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When Sakura received a phone call from an unknown number at eight in the morning the next day, she was admittedly a little irritated. Who the hell called that early in the morning?

Sleepily, she answered her phone. "Ohayo, this is Haruno Sakura."

"Haruno-san," came a deep but feminine voice over the phone. "My name is Takahashi Ume. I am contacting you on behalf of Uchiha Corp. Madara-sama told me you were interested in volunteering at the company hospital?"

Immediately, all remainders of drowsiness and bad attitude evaporated. "Yes, I am."

She couldn't help but ponder at how quickly he'd gotten to following up on what he'd said—while she'd been grateful for the offer, she certainly hadn't expected him to be so prompt about getting her the position. Then again, given how he'd commanded the waiter around last night and his imperious way of carrying himself, she wasn't really surprised. It was more the fact that he'd gone to so much trouble for her.

In a way, that made her feel warm inside—it was so rare for someone to be so altruistic. She found herself admiring his selflessness on her behalf.

"Good, good," Ume replied. She paused then. "I hope this is a good time to set up your schedule?"

Sakura blinked, surprised that there wasn't an interview or questions about her abilities or schooling. There was the small niggling of suspicion in the back of her head, but she paid it no mind and squashed it. Madara just probably trusted that she knew what she was doing…right? "No, no, this is fine."

"Very well. Madara-sama informed me you are in school. What time are your classes?"

"I have class from 8am to 10:30am and then 1:30pm to 4pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have class from 11am to 4pm. I don't have anything on any other days."

"Hmm," Ume hummed as she thought. "And what are your goals in volunteering for Uchiha Corp.?"

This was more like what she had expected. "I'm in premed at the moment at Tokyo University right now, in the last semester of my third year. I want to start getting practical experience as it's recommended for premed students." She hesitated, then went on, "I know I don't have a lot of free time to volunteer, but I will definitely do my best to meet your expectations. I promise I'll work hard if you accept me."

Ume chuckled, as though she was sharing her own private joke. Sakura's brow furrowed but didn't question it. "Don't worry, Haruno-san, you're already in. Madara-sama spoke highly of you." Ume paused and Sakura was given a moment to wonder why the Uchiha was going to such lengths for her—it was so very kind of him, but it also made her feel somewhat uncomfortable for a reason she couldn't fathom. "Can you do Fridays? Most employees don't come in on the weekends and there's not a lot of need for volunteers then."

"Absolutely," Sakura replied. "What time?"

"Well, given that you're in school and you primarily need to focus on that, how about ten in the morning to three in the afternoon?"

"That's perfect!" Sakura was ecstatic that this was working out all so perfectly. "Thank you so much, Takahashi-san. I really appreciate this."

"Not at all, the pleasure is all mine," Ume replied, and strangely enough, there was a hint of smugness in her voice. Sakura didn't have time to ponder that though. "Now, since today is Friday, I don't expect you to come in. However, would you mind checking in on Saturday so that one of the RNs can show you the ropes?"

"That's just fine," Sakura told her. "What time should I come in?"

"Just as though it was your regular shift, so 10am. However, I'm sure you'll be leaving earlier than three—there really isn't much that goes on during the weekends."

"Thank you so much," Sakura said gratefully. "I'll be there."

"Very well. Thank you for your time, Haruno-san."

"No, no, thank you." She paused for a moment, hesitating, and then said, "Please tell Madara-sama that I really appreciate his help in this and that I'll repay him in any way I can."

There was a silence that ensued that felt rather awkward and Sakura wondered if she'd overstepped some boundary that she hadn't been aware of. Then, "Of course, Haruno-san. I'll let him know."

Ume's voice was softer now, tentative, as though Sakura had said something either unexpected or something she shouldn't have. Before she could think any deeper into the matter, however, Ume was going on.

"Well, Haruno-san, I'll see you tomorrow. When you arrive, just ask for Takahashi Ume and they'll send you to me so I can show you the way."

"Thank you, Takahashi-san."

"Good-bye."

The phone line went dead.

Sakura was left feeling rather uncomfortable at how abruptly the conversation had taken a downward turn, starting when she'd asked Ume to thank Madara for her. She wondered what she'd said wrong—had she broken some unspoken etiquette by wanting to show her appreciation?

Shaking her head to rid herself of the annoying, unwanted thoughts, she laid back down in her bed and closed her eyes to go to sleep once more.

Ume felt rather uncomfortable relaying Sakura's words to her boss, but she knew it was definitely something he would want to hear, even if Sakura had had no idea how they might be interpreted when she'd spoken them.

The older woman couldn't deny that even with the pay raise she still felt uncomfortable setting the girl up like this. She would do it without complaint, of course, but it still didn't really sit right with her.

She only hoped that Sakura would find some sort of attraction for Madara quickly because it would truly be a tragedy if this turned out to be completely against her will. Ume knew she would do nothing about it—she wasn't so naïve to think that she could make any difference in the situation and she didn't lack so much self-preservation that she would get in Madara's way, thereby endangering herself. Still, she hoped that this Haruno Sakura would, in the end, find some peace with what was going to happen to her soon.

Later, after it had come out that she'd read Madara's file on Sakura, he had told her the extent of what he had planned, of course having her sign a nondisclosure form that would bind her legally to keep it quiet. Even if the paperwork hadn't been signed, Ume knew better than to cross one of the most powerful and influential men in Japan. Then, with the stipulation of a pay raise and a few other perks to her job, she had been employed into helping the plan move forward. Before, she'd only acted upon Madara's will, not knowing what it was she was helping with—now, she acted with the knowledge that she was doing something morally reprehensible.

It wasn't enough to change her behavior.

Ume admitted to herself—or perhaps it was just a form of rationalization for her part in all this—that Madara was not a bad man to be forced to marry. Even though she was not attracted to those of his gender, she understood that he was found attractive by many women and had never had trouble picking one up. In fact, it was almost ironic that he would choose one of the few who didn't seem enraptured by him and who he would actually have to force to be with him—Ume only hoped that Sakura could learn to see what other women saw in him and adjusted to her situation.

Madara had made it quite clear that having this leverage over the girl was very important. That could only mean that she wouldn't come easily or willingly.

Knocking on the thick wooden door that led to Madara's office on the top floor of the building, she waited for her boss to allow her to enter. After a few moments, he called her in.

"I just spoke with Haruno," she said calmly, burying her qualms about the situation expertly. "She is to work Fridays from ten to three."

Madara raised a displeased eyebrow. "Only Fridays?"

"Her classes interfere with the rest of the week—she's full-time at Tokyo University and I wanted to ensure that she had no hesitation about volunteering."

Still looking rather dissatisfied, Madara nodded. "Very well then."

"Also, she wanted me to convey her thanks to you…and she said she wanted to repay you in any way that she could."

Ume felt a chill run down her spine at the cold, triumphant look on the Uchiha's face at her words.

"How exactly did she say it?" he wondered, but the smirk on his face didn't fade.

"She said that she appreciated your help in this and that she would like to repay you in any way she could. Paraphrased, but the very same message."

His lips curled into a malicious smirk. "Thank you for your help, Ume-san. Any word on the proposal with Hiashi-san?"

Ume went on to inform her boss of the other goings-on in the business, but there was a gleam in Madara's eyes that showed he wasn't really focusing on what she was saying. It didn't matter, she told herself; she was feeling discomfited by the look in his eyes and was anxious to get out of the office. The sooner the report was over, the better.

She hated to admit it, but even after knowing Madara all these years and having worked as his personal assistant for seven, she could still be frightened of him at times. She knew better than probably anyone that the man had a dark side to him that, while rarely seeing the light of day, was very present and spoke of a madness that few could stand up against. It was hidden beneath a charming exterior and commanding presence that could make anybody grow to like him in a short conversation or cow them into submission with a few words, respectively, but Uchiha Madara was truly not a man to be trifled with. There was a part of him that was clearly, undoubtedly, a little insane.

The most recent manifestation of this insanity was his obsession with the Haruno girl and Ume couldn't help but feel sorry for her. When Madara got like this, there was very little that could stop him from getting what he wanted. She'd seen it elsewhere with business mergers, product development, and a myriad of other things, but it had never targeted a human being.

As she was dismissed and she excused herself from the office, Ume forced the thoughts from her mind, telling herself that there was nothing she could do—nothing she wanted to do if she wanted to maintain her comfortable, extravagant lifestyle. She wasn't about to sacrifice herself for someone she barely knew, especially since the sacrifice would be all but futile.

Taking the elevator down to the next floor, where her office was along with a few other executives', Ume decided she was going to focus on something else.

Throwing herself into her work, she did just that.

Sakura stood in front of the large house that Sasuke called home and felt distinctly nervous.

She'd been there a few times in the past with Naruto, but they usually met elsewhere. Uchiha Mikoto, Sasuke's mother, was fond of her, even though his father, Fugaku, seemed a little disapproving of her presence by Sasuke's side. Sakura was almost positive it wasn't personal—Fugaku was somewhat snobby in her opinion and it was simply the fact that she wasn't of the same aristocratic stock as his son that he disliked her. Sakura knew for certain that Fugaku disliked Naruto. The man didn't exactly try to disguise it, but even though Sasuke thought very highly of his father and wanted his approval, it hadn't stopped him from being with his friends.

However, it wasn't Sasuke's family that was making her nervous. It was Friday afternoon and Fugaku would not be home. She was more nervous about the fact that she would be with Sasuke in his home, probably in his room, alone. Even though she knew they were just friends she couldn't help but feel a little jittery at the fact that she would be the entire focus of his attention—she knew it was for the sake of school, but the feeling was there nonetheless.

Walking up to the front door, she rapped her knuckles lightly on the door. It took a few moments for someone to answer and in those moments, she attempted to take a few deep breaths and calm down her excitement and nervousness simultaneously.

The door finally opened and she was faced with Mikoto's beaming smile. "Hello, Sakura-chan! Sasuke told me you'd be coming by."

"Hello, Mikoto-san," she said almost shyly, then cursed herself. She could not act differently now. It would be an obvious tell that she still saw Sasuke as more than a friend. That was unacceptable; it might ruin everything!

"Come in, come in!" Mikoto said happily, ushering her inside. Sakura shifted the backpack on her shoulder to relieve the pressure of her books as she slipped off her shoes at the entrance before Mikoto led past the foyer. "Sasuke!" she called. "Sakura-chan's here!"

There was the sound of a door opening and then footsteps before Sasuke appeared in the living room. "Hey, Sakura," he said quietly. She waved and smiled, trying to disguise her peaking nervousness.

Why was this happening now? She hadn't felt so…so…fangirly in years!

"Hey, Sasuke," she said.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get to work."

"I'll bring snacks in a little bit!" Mikoto called after them. Sakura turned to thank her and then-

Did Mikoto just wink at her?

Flushing, Sakura swallowed with some difficulty and followed Sasuke down the hallway to his room.

His room was simple with beige carpet and the standard-issue futon bed, although it was twice the normal size. The room's colors were the navy of the Uchiha clan, black, and beige. The bed was in the corner, across from the closet, and there was a desk with a sleek, expensive laptop on top of it and a chair pulled out of it as though it had recently been sat in.

"We can just sit on the floor," he said. "Did you bring your laptop and everything?"

Sakura cleared her throat. Right, business. "Of course," she teased. "Did you think I was going to write it on paper?"

He shrugged and they sat down after he picked up his own laptop and perched it on his crossed legs. "This paper is going to be a pain in the ass," he grumbled as he opened up a new Word document.

"Tell me about it," Sakura replied as she did the same, then pulling out her copy of MacBeth. "Why is this even necessary? I'm going into medicine—it's not like I'm going to be going to Europe or America any time soon. It's not needed for my degree."

Sasuke grunted in agreement and they proceeded to bounce ideas off each other and compose their papers.

Mikoto came in a little later on with a plate of delicious dango for Sakura and tomato slices for Sasuke. Sakura admittedly wasn't that hungry—Sasuke was throwing her off with the odd looks he'd been throwing her throughout the essay-writing session and it was making her stomach do weird little flips that she did not appreciate.

They continued to work uninterrupted after Mikoto left and an hour and a half later, Sakura typed the last sentence of her paper.

"Kami," she said grumpily. "That was probably the most mind-numbing thing I've ever had to do for school, ever."

Sasuke nodded in agreement and closed his laptop with a soft click. The silence that ensued was rather awkward, in Sakura's opinion, and she was quite aware that she was on the verge of overstaying her welcome.

"Well, thanks," she said at last. "I'd probably better get going then, huh?"

Sasuke frowned at her and, startled, she frowned right back at him.

"What?"

"You've been acting weird."

She frowned more deeply. "What do you mean?" Internally, she was panicking. Had he caught on to her secret attraction to him? Impossible. Sure, she'd been a nervous wreck at the start, but she felt as though she'd been able to adjust well enough to their normal interactions.

He shook his head. "Never mind. Do you want to stay for dinner?"

Sakura froze. He was looking at her with an odd glint in his eyes that she couldn't identify.

"Uh…what?"

He glared at her, seemingly irritated. Was that…was he blushing? No, of course not. "Dinner. Do you want to stay for it?" he deadpanned.

"Oh, uh—sure! Of course." Now she was blushing. And she was very, very aware of it.

"This is what I mean. You've been weird."

Sakura swallowed and averted her eyes. "I don't know why," she lied. "I guess…it's just weird without Naruto?" She chanced a glance in his direction and he was scowling.

"Why is it weird without him?"

Did he have to ask all these invasive questions? She could lie well enough, but she did her best not to practice that skill when she didn't have to. Apparently, though, she was going to have to now because he was asking questions he really didn't want the answer to. It would ruin their friendship. She didn't want to let her unrequited feelings to destroy what was already just fine.

Before she realized it, the silence had stretched on for far too long.

He leaned forward and it was then that Sakura realized how close they had sat down next to each other. It had been ample space when they were on their laptops, but with the laptops gone it suddenly felt like he was right next to her.

"Do you still have feelings for me?" he asked softly.

Sakura blanched. No, no, not good!

"Of course not!" she said, luckily able to temper her voice so it wasn't high-pitched and shrill.

That odd glint in his eyes disappeared and for some reason, Sakura was sad to see it go, even if it had been making her more anxious than it really should have.

"Hn." He turned away.

She swallowed thickly and chanced her own question. "Why?" As soon as it came out, she knew it had come out the wrong way. Quickly, she rectified, "I mean, why would you ask that? It's been three years since that…happened."

Still not looking at her, he shrugged. "I don't know. I was just curious."

She frowned, a little irritated at his blasé. "Even if I did, it would just complicate things. So it doesn't matter, right?"

"So you do have feelings for me?"

Sakura spluttered. "No! I already said I didn't!" Blood rushed to her face and she couldn't help but hate the fact that he was being so persistent about this. Did he just want their friendship to crumble?

He leveled her with a hard look under which she got the distinct impression he knew she was lying. She wanted to insist further that she did not have feelings for him, but at the moment she didn't trust her tone of voice not to tell the truth.

It was dead quiet and completely awkward when neither budged on this issue. The staring contest, a battle of wills, was wearing on Sakura's already-frayed nerves and she finally looked away.

"Maybe dinner isn't such a good idea," she said softly, picking up her laptop and sliding it back into her backpack along with the copy of MacBeth. She stood up, ready to leave.

"Sakura," he said suddenly, and she turned back to him questioningly. He was standing now, directly in front of her. She was very aware of their height difference—she noticed vaguely that he was tall, but not as tall as Madara.

Wait, where did that thought come from?

"What?" she asked, hoping her voice hadn't come out breathy like it sounded it had.

"Let me try something. Don't freak out."

Her eyebrows rose impossibly high and she took a step back instinctively. "Uh, oka-"

He closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against hers.

The plot thickens...

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