nothing was bothering her.

When he'd seen his Sakura dressed so beautifully as she entered the bistro, it had been difficult to not stare longingly. Soon, she wouldn't be on her father's arm when she went to fancy restaurants such as these—she would be with him.

She'd worn a long, emerald green strapless dress with matching heels that made her green eyes pop and in it, she looked like a princess of spring. Her pastel pink hair touched the top of her shoulders and the kohl eyeliner around her eyes stood out against her creamy pale skin. Her pouty lips were covered in a light pink lip gloss that shimmered in the lighting and made her smile look all that much more beautiful.

She was gorgeous.

She was his.

Although it went against his ulterior motives to pay for their meal, he wanted to make the best impression on Sakura that he could. If there was any attraction he could spark in her, then he might not even have to go to underhanded methods to get what he wanted. Nothing would please him more than if she came to him willingly.

He knew it was unlikely given her feelings for Sasuke, but it in the end, any kindness he showed her would go a long way.

"So, last time we spoke, you said you'd gotten in to Tokyo University," he said, taking a sip of his sake. "How is that going?"

"Very well," she replied politely. "The classes are difficult, but stimulating. My grades are pretty good, too."

He smirked to himself, enjoying his own private joke. Her grades were more than 'pretty good'; she had a 4.0. But of course he wasn't supposed to know that, so he made no further comment on it. "And what are you studying?"

"I'm in premed right now," she said brightly. "But my ultimate goal is to go into pediatrics."

"A worthy endeavor. It must be very fortunate to have such supportive parents."

He expected the stiffening of Kakashi's back, but it would not do to let them know he knew all about Hatake Rin's breast cancer and subsequent death. Sakura only looked down, smiling sadly.

"My okaa-san died five years ago," she said softly.

"My apologies," Madara said contritely, making eye contact with Kakashi to let him know it was unintentional. It hadn't been, of course, but Hatake didn't need to know that. He was simply trying to 'learn' everything he could so that perhaps it wouldn't be necessary to reveal how much research he'd done on the family in order to get to Sakura.

"It's alright," Sakura replied with a slightly brighter smile. "Things happen in life that we have no control over. You just have to adjust."

Madara wondered if she knew how much that statement would soon apply to her.

Kakashi finally spoke. "Sakura-chan, how are those applications to those hospitals going?"

Madara raised an eyebrow. Now this was something he was unaware of and was immediately listening keenly.

"Oh, I haven't heard back from any of them," she said, sounding disappointed. "I think it's rather difficult to get into a hospital, even as a volunteer, when you don't have any real experience."

So, she was looking for a hospital to volunteer at? He had to hide his smirk of elation. This was perfect.

"Sakura-san," he began. "As you're aware, large corporations have their own hospitals?"

She turned to him and nodded. It was a well-known fact that unlike some other countries, in Japan it was almost normal for especially large businesses to have hospitals within their buildings in case of emergencies, as well as motel rooms for employees who had to stay overnight to work and their own kitchens that went beyond the normal cafeterias businesses had within them. Uchiha Corp. was one of them and it was the perfect opportunity to get closer to her.

"Yes, well, I'm sure I could arrange for you to volunteer at Uchiha Corp.'s internal hospital. Should you do well enough, there might even be a chance of pay. Would you accept?"

The sudden sparkle in her eyes and the wide grin on her face of excitement made the offer worthy all on its own, but knowing that it would give him the chance to see her on a more regular basis made the proposition absolutely perfect. "I would love to," she said, then she hesitated. "But I wouldn't want to bother you with something like this…"

He waved his hand dismissively, expertly hiding the look of triumph on his face. "It would be no problem. There's been a recent shortage of volunteers lately anyways."

Sakura looked relieved and ecstatic all at once. Kakashi turned to him.

"Thank you so much for your generosity, Uchiha-sama," he said, and he, too sounded appreciative.

Conversation went on after that, only interrupted when Yoko returned to take their orders. Once the food was served, Kakashi seemed to relax and participate much more in the meal. That was good, Madara supposed, because Hatake was a hard nut to crack. The man was wary and had practically coined the phrase, 'Look underneath the underneath,' so if he could get the silver-haired man's trust, the rest would be simple.

The meal was over much too soon in Madara's opinion. It had warmed him in an unexpected way to be so close to her, to talk to her, to enjoy her light perfume and the subtle scent that was purely Sakura. At times he'd wished Hatake wasn't there at all, that the dinner could have been enjoyed just between the two of them, but small sacrifices such as these were necessary for the big picture. Soon—perhaps very soon, given how animated Sakura was and how fully she participated in the conversation—he would not have to worry about these things at all. Anything was worth sacrificing for his precious gem.

The check came and as promised, he simply put it on his tab. Sakura's gracious thank-you and Kakashi's bow of deepened respect were gratifying, even though this had not been out of selflessness at all. He would have given anything to be taking Sakura home with him that night, to be able to strip her of that beautiful dress and see her bare body in all its glory; to be able to touch her and hear her moans; to feel her and be inside her.

The sudden but not exactly unexpected turn of his thoughts had blood rushing to his groin. She took no notice of his distraction, simply continuing to talk about the state of affairs between Japan and America and the public opinion on the continued occupation of their army bases.

Watching her pretty lips move, forming those intelligent words, made him think of much better things she could be doing with that beautiful mouth of hers.

However, the moment she paused, he resumed conversation as though lust was not coursing through his veins, as though he did not want to rip her clothing off and take her on the table right then and there, her father's presence be damned.

Kakashi had gone silent and was simply watching them and when Madara made eye contact with him, he knew then that the man was not as relaxed as he'd portrayed. Madara wasn't sure if he sensed the undertones of the situation or if he knew what exactly was going on, but it was fair to say the man was suspicious. After all, for a dinner that had been meant to be a celebration of his promotion, Madara had paid much more attention to Hatake's daughter than he had to him.

Inwardly, even though it was inconvenient, Madara congratulated the man on his intelligence. Underneath the underneath, indeed.

Eventually, Kakashi decided that it was time for them to leave. It disappointed him that Sakura took this all in stride and didn't seem to mind that their time together was being cut short. He certainly minded, but it would not do to show that. He would have his time with her soon; they would certainly spend many years together.

"Thank you for the dinner, Madara-sama," Sakura said as they were parting. Kakashi said the same, although with 'Uchiha-sama' rather than by his given name. Surprisingly, that little nuance in their words pleased Madara immensely. Perhaps it was because it represented the closeness they would soon have.

"Any time," he replied with a smile. Then, he handed her his business card and a pen that had been tucked into his suit pockets, which she accepted gratefully before writing her number down on it before passing it back to him. "I'll have my secretary contact you with information on your volunteer work and you two can work out a schedule that fits in with your classes."

"Again, thank you so much," she replied, smiling brightly. It was all he could do not to pull her into a kiss at the sight of her beautiful, pouty lips parting just for him.

After their farewells, Kakashi took Sakura by the arm and began to guide her out the door. Madara felt a sudden spike of jealousy that the other man got to touch her so casually, even if it was just because of their father-daughter relationship.

Madara decided that once he and Sakura were married, Hatake would be seeing much less of his daughter.

Soon after the pair was gone, Madara called Shisui for the boy come out front with the limousine. As he waited, a few acquaintances of his greeted him and a few asked about who the people were who had joined him at his private VIP table. It was difficult not to say that it was his intended and her father, but should he say such things, the news would circulate before he'd even made his intentions clear to the girl herself.

And that could not happen.

So it was just his work associate's family for the time being, even though he craved to show the world that Sakura might as well be his wife already.

The ride home was quiet and his house was entirely silent when he arrived. It occurred to him that the silence before had never much bothered him; he'd even found a reprieve in it, in a way. However, after meeting Sakura and falling in love with her, that very same silence had begun to haunt him.

However, as Madara fell asleep that night, he knew that things would not stay that way for much longer.

Yup, Madara's obsessed.

That's all.

Please review, you wonderful people!