Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! But the characters are too much fun to mess with :)
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke left his friends behind to follow in his father's footsteps. 7 years later, he finds himself in an elevator with the last person he wanted to see. Will he walk away again? Will Naruto let him? Rating may change!
A/N: I forgot that removes the line breaks from word, so I apologize if the last chapter read a little messily! I've fixed it now, though. Anyways, enjoy!
Strictly Professional
Chapter 3: Cards
"You had lunch with Neji?" Ino's eyebrows nearly reached her hairline. "Neji, like Neji Hyuuga? The fate-freak from high school?"
"That's not nice, Ino," Sakura reprimanded her.
"Hey, he told me that it was like written in the stars that I was an idiot or some shit," she retaliated.
"I think he used the word 'vapid'," Sakura looked thoughtful. "Maybe he was just calling you pretty?"
Ino gave her a look. Naruto snorted into his drink.
"I'll be sure to clear it up with him next time," he joked, but it caused both girls to immediately turn their full attention to him.
"Next time?" Ino asked.
"You're going to see him again?" Sakura had a glint in her eye.
Naruto blushed. "He was nice! It was nice to reconnect with someone…I dunno."
"Sorry, you're gonna have to run that one by me again," Ino rested her hand on her chin. "Nice?"
"Yeah. He seemed…genuinely interested in our conversation. He asked a lot about me. He was smiling practically the whole time—and not a creepy smile!" He added at the look on their faces.
"Uh-huh," Ino didn't seem to believe him for a second.
"Really, though! I mean it!" He paused to take a swig of his drink. "I was pretty distracted though…"
"No, you were focused on another dark-haired, fair-skinned asshole, weren't ya?" Ino winked.
Sakura laughed at the same time Naruto groaned. He let his head drop onto the table.
"I just don't get it," he said miserably. "Why would he want my number if he wasn't going to use it? He stayed after Neji left and everything…"
"You sound like me," Ino said, her drink's straw in between her teeth.
Naruto just groaned again. Sakura patted his arm sympathetically.
"It's okay, sweetie. I'm sure he'll call," she giggled as he glared at her. "Okay, but actually Naruto—it's only been two weeks. He's probably even busier than you are."
Naruto frowned, but didn't fight the statement.
"I know. But it worries me that they cancelled negotiations so suddenly this morning. We had had barely any contact since, and I texted Neji about it, and he seemed just as surprised as I was. Look," he grabbed his phone and showed them the text.
"Yeah, that is pretty weird," Ino agreed.
"Is it possible Sasuke wasn't as impressed as Neji was? With how the meeting went, I mean?"
Naruto frowned. "I guess so, but I doubt it. I went over everything with Shikamaru beforehand just in case. Maybe I should have had him in there with me…"
Ino made a noise and shook her head. "If you guys went through it, it was probably bullet proof. Sasuke's just being a dick."
Sakura gave her an amused look.
"What?" Ino said. "Dick's are kinda my type."
Naruto nearly spat out his drink. Sakura practically howled with laughter. Ino just signalled a waiter over for a refill.
"I'm not even done this one yet!" Naruto protested. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"
"Obviously," Ino retorted. "You saw Neji and Sasuke—in suits, no less—and you're much more descriptive when you're drunk."
Sakura giggled. Naruto just groaned and laid his head back on the table.
"Hello, Kyuubi Industries, Uzumaki Naruto's office?" There was a pause. "Oh. Oh! Is this Sasuke? Sasuke—yeah! But I thought…yeah, okay, sorry, sorry, jeez. Gimmie a sec…" A rustling of papers. "How about…Friday, at the end of the day? I can squeeze you in there. Yeah….about half an hour? Yeah, okay. Okay. See ya Sas—" Kiba paused, and then hung up his phone.
"What an asshole…"
"Hey, Naruto!"
Naruto paused, halfway through the door.
"Sasuke called to demand a meeting. You don't mind staying late on Friday, do you?"
"Ye—wait, Sasuke?"
"Yeah, I know. He was really intense about getting a meeting ASAP. Then the bastard hung up on me," he muttered to himself.
"Wait—so I have a meeting on Friday?"
"Yeah."
"With Sasuke?"
"…yeah."
"Uchiha Sasuke?"
Kiba gave him a look. "No shit, idiot."
Naruto's only response was a blinding grin. His week was suddenly looking a lot brighter.
Sasuke hadn't really known what he was doing when he made that call. Immediately afterwards, he regretted it. Surely, surely, his father was going to find out. Surely he would; he always found out.
And if he found out that Sasuke was meeting Naruto behind his back…his father led one of the most successful companies for a reason. He was ruthless. Sasuke didn't know what would happen to him…but he knew what would happen to Naruto. His father would crush him. He would crush him, crush his company, and crush his dreams…and then what?
But…
Sasuke sighed, and put his head in his hands. It was no use. Either way he would be completely miserable. There was no happy solution for this…no one had…
Sasuke looked up. He was wrong. Someone had defied his father before. And they had been successful. And he hadn't spoken to them in a very, very long time.
His hand trembled, but he picked up the phone.
They were in a booth, conveniently out of sight. Sasuke was a little paranoid about the whole Fugaku thing, but it was probably warranted. Their father was a little…much, after all.
Sasuke hadn't said a word since they had met at the table, but it was all the same to him. It was nice to see him after so long, and even nicer to watch him sweat.
Itachi sipped his coffee, and sighed in satisfaction. Black, like his heart.
"I met Naruto."
Itachi looked up. Of all the things he expected Sasuke to say…well, this wasn't high up.
"Oh?"
"He is the CEO of Kyuubi Industries."
"Oh," Itachi leaned back in satisfaction. Good to see the kid got somewhere with that ferocious ambition of his.
"Dad made me cancel negotiations."
Itachi put the cup down. Sasuke didn't say anything more.
"He always was an overdramatic one," Itachi said, leaning back. "And you did what he said?"
Sasuke scowled. Itachi chuckled.
"Always the good little boy," Itachi said. Sasuke's scowl deepened.
"Well, you have two options. You can give up, again, and continue crawling after our father like the sad puppy that you are…or," he smirked at Sasuke's offended expression, "or…you fix your attitude and your mistakes."
"That's not—"
"He's not as scary as you see him, Sasuke. He's not all-powerful. He's an old man with an ego. A man that needs to hand over his pride and joy at some point, and you're the lead candidate. Hasn't he been shaping you for years?"
Sasuke nodded.
"Then you hold all the cards."
And then he was gone. But Sasuke didn't move from his seat for a long time.
A/N: Things in motion :) More to come tomorrow!
- Kinomi
