-One year earlier-
Sasuke watched in utter discomfort. Why had they done this to him? Taken him to such a disgraceful place. They knew he was not interested in such things. In fact this was the one thing he never thought about. For that reason, more than anything, was why they had brought him here for his birthday. 25 years old and already the CEO of a major company, they said he worked to hard. Maybe he did, but he didn't mind. Nothing would bring him happiness, not the money, the women, the drugs, the house. Nothing. So he chose to drown out the screaming depression. The hole. His mind flew to his mother. Which, in a place like this, was an odd thing. Still he remembered her, he felt the hole grow as he thought of it. Blood flashed before his eyes, images of the cruelty, his father's face, the cold stare he gave from beneath all that blood.
He stood up and placed the clean class on the table. He looked at his friends with such hate. "I have to go."
A rush of blonde found Naruto before his dear friend Sasuke. "Sasuke, come on, you only turn 25 once."
Sasuke glared into the startling blue eyes of his best friend. They swam with glee as his eyes seemed to analyze the young Uchiha. "Oh my God, teme, are you..." He lowered his voice dangerously. "Gay?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Naruto, dobe, I'm not gay. I'm just not interested in..." His hand flew out towards where the dancers were...dancing. "This... form of entertainment."
"Sasuke, have you been." Naruto gulped."Checking me out?"
Sasuke shot Naruto a dangerous glare. "NARUTO!"
"Sasuke, are you in love with a woman then?" Naruto asked. His voice pitched with joy. "are you feeling unfaithful by being here?"
"NARUTO!" Sasuke said, finally letting his slender fingers make contact, rather harshly, with the back of Naruto's head. "You know full well what today is..."
Naruto looked at Sasuke blankly, trying to recall what day exactly it was. "You're birthday...?"
"There is somewhere I have to be..." Sasuke said. His hands flew into the pockets of his dark wash blue jeans and he turned on his heel, heading for the exit.
"It's the day they died, ten years to the day." He whispered at the door. The red Exit sign blared against his skin, casting an almost insane look upon his face.
Naruto nodded. "I'm sorry, Uchiha."
Sasuke nodded. "Good bye, Naruto."
His hand flew to the push bar on the yellow door.He gently fingered the cold metal. Something drew him to stay, something he forgot.
"Naruto..." He said, turning around. He walked up to his best friend and stared him in the eye.
"Are you going to stay?" Naruto asked, completely perplexed.
"I forgot my laptop." He pushed harshly past his best friend and walked back to where he had been seated, only moments before. He bent down and fingered in the dark lights for his case. The lights suddenly flashed brightly. Sasuke jumped in surprise and fell back into his seat. All the performers from the night entered the stage, each wearing a sequined short dress in various colours, many were adorned in feathers or gaudy jewelry. Sasuke thought of how disgraceful this place was. He frowned at the women. All of them kept cheery demeanor as the lined up for the last show of the night. His eyes burned from the bright lights refracting off sequins. But something made his eyes stay on stage.
The girl that stood in the centre. She seemed to make him forget about everything that had troubled him over the years. He felt something in his stomach flip. Something about this woman, was toxic to him. She seemed untouchable, up there on the stage, her silky red dress hugging every curve. Her black boots reaching just below her knees. Long pink hair fell in soft curls around her face, and her green eyes pierced his. He felt something click as their eyes met for just a moment. She quickly tore her gaze from his and continued doing her little dance. Her body danced freely with all the other women on stage. Each doing their jobs. Earning their keep.
Pity struck him. A girl like that, working in a place like this. Just to get by. He wanted to sweep her off stage and carry her out of this place, this life. He wanted to stare into her deep green eyes and see them really smile. He wanted to run his hands through the pink hair, to feel the softness against his skin. He wanted to take her to bed and wake with her next to him. He quickly banished all thoughts of this. It was unseemly. It was not something he indulged on, these little fantasies. Still she was intoxicating.
"Sasuke." A voice whispered. It was Neji. "I thought you were leaving..."
Sasuke kept his eyes fixed on the woman before him. "I forgot my laptop..." His voice seemed like it was in another place. Neji smiled.
"Naruto owes me five hundred dollars." Neji said smiling. The money was merely pocket change for him, he was the CEO of his uncles law firm. Money was no concern. but the pride that came with it, that was all he really wanted. "I told him you weren't gay.."
Sasuke nodded. "hn.."
He felt something snap in his mind. "Neji, who is that girl on stage?"
"Haruno.." Neji stated. "Sakura, Haruno..."
"hn." Sasuke nodded. "Fits..."
Neji nodded "You like her?"
"hn." Sasuke said.
"Too bad, she won't do you..." Neji stated. His eyes fixed on a young brunette serving drinks.
"Hn?" Sasuke asked.
"She's a virgin... she may go up their and flaunt herself, but she has never done anyone in her life, and she refuses to do anyone..." Neji said, his hand motioning to the brunette to bring him another drink.
"hnnn..." Sasuke said. "I'll change that..."
"Good luck..." Neji said. "She's not going to accept your offer."
Sasuke smirked, his attention turning to his friend as the girls left the stage. "You're forgetting." He said, pushing himself from the chair. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha..and Sasuke Uchiha,,always gets what he wants."
He felt Neji's grip tighten around his wrist. "I'm warning you Uchiha... you don't want to get involved with that girl."
"I'll get involved with whomever I wish... Hyuga." Sasuke snapped as he walked away.
His feet danced along the cold concrete of the poorly cared for place. He knew where he was going, his father had built this building. Not for this purpose, but after..that night. Many of his fathers assets were sold off and the money given to him. This building, that had once been a large bookstore, was one of those assets. He carefully took himself up the first step of the many that lead to the top floor. His fathers office and the offices of many others had been situated up there all those years ago.
"Sasuke." His fathers warm voice stated. "This is where I'll be working from now on." He rubbed a hand in his sons hair. Messing up the raven locks that his mother had worked so hard to tame.
"Father." Sasuke said, his eyes glowing with question. "Why don't you work in the big building anymore."
His father took a seat on the bottom step and Sasuke followed. "Because, before I met your mother, your uncle Minato and I wanted to run a bookstore together."
"But uncle Minato is-" Sasuke was cut off.
"Sasuke, Minato is in a better place. I built this place.. to honour him... to fulfill his dream..."
"But why don't you work in the big building, where they need you?" Sasuke asked.
"You are still very young, Sasuke. You would not understand. I have retired and handed the firm over to your cousin, Shusui. He is old enough to take it over." His father said. Smiling.
"Why not Itachi?" Sasuke asked. "He's my brother... he should take over.."
His father frowned. "I do not trust... Itachi. But over all I would love for you to run the business someday... But at ten years old, I do not think you can manage it...on your own." He smiled at his son. But Sasuke knew better. Something evil was in his brother. Something greedy.
His father stood up and brushed down his suit. "Come Sasuke, I want to show you my office." A smile spread wider across his fathers face and he ruffled his sons hair. That would be the last day they spent together.
"Are you alright?" Came a timid voice. Sasuke looked up from his seat on the stairs and saw the same Brunette that Neji had been eyeing.
Sasuke nodded. "I'll be fine."
The girl wrapped her silk pink dressing gown tightly around her and took a few steps down and sat beside him. "No you won't."
Sasuke looked at her in confusion. "How do you know?"
"I know you." She stated simply. "You are Sasuke Uchiha, Fugaku's son."
"How do you know my father?" Sasuke asked.
"I did a college essay on the Uchiha company." She stated. "You've inherited quite the empire."
He nodded. "Not by choice."
"Well when Itachi took over you fell into a hole of debt. You sure did work hard to keep it afloat." She said.
"yeah, I needed to keep the dream alive.." He said.
"Is that why you're here?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.
"I know full well this place belonged to your father. Namikaze books. I came here once. It's life was short." She stated. "A whole of a month. You father was kil-"
"please!" Sasuke said, his eyes filled with pain. "I don't wish to talk about that."
She nodded. "I'm sorry."
He nodded. "Thank you."
"My name is Tenten by the way." She stated. She held out her soft hand and he took it. He stood up and pulled her with him. She came up rather awkwardly and landed into his chest. She giggled and he helped her gain composure. Once that was achieved she smiled sweetly at him. Her eyes locked with his. For a moment their breath halted. Suddenly warm lips caressed his. She puled away with a smile. "Happy birthday Sasuke."
He nodded and then pulled her in again. Lust and passion flared and soon as their kiss deepened into something much more, his mind forgot the pink haired girl that he had fallen for at first site. He knew that the pink girl was the one he wanted. Still depression and loneliness had taken over most of his senses and all he really wanted was to be with some one, anyone at that moment.Tenten was beautiful and kind, still she wasn't his. It didn't matter much though. As long as he didn't have to wake up alone tomorrow.